My dog howls at 3 AM for attention. How can I make him stop?

Has he always done this, or is it a new behavior? Had he been sleeping through the night at any time? The fact that he is continuing to bark, even after he's been out, tells me one of two things: either there's a sound (that you may not even be able to hear) that is disturbing or exciting him, or he has you trained to get up when he barks. To a dog who is seeking attention, any attention, even negative (such as shouting at him) is satisfying. If you are sure his bathroom needs have been met, try ignoring Wish. Do not respond in any way to his barking. Understand that, since you have reacted before, he will probably up the ante and bark more, or louder, to get the response he is used to. Don't give in!!! That will just make it harder to correct. After a few days to a week, when his behavior is not getting the desired result, he will stop. (You might want to start this on a weekend when you don't have to get up as early.) If you need additional help with this, just click on the prompt to initiate a consult. Good luck!

if you are giving in when he whines, you are encouraging the whining (he gets what he wants, right?) You need to ignorre the whining. Don't scold; don't reassure. just ignore him completely. He may increase the behavior at first, since it has always worked in the past. But if you stand your ground, it will eventually stop for good.

This could definitely be related to the fact that your kids are away. But you must not give in and bring him to bed, as that is a reward for his efforts and will only encourage him to bark longer (He is saying to himself, "Gee, it worked before! Why isn't it working now? Guess I'll have to try harder!) As annoying as ir might be, you need to ignore the barking (I'd suggest starting on a weekend, or whenever you ahve a few days off and do not need your sleep as much). He will escalate, attempting to get you to cave in. DO NOT!!! Eventually he will get the message that this trick will no longer work, and give up. For more help with this, just click on the prompt to inititate a consult.

By your description Charlie is not neutered? If he seems ok otherwise then I am suspicious of an in heat female in the vicinity. If this is the problem the hopefully within the next week or so he will calm down. Of course, it is never wrong to have him Seen by a veterinarian to make sure nothing else is wrong. I hope this was helpful!

Hello and thank you for your post! You can use a citronella collar to help deter his behavior. This is a harmless spray collar that spritzes citronella in his face whenever he barks. It works well in some and not in others. I would at least give this a try and see if this is a good solution for Ziggy. Please let me know if you have any other questions / concerns.

There could be a few different things causing this. If he's a puppy, he may need to go to the bathroom -- take him out and but don't give him attention or play time. If he's an adult, it could be pain, habit, a medical issue causing him to need to get up to go to the bathroom, or accidentally reinforcing this behavior previously with play (or even by yelling at him - if he wants to interact he doesn't really care if you're happy or unhappy during the interaction). If he's elderly, he could be starting to have dementia (canine cognitive dysfunction) or any of the adult issues. So, if he's a puppy, I recommend the above, but if he's not a pup, I'd recommend starting with a vet visit and then ignoring him at night if nothing is wrong. Good luck!

Sounds like Mike may be a bit lonely or bored. If he's whining or crying whether inside or out, then increasing his exercise throughout the day or right before bed may help tire him out enough to sleep through the night instead. Leaving him with a toy to chew on, or a blanket/old shirt that smells like you may also help him relax at night and sleep better. If you've tried this and he's still howling, checking the environment for things that might be agitating him, such as a strange animal in the back yard, rodents in the yard, etc may help you find the cause of his distress.