Night Barking- HELP! Sleep Deprived! - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Ihave4Beauties · 06-02-2011, 04:16 AM

HELP! I am not sure what to do anymore & I am being sleep deprived. Some of you may know that I was blessed with a litter of 4 Yorkies nearly 15 weeks ago. I still have them all, & ONE of the boys that I am in love with which is mine, has started a terrible habit of barking at night. Ever since they were born they have ALWAYS slept in the cage, either with mama or without.

About a week ago about every other day or maybe 2 nights in a row & then one night of rest, he will bark up a storm once we put him in the cage to go to sleep at bedtime. We've tried everything, telling him to shush, using the clicker, the pet zoom sonic thingy, we have come to the conclusion they hate the sound of a squishing plastic bottle, tried that nothing... we've even spanked him & he gets quiet for about an hour or so & then he starts again.

We 1st thought maybe he needs to do his business, so we let HIM go for another 5-10 mins, he pees & we put him back, stays quiet but then starts. Then we thought it could be the lights that are still on, depending on the day it works, others doesnt. We've even gone to bed once or twice with everything shut off, its kinda worked but other nights it doesnt.

I took him to vet to see if there could be something wrong, vet says no hes just a puppy. I dont know what to do anymore... he is a barker during the day- very talkative. I can ignore it during the day & he gets the point but at night? No! We're losing sleep... anyone think they know how to break this?

O yeah we even stuck him in the bathroom alone... it helped for about 2-3 hrs then again, so put him back with his siblings, he got quiet for an hour then started again... we've tried everything!!! HELP!!!!!!

** We have also tried taking him on a walk around the block at night before bed to tire him out, it'll work for the 1st 2-3 hrs of the night then he'll start again, some nights he will sleep through out the night.*** In the past 10-12 days, he's slept through out the night about 3-4 times

Tinkertoe · 06-02-2011, 09:41 PM

Talk radio if you can stand it helps here.

MollysMum54 · 06-04-2011, 11:33 AM

Poor little man. He will know that you are specially attached to him, and probably wonders why you desert him at night.
Have you tried having him in bed with you, or at least with him in a cage on the bed with you? You are his new mom, so i'm sure he needs to be near you.
Please don't spank him, however gently..that isn't the answer.
Wear him out mentally as well as physically..lots of training and games etc.

I had 3 children, each 3 years apart. None of them slept through the night until they started school, so i literally went for 10 years without a proper nights sleep and survived ok...you will too.

Good Luck.

Ihave4Beauties · 06-06-2011, 05:17 AM

@Tinker- never thought about that... but i think here the more there is talking the more he'll bark, hes an attn hogger.

@Molly- I hate having to spank him... but sometimes that is the one way he listens. I have tried all the mental/ physical activity but doesnt work... BTW he is part of a litter of 4 that my female has, so not his new mommy b/c he has his REAL mom here. I dont want to put him on the bed at night to start anything, no way! The last couple of nights momma has gone into the cage & hes doing better, idk if its b/c he wants her or what. I am now starting to crate train him alone everytime he barks up a storm so he can remember he wont win anything with barking. Lets see if that works, Ill be back with an update.

bellababy08 · 06-09-2011, 10:54 AM

When I first got Harley he was 12 weeks old and would bark and cry in the mid of the night...I knew if I got up...he would never stop doing it...so your gonna just have to play the tough love card and do not respond to him...the more you respond, the more he will bark cause he knows it gets you attention...I know its hard when your trying to sleep but it worked for us...good luck

Bennett5 · 06-14-2011, 08:30 PM

I struggled with barking at night also, i tried the bark off and that did absolutely nothing, i decided a muzzle was the most humane thing to try next. It doesn't hurt him, he can eat drink still bark a little. It has worked wonders. i would highly recommend it, i don't use it a lot only when he barks when he should not be.

06-02-2011, 04:16 AM	#1
Ihave4Beauties Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 171	Night Barking- HELP! Sleep Deprived! HELP! I am not sure what to do anymore & I am being sleep deprived. Some of you may know that I was blessed with a litter of 4 Yorkies nearly 15 weeks ago. I still have them all, & ONE of the boys that I am in love with which is mine, has started a terrible habit of barking at night. Ever since they were born they have ALWAYS slept in the cage, either with mama or without. About a week ago about every other day or maybe 2 nights in a row & then one night of rest, he will bark up a storm once we put him in the cage to go to sleep at bedtime. We've tried everything, telling him to shush, using the clicker, the pet zoom sonic thingy, we have come to the conclusion they hate the sound of a squishing plastic bottle, tried that nothing... we've even spanked him & he gets quiet for about an hour or so & then he starts again. We 1st thought maybe he needs to do his business, so we let HIM go for another 5-10 mins, he pees & we put him back, stays quiet but then starts. Then we thought it could be the lights that are still on, depending on the day it works, others doesnt. We've even gone to bed once or twice with everything shut off, its kinda worked but other nights it doesnt. I took him to vet to see if there could be something wrong, vet says no hes just a puppy. I dont know what to do anymore... he is a barker during the day- very talkative. I can ignore it during the day & he gets the point but at night? No! We're losing sleep... anyone think they know how to break this? O yeah we even stuck him in the bathroom alone... it helped for about 2-3 hrs then again, so put him back with his siblings, he got quiet for an hour then started again... we've tried everything!!! HELP!!!!!! We have also tried taking him on a walk around the block at night before bed to tire him out, it'll work for the 1st 2-3 hrs of the night then he'll start again, some nights he will sleep through out the night.* In the past 10-12 days, he's slept through out the night about 3-4 times Last edited by Ihave4Beauties; 06-02-2011 at 04:19 AM. Reason: additional info entered.

06-04-2011, 11:33 AM	#3
MollysMum54 YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: England,UK Posts: 1,176	Poor little man. He will know that you are specially attached to him, and probably wonders why you desert him at night. Have you tried having him in bed with you, or at least with him in a cage on the bed with you? You are his new mom, so i'm sure he needs to be near you. Please don't spank him, however gently..that isn't the answer. Wear him out mentally as well as physically..lots of training and games etc. I had 3 children, each 3 years apart. None of them slept through the night until they started school, so i literally went for 10 years without a proper nights sleep and survived ok...you will too. Good Luck. __________________ Saving one dog doesn't change the world, but it changes the world for that dog.

06-09-2011, 10:54 AM	#5
bellababy08 YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Port St. Lucie, Florida Posts: 1,043	When I first got Harley he was 12 weeks old and would bark and cry in the mid of the night...I knew if I got up...he would never stop doing it...so your gonna just have to play the tough love card and do not respond to him...the more you respond, the more he will bark cause he knows it gets you attention...I know its hard when your trying to sleep but it worked for us...good luck __________________ Jennifer R.I.P Bailey Bella Harley Ivy Baby Milo

06-02-2011, 09:41 PM	#2
Tinkertoe YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Chicago Posts: 1	Talk radio if you can stand it helps here.

06-06-2011, 05:17 AM	#4
Ihave4Beauties Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 171	@Tinker- never thought about that... but i think here the more there is talking the more he'll bark, hes an attn hogger. @Molly- I hate having to spank him... but sometimes that is the one way he listens. I have tried all the mental/ physical activity but doesnt work... BTW he is part of a litter of 4 that my female has, so not his new mommy b/c he has his REAL mom here. I dont want to put him on the bed at night to start anything, no way! The last couple of nights momma has gone into the cage & hes doing better, idk if its b/c he wants her or what. I am now starting to crate train him alone everytime he barks up a storm so he can remember he wont win anything with barking. Lets see if that works, Ill be back with an update.

06-14-2011, 08:30 PM	#6
Bennett5 Yorkie Talker Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Chippewa Falls, WI Posts: 22	I struggled with barking at night also, i tried the bark off and that did absolutely nothing, i decided a muzzle was the most humane thing to try next. It doesn't hurt him, he can eat drink still bark a little. It has worked wonders. i would highly recommend it, i don't use it a lot only when he barks when he should not be.