Do Golden Retrievers Bark at Night? Answered!
Nighttime brings out some strange behaviors in both pets and people. But did you know that some breeds are more likely to be active, loud, and bark at night than others? If you’re considering a Golden Retriever, it’s important to know whether or not they are prone to barking at night before you bring them into your quiet home.
Do Golden Retrievers Bark at Night?
Yes, Golden Retrievers can sometimes bark at night and might even howl at night, and they can also whimper or make other noises at night. There can be a variety of reasons why Golden Retrievers display this behavior, but it’s typically due to boredom.
Golden Retrievers can bark or make other noises at night because they are bored. Boredom can come from various sources like lack of exercise throughout the day or insufficient mental stimulation in their daily routine.
They can also bark or make other noises at night if they are scared of something. Golden Retrievers are very intuitive pups, and they sometimes sense things in their environment. Their intuitive nature can have them picking up on the emotions of their loved ones.
Also, Golden Retrievers can suffer from anxiety, in particular separation anxiety. Therefore if the dog owners are away during the day and have difficulty adjusting, it can come out late at night.
If the Golden Retrievers’ parents are away at night with a sitter or other trusted friend, they might not sleep. During this time, they might bark, howl, whimper, or even act up at night.
Dietary issues can cause Golden Retrievers to be awake at night and bark or make noise. If they didn’t get enough food, they might be hungry and have difficulty settling down.
If they eat too much, they might suffer tummy troubles and can’t settle down. The same can be said if they ate something they shouldn’t have eaten.
Overstimulation can also cause Golden Retrievers to be up at night and bark, howl, or make other noises. Golden Retrievers love having fun and being in the action center, but they can sometimes be overstimulated.
Disturbances in their home environment, particularly when they are trying to sleep or with their sleep area, can cause them to act up at night. If their sleeping area is uncomfortable in any way, they may have a hard time settling down and sleeping.
If there is excessive noise, bright lights, or activity Golden Retrievers won’t settle down and relax.
A need to use the bathroom can cause Golden Retrievers to stay awake, howl, bark, and act up. While some Golden Retrievers might do this to wake up their loved ones so they can go to the bathroom, some do it out of frustration.
Finally, Golden Retrievers might bark because they don’t follow the same patterns as we humans regarding sleep and wakefulness. Something might catch their eye, or they might smell or hear something interesting.
How do I promote good sleep so my Golden Retriever doesn’t bark at night?
The best way to promote good sleep, so my Golden Retriever doesn’t bark at night is to take care of their needs during the day. That will mean ensuring your Golden Retriever has enough exercise and mental stimulation.
Fun activities and work, chores, or other activities promote physical and mental exhaustion at the day’s end. If you don’t exhaust them during the day, you will have to do it at night instead.
Also, providing good nutrition, a comfortable sleep spot, and lots of love and attention will promote a good night’s rest so they don’t bark at night.
Ensuring that issues with separation anxiety and other emotional and physical health problems are addressed promotes a restful night so they are not awake barking and acting up.
Providing some settle-down time at the day’s end is also helpful. After dinner but before bed, it’s helpful to spend some time with your Golden Retriever relaxing. It’s a good idea to share some affection and have time together to unwind and move from daytime activity to nighttime restfulness.
Doing this will help if your Golden Retriever is overstimulated from their day.
Finally, ensuring they have one final bathroom break before bed and perhaps a good long walk is important. Some final outside time ensures they don’t have to go to the bathroom at 3 AM but also provides one more time for exercise and fresh air.
How do I stop my Golden Retriever from barking at night?
The best way to stop your Golden Retriever from barking at night is to address the issues. If you wake up and your Golden Retriever barks or makes noises at night, you will want to take a few minutes to provide a diversion.
The diversion can be whatever you feel is helpful; sometimes your Golden Retriever might want a treat, sometimes a good snuggle in bed, and other times a bathroom break.
First, provide a diversion and then attempt to discover if they need something. Try to provide them with what Golden Retrievers need in the hopes they will settle down. It might not always work and reminding them of their training can be helpful in these moments.
Even if a Golden Retriever had an exceptionally good day where everything went well and all their needs were met, they might still decide to bark, howl, or make other noises. These behaviors are related to them being a dog.
Dogs, like other animals, do not always follow the same sleep and wakefulness patterns that we humans do. If they hear a noise, smell something or notice movement outside, it can grab their attention, and they might bark.
Late at night, it can be very hard to process everything in our minds about their day. The only goal at that time was to stop the noise so everyone could sleep. Doing whatever seems right in each moment should be done; whatever creates calm and peace for everyone is best.
In Conclusion
Golden Retrievers can bark at night, as well as make other noises. There can be many reasons why they display this behavior.
No matter the reason, the cure is attending to their daily needs and tiring them out. Even when that happens, they might still end up barking at night.
If they bark or make noises at night, the best course of action is to do whatever remedies the issue. In the end, peace is always the sought outcome!
