If your dog has been acting crazy at night you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. In this post, I will show you common causes and what you can do about it.
So, why is my dog crazy at night? Possible reasons why your dog is crazy at night are an issue with its diet, separation anxiety, fear, needing more exercise, injury, needing to pee, old age or encouraging the behavior.
There are actually many different reasons why it might be doing it and it could be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are many things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are a number of things you can do about it.
Why your dog is crazy at night
Below are a number of common causes of dogs being crazy at night and what would make them more likely to be the reason why yours has been doing it.
Diet
It could be the case that an issue with its diet has been causing it to be crazy at night. It might be eating too much, not getting the right nutrients in its diet or it might be eating things that it shouldn’t be. An issue with its diet would be more likely if it has started being crazy since a change in its diet or if it is crazy when it eats certain foods.
Separation anxiety
If your dog does not sleep where you sleep, it could be the case that it has some separation anxiety. This is where it does not like being left alone and the prospect of being left alone causes it to become anxious. This would be more likely if it shows signs of being anxious when you are about to leave it such as by pacing or crying.
In this case, it would help to train it to get used to being left without you by leaving it for longer and longer periods. It would be important to start out by leaving it for a very short period so that it does not get anxious and then to reward it for not being anxious each time you do it.
It’s important that you leave it for a period where it will not start to get anxious so that you can reward it for not being anxious. You might find that you will have to start by not even leaving the room and by simply making it seem like you are preparing to leave.
Encouraging the behavior
It could also be the case that you have been encouraging the behavior by rewarding it. If you tend to give it things such as toys, treats or extra attention when it is crazy at night, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards.
Struggling to fall asleep
It could also be the case that there is an issue with its sleeping environment. It might be too hot, too bright, too noisy or uncomfortable for it.
Fear
It might also be the case that something has been causing it to become fearful. This would be more likely if it does it more at certain times such as when there are fireworks, sirens or construction works outside.
In this case, it would help to remove the thing that is making it become fearful if possible or to try desensitization training.
Excess energy
The cause might also be that it has not been able to expend its energy during the day. This would be more likely if it tends to be crazier on nights when it has not been able to get exercise during the day.
Injury
It could be the case that an injury has been causing it to act that way due to being in pain. This would be more likely if it has started being crazy suddenly and if it has been showing other signs of being injured such as limping. If it seems like illness or injury might be the cause, the best option would be to take it to a vet.
Age
As dogs get older their joints become painful and it might be causing it to be awake at night. This would be more likely if your dog is old and if it has been showing signs of being in discomfort when awake. In this case, it would help to consult with your vet about it when you next take it for a checkup.
It needs to pee
It could also be the case that it has been doing it due to needing to pee. This would be more likely if it is a puppy and if it wants to go outside when it starts being crazy.
Things to consider
What else happened when your dog first started being crazy at night
If it has not always been crazy at night, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started acting that way.
If it started doing it suddenly, it would be more likely to be due to things such as a change in its diet, getting less exercise, injury or something causing it to be fearful.
What is different when your dog does not act crazy at night
If it is not crazy every night, it would also help to consider what is different on the nights that it is not crazy.
For example, if it is not crazy on nights when it is able to sleep near you, it might be a sign that it has separation anxiety.
What to do about your dog acting crazy at night
Below are some things you can do about your dog being crazy at night.
Take it to a vet
If it seems like it might be injured, it has started doing it suddenly every night or you can’t figure out the cause, the best option would be to take it to a vet. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular dog and to rule out the possibility of medical causes.
Ensure that it is getting the right diet
It would also help to make sure that you have been feeding it right, that it has not got access to things it should not be eating and that no one else has been feeding it.
Feed it earlier
It might also help to feed it earlier in the evening since it could be the case that feeding it late at night has been contributing to the behavior.
Give it exercise
If it is healthy, it would also help to make sure that it is able to get the daily amount of recommended exercise for its breed and age.
Avoid encouraging the behavior
It would also help to avoid encouraging the behavior by rewarding it when it behaves that way. Instead, it would help to reward it in the mornings when it is well behaved.
Ensure that its sleeping environment is comfortable
It would also help to make sure that the room it sleeps in is cool, not too bright, not too loud and that there is a space for it to lay down comfortably.
Get help from a dog behaviorist
If the vet has found no issues and you can’t get it to stop, another option would be to get help from a dog behaviorist. By doing so, you should be able to see why it has been behaving that way and how to get it to stop effectively.