A Tip to Stop Your Dog’s Restless Nights

I would often hear my boy Frodo rustle around at night as a puppy. I thought his nocturnal roaming was just his nature; that he loved to ‘guard the perimeter’ or scare off any nocturnal bugs that caught his attention. As Frodo got older his restlessness continued -he even started to bark late at night. Frodo was normally such a quiet soul and when his barking got worse I began to wonder what is this little guy’s problem?

Now that I’m a dog trainer and understand dogs better, I’ve come to realise that Frodo’s nocturnal activity was probably a result of him feeling somewhat insecure and maybe a little cold too. You see, the barking and night roaming diminished drastically when I did one simple thing: I got him the right bed.

Frodo’s previous bed was also soft, comfy yet open, that is, it was not enclosed. And there was the problem: Frodo did not have a small den into which he could retreat. Effectively, Frodo had no ‘home’ and, worse still, he did not have an enclosed space in which he could warm up via his own body temperature. If I were to ask Frodo about his previous bed, he might have said: “It’s comfy but it’s no safe haven. I like to retreat into an enclosed space where I can warm myself and stay safe.“

Once I got him a crate, Frodo did not roam or bark nearly as much as he did before.

There are many reasons why an inside dog might bark or roam around at night, but if your dog’s bed is ‘open’ and does not have a roof or walls, then consider getting a crate or material kennel where your dog can retreat.

I recently gave this advice (along with some other strategies) to another owner whose dog was restless at night and she after she got a small kennel for her dog, the owner reported a drastic reduction in the dog’s nightly activities. In fact, the dog no longer jumped on the owner’s bed at night!

If you decide to get an enclosed bed, such as a crate, lightweight or material kennel, make sure it is the right ‘fit’ for your dog – this means it is just big enough for your dog to stand and turnaround in comfortably. Any smaller would be too claustrophobic and any bigger means your dog may not feel as safe.

Are there any ways you could improve your dog’s bedding?

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About the Author

Mia Montagliani, known by her clients as "The Aussie Dog Whisperer", is a highly sought after expert in dog training. Discover how you can apply the same techniques as professional dog trainers to improve your dog's behaviour by downloading Mia's complimentary dog training guides and video. Don't forget to follow Mia on Facebook.