Top 3 Reasons Why Dogs Consistently Howl Between 3 AM – 4 AM

As a dog owner, it can both freaky and frustrating to have a dog that consistently howls late at night. It’s a behavior you would want to stop quickly. Here are the most common reasons for dogs that howl late at night.

1. Your dog is bored

This is a likely reason for puppies and young dogs. Your dog could be howling at 3 AM or 4AM because he is bored. This can happen if your dog isn’t getting enough exercise and playtime throughout the day. Ideally, you want your dog to be tired out by the end of the day, both physically and mentally. Using a flirt pole or playing tug of war are time-efficient ways to burn out the dog’s excess energy before bedtime.

2. Your dog senses something outside

If you live in a suburban or rural area, there could be some nocturnal wildlife wandering around at the time your dog barks and howls. This could also happen in urban areas if your dog tends to respond to noise. One method that may help resolve this is by generating white noise to drown out the outside noise. Covering the crate with an old blanket may also help if your dog sleeps in a crate.

3. Your dog is sick

Sickness or the development of health conditions can also result in the development of random barking behaviors in the middle of the night. For example, senior dogs that develop dog dementia may bark at 3AM because they temporarily forget where they are after waking up. The anxiety is what can lead to the howling.

How to stop a dog from barking late at night

Make sure the basics are covered. The dog should be getting an appropriate amount of exercise throughout the day. The dog should also be fed a well-balanced diet. Some dogs may howl late at night because they are hungry.

A visit to the vet isn’t always necessary but could be helpful if the howling behavior came out from nowhere. The dog could be howling because he is in pain.

Last but not least, try and reduce the likelihood of outside noise causing a distraction to your dog’s sleep. One dog owner, for example, had success getting their dog to sleep through the whole night by turning on some gentle jazz music.