Dogs speak to us in their own way, since they are capable of communicating with us in various ways. One of the most frequent is barking, although this is not the only sound they use to tell us something. Dogs also make other sounds, such as whining, to talk to their pet parents. But what does it mean that they do it at night? Should we be alerted by this? Knowing what sounds can be identified as crying or whining and what the reasons behind them are will help us understand our dog and meet his needs.
Before addressing nocturnal crying, we must be clear that, from a very young age, dogs cry by emitting high-pitched, low-intensity sounds in various situations. Although we can normally perceive them, their frequency can reach ultrasound and be undetectable to us, although not to other dogs. Additionally, if the dog is older, he may change the way he cries, making more irregular sounds than he did years ago. These changes are due to the aging of your vocal apparatus.
Whining tends to be irregular sounds, and in general, the more irregular it sounds, the more concerned pet parents become that their dog is emotionally upset. Certainly, emotions are linked to dog crying, especially excitement, fear, anxiety and frustration. Although we culturally associate crying with sadness, in the case of dogs we must know that they can cry while greeting, playing, wanting to appease another individual, seeking contact or when left alone.
Maybe one night your dog woke you up because he was whining. The causes can be diverse. Factors such as the age of the dog (whether it is a puppy, adult or senior), the situation it is experiencing at the time, its health and its emotional state can influence its tendency to whine at night. Delving into the possible causes will help you find a remedy and take care of his well-being.
One of the most frequent reasons for night crying in dogs of any age is that they seek to attract the attention of pet parents. And that wake-up call is because he needs something that he can't do alone, for example, go out to relieve himself, drink if he doesn't have water in his bowl or reach for a toy that has been left under a piece of furniture. He may also whine because he is uncomfortable in bed or sleeping space. So to avoid being caught crying at night, it is advisable to make sure that the dog's needs are met before the whole family goes to sleep.
Crying is a sound that is difficult to ignore, so it will be especially effective for the dog when it comes to asking for help in situations that it cannot manage on its own. However, experts issue a warning: although dogs cry instinctively, they may realize that when they do it they get what they need or want and begin to do it expressly. In this case, crying will be a learned behavior. Thus, the pet parent's response to the dog's cries can contribute to increasing the probability that the dog will cry in the future to get what it wants.
If there are stressful situations at home, the dog may respond to them with crying, as well as other changes in its behavior. New family members, the loss of a loved one, a move, a new house and many other changes in your routine can affect your emotional state.
Also, if we have just adopted a puppy, it is very likely that during the first nights you will hear it crying. The little boy is in the process of adapting to his new family and his new environment. If there is already another dog in the home, co-sleeping reduces the likelihood of the puppy crying at night, as long as it is safe to leave them together. Another option to help the puppy relax on his first night is to let him sleep in our same room, although the plan is for him to sleep somewhere else: there will be time to get him used to sleeping somewhere else when he has adapted to all the changes. of his new life.
Crying is one of the first reactions to loneliness when dogs suffer from a separation-related disorder. Although, when left alone at home or even not being able to sleep in the same room as their pet parent, they could also bark and howl. Another sign of separation anxiety is that he relieves himself at home or destroys some objects (furniture, clothes or other objects within his reach) when he is isolated. In this situation, it is advisable to go to a veterinarian specialized in ethology to help you redirect the situation.
Other causes of nighttime crying may be completely unrelated to the family, such as a storm at night or a celebration with fireworks. Upon waking up, dogs that are afraid of loud noises may begin to whine, as well as tremble, hide, or try to be close to us. If this is the case, at the moment we must try to give him security and keep him as far as possible from noise sources. But it may be useful to consult this topic with an ethologist.
Nighttime crying can also be due to the dog feeling pain or discomfort, especially if it is an adult or older dog. In this case, experts recommend observing other alterations in their behavior and detecting if their discomfort comes with other symptoms in addition to crying. Finally, it may be the case that the dog cries in the middle of sleep. Although it is still not known with certainty that dogs dream, researchers emphasize that, upon reaching the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep phase - better known by its acronym in English as the REM phase - dogs can cry, in addition to moving. limbs and emit muffled barks and howls.
If your dog cries at night you should pay attention to the possible causes while continuing to observe him. The key will be to look at the context and the rest of the behaviors your dog shows while he cries to understand why he does it. Some causes will lead you to review the routines so that before going to sleep he sees his basic needs covered, while others could indicate that he has a health problem or that his emotional state is altered. There is no one better than you to know this and ask for expert help whenever you see it necessary.
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Understand why your dog cries at night
