Puppy Behavior |
| Q: My 9 month old puppy wakes up howling almost every night and occasionally during the day. When he was younger, we would talk to him and he'd stop. Now he sleeps in our room and gets louder when we talk to him. Why do dogs do this and what can we do to stop this behavior? A: This sounds like a very unusual problem for a 9 month old pup. Typically, very young pups that have just been weaned will wake up in the middle of the night crying for attention, food or mom. Once they are accustomed to their new environment this behavior is usually eliminated. There are two possibilities with your unique situation: behavioral or medical. It is possible that your pup had a bad experience during sleep before you acquired him. He may be having bad dreams causing him to wake up howling. If this is the case, he may just need more time and comforting during and after his episodes. Medically, he may be having painful episodes such as growing pains while he sleeps, causing him to wake up in pain. Either way, it is very important that you see your veterinarian to determine what the case may be. Once a diagnosis is made it is likely that your pet's problem can be cured! |
