Barking 0300 hours

[Stalker62]

I have two ESS.

The bitch is now twelve years old. The dog is eight years old.

For years they slept in the utility room. This was then moved to a cage in the back of the truck.

About two years ago, I bought a big kennel and run off a mate, and they have been sleeping in that quite happily.

About a month or so ago, the bitch has starting to bark from about 0300 hours. I will be honest: the novelty factor of this is wearing thin.

Long short.

I am now getting up at "silly O'clock" (no big drama for me actually) to check she is OK. I then end up taking them into the woods - them in their flashing collars, me in a smoking jacket and holding a torch.

It is only a matter of time before the local Sheriff rocks up, and asks me to explain what it is I am doing wandering around the middle of the night dressed like Harvey Weinstein at an actress audition.

The bitch's eyes are starling to get cloudy and I wonder if she may be developing some form of canine dementia.

Anyone else had this?

Other than me getting properly dressed to walk them over the road, any top tips for her?

 

[finnbear270]

Could she be wanting to get out of her sleeping area to toilet?, (Bit like Old Man's bladder)?

 

[andyk]

My other half’s Mum’s dog had a habit of barking at nothing when she got older and she too developed slightly cloudy eyes.

We never found out why (and she has since moved on) but long suspected she may have had cataracts and, as she could not see properly, was in the habit of thinking things were around when they were not. She was a bit prone to barking at the best of times and would certainly have responded to imagined things by barking.

I’m not saying that’s the problem but the cloudy eyes and unexplained barking do sound familiar.

 

[Stalker62]

I think I can only recall one instance when she was quick to "empty", but other than that there does not seem to be a micturition urgency.

 

[Stalker62]

I’m not saying that’s the problem but the cloudy eyes and unexplained barking do sound familiar.

There is little doubt in my mind that her vision is now "age restricted" and she may well be "sensing" things that are about her.

She will sometimes flinch when I go to pet her, because she has not seen my hand until the last moment. Other than this, she is a fit and happy girl.

 

[finnbear270]

Maybe a "Hot water bottle " approach?, I saw some gently heated sleeping mats some where's.

 

[andyk]

There is little doubt in my mind that her vision is now "age restricted" and she may well be "sensing" things that are about her.

She will sometimes flinch when I go to pet her, because she has not seen my hand until the last moment. Other than this, she is a fit and happy girl.

That does sound familiar, in our case she would react defensively if you moved suddenly on some occasions. She would quickly calm down but it was as though she had been 'spooked'.

She certainly wasn't blind, but I do think she couldn't see as well as she once could and was imagining things because of it.

 

[pob]

Maybe call an exorcist?

 

[jimmy milnes]

Have you a rat or something Knockin about? It's getting colder an harvest isn't long behind us matey so rats an stuff are looking for new homes.
Cheers Jimmy

 

[Stalker62]

Have you a rat or something Knockin about?

Not sure about rats, but fairly sure we have the odd mouse creeping about.

 

[ashray]

put a trail camera up around the dogs ,my thoughts would be a two legged vermin !

 

[Stalker62]

put a trail camera up around the dogs ,my thoughts would be a two legged vermin !

CCTV covers all the plot, and no trace of any humans.

Quite what my neighbours' CCTV is picking up from my 0300 hour jaunts, is however, another matter entirely....

 

[muddy42]

just stopped chuckling. If you have thermal spotter, have you tried that? Could be badgers.

What type of barking is it? I just say because my dogs have two fairly reliable types of barking:
1. Loud / Warning of a threat, telling someone/something to F off
2. quieter slower bark, which means stop ignoring me and get me out of the kennel

If the later they may quite like the nighttime walk with Harvey.

 

[Long drag]

Would she be going deaf, they can get very distressed if this is happening.

 

[Farmer_J]

If I don’t close the curtains in the kitchen my ESS is barking at cows at the crack of dawn. Have you any cows, or curtains?

I know it’s not the done thing but maybe trying a sheet over the kennel bars would tell you if she’s seeing something in the garden? Could a cat be visiting at that hour?

 

[TomDeer]

I'm not sure I can provide any meaningful advice on the dog issue, but might I suggest that sartorially the smoking jacket would be perfectly complemented by your wearing a Fez whilst out on your nocturnal perambulations?

 

[Keith Edmunds]

I think it would be wise to rule out any vermin that might be active at that time. I have a couple of dachshunds that live in the utility room, our entire male and a spayed bitch and the door is left open until bedtime. They go absolutely bonkers about three times each evening over a cat or perhaps squirrel or maybe a rat. Whatever it is....it doesn't hang about.

You have started a routine by letting the dogs out and you know what dogs are like, if they think they can win you over and get their own way, they will.

I would (a) Find out if there is actually something she is barking at and (b) Stop the routine of letting them out when the bitch barks.

 

[Stalker62]

What type of barking is it?
2. quieter slower bark, which means stop ignoring me and get me out of the kennel

This I think...

 

[Stalker62]

You have started a routine by letting the dogs out and you know what dogs are like, if they think they can win you over and get their own way, they will.


I would (a) Find out if there is actually something she is barking at and (b) Stop the routine of letting them out when the bitch barks.

This is an entirely unhelpful post - and coincidently, replicates exactly what Mrs S62 said.

Point of fact; she went further.

"If you had had children, they would have been fat".

Harsh.



True story.

 

[Tim.243]

My 2 are sitting here quiet as a church mouse, when I come back from stalking later Chip will bark twice when I open the gate latch.
Each day we and them reach a point further along the life ladder so things will change.