different behaviours in daylight versus the dark night

[PAULA DEPOHL]

Hi all I have an almost two years terrier mix with some issues. Short: I got her as a six months old pup and realised soon enough that she wasn't socialised so the first year was spent on very basic skills and to walk on different materials, she still have a lot of issues and is sound sensitive and overall jumpy, also totally terrified to ride in the car ( wich drastically limit both her and my life) and is a bit of a velcro dog but we are working on that to. Right now we are living in the countryside. But I have a question, it is a great difference to go out to potty her in  daylight and when it is dark outside, she gets fits and barks and lounges in every direction when it is dark. I don´t really know how to handle this, we are playing outside during the day and everything is fine. I have tried to change her feelings with play and good treats before we go outside and outside in the dark. Is it an insecure issue, is she trying to scare off other animals and let them know she is there. She always alarms  when visitors comes to the house and thats ok.  Inside she is quite well behaved and we train a lot both trix and manners, but she has so many BIG feelings and acts them out 🙂I had a very happy go lucky dog for 16 years and this situation is very stressful, I wanted a dog to train and have fun with but right now I feel like a fireman putting out fires and never have the time to enjoy the relationship. I took her on so I will do what ever I can to get her in a more harmonic state

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi there,

Welcome to the forums! I hear you, your comparison "I feel like a fireman putting out fires" is perfect in describing how life with a reactive dog can feel. It can feel very exhausting at times, especially when all our hard work doesn't bring results as hoped.

For these cases, it helps to remind ourselves that we should aim for little baby steps and embrace every little sign of progress no matter how small. With management to prevent rehearsal of the fearful behavior, and baby steps along with gradual progress, we can then reevaluate the situation and switch from putting out fires to preventing "fires" as much as we can, and  putting out "little sparks" versus full-blown fires. That would be the goal, although not very easy with these sensitive dogs!

To answer your question about a dog's behavior changes from day to night, yes, we do see that a lot in dogs prone to being reactive. However, it's not always easy pinpointing what is causing them exactly to react in this way. Sometimes we need to become their "eyes, nose and ears" and try our best, but that's not always possible considering how dogs have superior senses than us. What humans can hear at 20 feet, dogs can hear at roughly 80 feet, which can explain why they bark at sounds we may not be able to detect.

Why do dogs become more reactive at night? Here are several possible reasons:

-No More Buffering

 At night, noises appear more prominent because there are less background noises compared to during the day. This may not be as evident in the countryside, but can be quite drastic in other environments. 

-The Awakening of Critters

Since you live in the countryside, you are correct to assume that your dog may be barking at some animals. For some critters, nighttime is their prime time when they become more active. The list of nocturnal animals is extensive, including bats, badgers, beavers, skunks, foxes, mice, raccoons and even the neighbor's cats. You may not be aware of the presence of these critters, but you can bet your canine companion is.

Sometimes it's not even the sounds that these animals emit that causes barking, even their smell may be enough. 

-Presence of Shadows/Low Visibility

Many dogs become reactive due to the uncertainty associated with less visual information as it happens when  it's dark. Seeing less details, along with the presence of shadows can make dogs more jumpy and easy to get startled than during the daytime. 

-A Reaction To Our Emotions 

Something else to consider is that, if we are uneasy for some reason about going out in the dark, our dogs may pick up our emotions and become reactive as well as a result. 

Perhaps our dogs sense us being tentative/uncertain walking outside, like maybe when we're wary of where we put our feet, they interpret it as a sign to be worried about something. 

-A Fearful Reaction

In many cases, a dog barking when going outside at night is reacting before even being able to clearly evaluate the situation. These dogs adhere to the "bark first, think later" approach. 

Often, these are young dogs. For example, puppies and adolescent dogs going through a fear period, during which they easily get startled by things that they normally don't. 

-Bottled Up Emotions 

Sometimes, the issue is a dog being stressed by a lot of things during the day and then reaching a breaking point at night. In this case, you may be dealing with a case of trigger stacking. 

-Medical Issues/Vision Problems

Sometimes, the underlying cause for barking when going outside at night is an underlying medical problem. Dogs may undergo behavior changes when they are in pain or develop low thyroid levels (hypothyroidism). 

On top of this, there are certain eye problems in dogs whose symptoms manifest the most at night. For instance, consider PRA (progressive retinal atrophy) which in its earliest stages can cause behavior changes such as dogs being more reactive at night and a reluctancy to enter dark rooms, or bumping into in dim conditions. 

This condition can be diagnosed in dogs as young as 1 to 2 years old, while in other cases, it may not be diagnosed until the dog is several years old.

So what can we do to reduce these fits of barks and lunges at night? Here are a few ideas:

-See The Vet

It's always a good idea to rule out medical/vision issues, just in case. 

-Be Your Dog's Eyes and Ears

Go out with your dog and pay close attention to what your dog is orienting to before she starts barking. Is he always looking in the same direction? Or does she bark at things randomly? These hints can help. If it's always in the same direction, the trigger may be something stationary that is always in the same spot (like a shovel or a wheelbarrow or bird's nest).

If it's random then it's something that varies a lot and isn't always there. Perhaps a critter that moves around. 

-Prevent Rehearsals

Once you have identified some possible triggers, it's important taking steps to prevent your dog from rehearsing the reactive/aggressive behavior. 

Every reactive dog has an imaginary "threshold" line making the difference between reacting and not reacting. Your ultimate goal is to prevent your dog from reacting as much as possible by keeping your dog  as well under threshold s possible. Here is a read on threshold levels in dogs: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/

Threshold levels can often be reduced by taking steps to remove triggers, or at least making them less prominent. 

-Remover Possible Triggers

Do as much as you can to try to remove any possible triggers. For example, if your dog seems to bark at something in your neighbor's yard/piece of land, try to take her to potty as far as possible from the area. If it's critters, identify if they have a nest/burrow/den in your yard and have an expert in the field using pest-friendly methods see if they can be relocated. 

If you can't remove a trigger, see if you can find ways to make it less salient to your dog. For example, if she's reacting to some distant sounds, try bringing along a radio (syntonized on a classical music channel) and see if it helps buffer sounds. 

-Change the Mindset

Work on creating positive associations with whatever your dog reacts to, by giving extra special treats every time your dog sees/hears her triggers from a distance. Simply toss treats to the ground every time a trigger pops up from a distance that the dog doesn't react (is under threshold). 

Examples of behavior modification to triggers:

"Look at At That" (for visual triggers) https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/ 

"Hear that" (for auditory triggers) https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-noises/

*If the dog is ever not responsive, that's a sign that the dog is too over threshold and steps should be taken to lower those threshold levels (increase distance, make noises appear less salient).

-Act Confident

When taking your dog outside at night, try your best to act confident. 

-Use a Flashlight/Torch/Install Lights 

Sometimes bringing along a flashlight or installing lights is all that's needed to help some dogs feel more confident about their surroundings. Some dogs may feel reassured by wearing some lightening device. An example is Pup Light.  https://www.amazon.co.uk/PupLight-Super-Bright-Red-Light/dp/B008EPFFBC/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=pup%2Blight&qid=1635801754&sr=8-3&th=1

-Use a Leash

If your dog just takes off running to reach the perimeter of your yard to bark at something, keeping your dog on leash may allow you to have more control over the situation. By keeping her new you, you also heighten the chances for success of your dog noticing you have wonderful treats that you toss to the ground and have her search for versus looking for critters to bark at. 

I hope this helps! If your dog is a mix of small terriers (like yorkies) consider that they are very prone to reacting to things and barking, and are very attracted to critters that bury underground, so it may take some considerable effort to overcome this natural tendency. 

Keep us posted on how things go!

Best,

Adrienne 

[PAULA DEPOHL]

thank you so much for your thoughtful words. ❤️ I am tweaking my late night walks to always go out first and check, start with her seeking treats at the front  porch but often she escalates before we even have the chance to go outside, I then back away and go inside until she calms down, and I am writing a journal when it goes well and when it doesn´t. I am aiming for more green marks than red 🙂 I have the feeling she lounges at any direction randomly. We will keep record keeping and tweaking and also talk to the vet. I have a feeling she is lounging just in case anything is out there, she is overall an insure dog but I am working as much as I can to raise her self confidence. Being a terrier mix we are also do a lot of sent work and we are going a course with a group that finds lost people and dogs and she is really amazing with her nose! (sry for spelling errors or strange sentences, not my first language)

 

[Adrienne Farricelli]

What an adorable pup! It does sound fear-based and you are doing a great job checking for her before sending her out and keeping a journal.

If she is already reacting to things before going outside, start from inside, first with the door closed, then with the door open and with the option for her to come back inside to get her treats.

Since she likes to use her nose, I would make it a game  and tell her to "find it!" as you scatter treats around. Practice this firstly indoors so to create a fluent response before trying nearby the door. 

If she is still too over threshold, increase the value of the treats and perhaps ask your vet about calming aids, these can be natural supplements containing l-theanine, melatonin or alpha-casozepine or even by prescription for the most severe cases. Other options are DAP collars and sprays, Rescue Remedy, and lately certain dog foods and probiotics have been found to be helpful. 

Search and rescue is great for raising confidence in insecure dogs, you can start her with games of hide-and-seek:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/hide-and-seek/

More tips for fearful dogs:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/helping-fearful-rescue-dog/

Exercises to build confidence: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/exercises-build-confidence-insecure-dogs/

Here are some best wishes to hear about some progress soon!

 

[HELEN LITTLEJONES]

Hi Adrienne

I have just taken on a rescue greyhound, Misty, who is 5 years old.  Last night she suddenly became very reactive to our neighbours whose kitchen window overlooks a part of our garden.  We let her outside to toilet but instead she just stood and stared up at their window for ages and ages.  They have recently seen her through the window and reacted to her and she loved to see them but this didn't seem to over bother her until last night.  She would just say hello and come away.  However, something changed last night as their cat was sitting in the window!!!  For the rest of the evening she was back and forth, back and forth to the back door wanting to be let out.  She got herself (and us) in a right tizzy and would not settle.  She was barking and trying to open the back door herself and when we did let her out again she would just stare at the neighbour's window and bark, even though the cat had by then, gone.  She didn't seem to be listening at all to us and was becoming very distressed.  I tried to walk her outside the front door but she didn't want to.  When we went to bed she settled but got up a couple of times.  I came down once with her about midnight and let her out in case she needed to toilet and could see her just standing staring in the neighbour's window in the darkness.  She then did toilet and came in.  This morning we have let her go outside and stare as our neighbours are out so she is getting no reactions and she seems to be relaxed now.  I don't know what will happen tonight when it's dark though.  It sort of made us afraid to let her out last night in case she just stood there barking in the dark.  But if we don't let her out she will have to toilet in the house which of course we don't want.  I am hoping she will grow out of this after seeing that going to the neighbour's window is not bringing any reactions for her.  I have talked to my neighbour and she is aware of what is going on.  Could you suggest anything?

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi Helen,

Welcome to the forums!

Thank you so kindly for rescuing a greyhound, that is wonderful!

Based on her breed and her reaction to the cat, I am assuming her predatory drive must have kicked in and this has made her restless. Sighthounds were selectively bred for chasing (and sometimes killing small prey) so they are very visually stimulated and any small fluffy animals can make them go into "overdrive." Sometimes, even small dogs can cause them to get into "predatory mode" and they may bark at them in hopes of getting them to move around so they can be chased. 

It may also be possible there may be some element of fear at play as she didn't expect to see a cat there out of the blue and this unsettled her. In any case, in these cases, it's best to not let her rehearse the problematic behavior and become obsessed about it. 

The good thing is that you know that her reaction is most significant at night, and if the cat is there, so I would suggest when you need to take her out, during the day and during the night, to use your leash and take her the farthest away from the window. If the window is right by your door exit and is inevitable, I would try to walk from the front door if that's feasible. If that's not an option, then before taking her out I would do a quick check alone to see if the cat is there or not, so to at least lower the chances for her to see her there.  

This is to prevent rehearsal of the problematic behavior. When dogs get to rehearse problematic behaviors, this ultimately causes them to become more and more established, and habit forming. Management is therefore important.

However, since you have a neighbor with a cat, we can't go through the avoidance route forever, it will be inevitable that at some time or another Misty will see that cat again, so I would say, let's take some steps turn this situation into a teaching opportunity to polish her impulse control and make her less likely to go over threshold.

So while implementing management to prevent rehearsal, in the meanwhile, I would suggest working on creating a solid response to the smacking sound: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/the-airplane-game/the-smacking-sound/  that results in several high value treats being tossed on the ground for your dog to find. You can also add the cue 'find it!" when the treats fall to the ground making it an extra fun game.

Once she starts reliably looking at you for treats upon making the smacking sound, you can start working on some impulse control exercises by gradually adding in some distractions.

For example, you can start with having a helper use a stuffed animal and showing it a distance, and practicing getting her to respond to your smacking sound followed by treats tossed, then, raise criteria (add a little step of more difficulty), now the helper may start moving the stuffed animal around as you practice more the smacking sound, then, further raise criteria, have your helper attach a string to the stuffed animal and start dragging it around or you can practice running a remote controlled car and training her not to chase it by making the smacking sound and tossing some treats.

If at anytime, you notice that Misty is having difficulty responding to your smacking sound or "leave it" cue, as she gets hyper-vigilant, take that as a sign that you have progressed too quickly at a level she wasn't ready for, so lower your criteria and go back a step or two making the exercise easier (adding less movement, increasing distance) and work at that level more and then gradually raise criteria again. 

So if you see the cat by the window, start with easy exercises, such as with the cat at a distance and stationary and Misty on leash. Choose a distance from which your greyhound is well under threshold. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/

Start making your smacking sound, once your greyhound looks at you, praise and reward by tossing several treats to the ground for her to go after. Rinse and repeat and then gradually raise criteria (cat is closer, cat is walking, cat is running). You can then do exercises by having her sit or lie down, and just look at the cat and turn her head towards when you make the smacking sound. The goal is to keep her under threshold and get her into a responsive state versus become hyper focused and barking. 

Do this exercise on leash so that your greyhound doesn't get to rehearse any problematic behaviors such as pacing near the window, or trying to chase the cat, which is highly rewarding and can quickly undo all your hard work. 

I would also do some flirt pole work. Wiggle a flirt pole around, with your dog in a down stay and remind her to "leave it" then tell her to "get it!" Once she gets a hold of it and has played with it for a bit, ask her to "drop it" and rinse and repeat several times. This exercise helps your greyhound learn some good impulse control, while giving her a legit outlet for her prey drive. 

Here are the guides on leave it and drop it: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/take-leave-it/

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/drop-it/

Impulse control games come also handy overall as part of training: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/10-impulse-control-games-for-dogs/

You can also practice impulse control by having treats being placed in front of her and telling her to "leave it" until you then give permission to "go!" 

The bottom line is that the ultimate goal is lowering our dog's arousal levels, by keeping them under threshold and making the association that upon seeing the cat, food appears from us so that it's no longer "see-cat/get aroused/bark/chase but see cat/look to owner for food. This requires lots of practice and it may take a little longer to get a responsive state from this breed, especially in those who were used for racing or who have a past history of chasing critters for some time. 

Something important to consider is that, we can't expect to train a dog to not ever chase a cat or critter if the dog is sent out in the yard alone. Left to their own devices, their strong instincts will kick in and they will quickly revert back to undesirable behaviors. Hopefully, your neighbor doesn't let the cat out in the yard as that becomes more labor intensive versus just seeing a stationary cat by a window. 

I hope this helps,

Keep us posted on how things go!

Best,

Adrienne