How to Quickly Stop Puppy Barking & Howling

Barking and howling is normal canine behavior and their way of vocalizing themselves.

Especially puppies communicate via these sounds alongside whining or yelping.

However, once a puppy recognizes this as an opportunity to seek attention, it can become annoying which includes but is not limited to your neighbors.

There are different reasons why puppies vocalize themselves like this and you have to identify the trigger and cause before we get into how to stop puppy howling and barking.

Medical Causes

First of all, you need to be sure that your dog is not experiencing any medical issues that could cause the vocal sounds.

If he suddenly starts howling without any specific trigger, he might be in pain or have another illness. Take him to your vet for an examination.

Why Do Puppies Bark?

Barking is the most common sound that dogs make and most of the time, it has nothing to do with aggression.

Barking is a multi-purpose signal that is often used as an alert and warning if strangers come too close to his territory.

Often it is a reaction to a certain trigger, like a loud sound from outside or if another dog is barking at them. Puppies also use it to reduce stress and relieve boredom.

Why Do Puppies Howl?

Dogs mostly howl because they feel alone and want to call their pack.

If your dog is constantly howling while he is home alone, he might have separation anxiety and you would have to solve that problem first.

Many dogs also respond to sounds like sirens or singing to tune in.

Natural vs Learned Puppy Howling

There is a difference between when your puppy is howling for real reasons and when he is not.

It’s not always easy to tell the difference for most dog owners. A puppy that whines, barks, or howls could be in pain, hungry, anxious, or just have a full bladder.

Now, dogs are very smart and they can easily remember what exactly brings them towards their goals.

If you have rewarded your dog in the past for making loud noises then he will have learned that howling and barking are actually great.

Rewards can come in various forms like attention, letting your dog outside the crate or even coming into the room while your puppy is whining.

It doesn’t have to be positive attention, even negative attention has the same influence if he just wants to be with you.

Some dog breeds like Huskies are known for howling at the moon and for those, it may come more naturally.

How to Solve Puppy Howling and Barking

If your dog responds to a sound or a general trigger, try to distract him with toys or treats to show him what he could do instead of howling or barking.

The most common reason for a dog to howl is probably getting your attention.

Never ever give your dog the attention he wants from you while barking because he will quickly learn that it works and this will develop into a bad habit.

Ignore your puppy until he calms down and stops barking and reward him for being quiet.

You can also teach him the commands “speak” and “quiet”. That way you can control the behavior best.

Boredom can be cured by simply spending more quality time with your dog which you can read more about in my post: How to bond with your dog.

If your puppy is mostly barking at night and howling in his crate then you should definitely step up your crate training game and learn how you can survive the first night with your new puppy below.

Generally speaking, a tired puppy is a good and quiet puppy. So provide your puppy with enough exercise and tire him out in the evening before bedtime.

Why Are Puppies Whining?

When you bring home a new puppy, you will most definitely be confronted with excessive puppy whining.

It could be that he is just hungry or is being left alone in a room. When a puppy gets vocal, he wants to let you know that something is wrong.

But as I said before, you have to draw a line between actual puppy whining and learned whining.

If you have fed him like usual, giving him enough exercise and just let him out then he is probably crying for attention.

Puppy Crying at Night

Especially at night, when a puppy is being left alone in the crate, he will get vocal.

If he has been properly crate-trained before then he will most likely be crying because of a full bladder or boredom.

If you have let him out before while he was crying then you have given him a big reward and it won’t be that easy for you to train him.

Check out the linked article on your pup’s first night at home above if you really want to sleep again at night. This trick works wonders paired with the crate.

If this happens within your first few days, this means that he is just frightened.

Imagine you’re suddenly taken from your littermates and your mother to live in a strange house that you have never seen before.

A puppy needs lots of time to adjust and he is not used to being on his own.

How to Stop Puppy Crying at Night

First, you will want to make your puppy’s den as comfortable as possible so he feels safe in it. Let him sleep in his crate during the day and place it near the family in the living room.

When it gets night time put the crate near your bed so your puppy doesn’t have to fear being left alone.

Most dog owners experience puppy crying at night when leaving the puppy in another room. I don’t recommend this to anyone.

He will feel abandoned and anxious after just arriving in your home which is not a good start. You are also not able to respond to him when he is crying for a serious reason.

Take your puppy out a few times per night and see how he is doing.

If you have ensured that everything is okay and your puppy is still crying then ignore it and wait until he learns that nothing will happen to him.

My puppy cried a lot until we applied our super easy trick we learned from a simple video. It depends on your puppy how long this will take.

For some more tips make sure to check out my article on how to survive your puppy’s first night.

Are you experiencing excessive barking or howling with your pup and have you been able to solve this? Let me know in the comments.

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Disclaimer: This blog post does not substitute veterinary attention and does not intend to do so. I am not a veterinarian or pet nutritionist. If your dog shows any sign of illness, call your vet.