Muzzle Up

Since the first week we had Brenda, she has had a very unsettling habit of barking non-stop starting at about 11pm. As soon as everyone else gets into bed, she starts to vocally protest with a shrill, loud, constant yap. I’ve tried moving her bed or crate closer to my bed. It’s now touching my bed. I’ve tried giving her four Benadryl or a half a tablet of Rimadyl but those only conk her out for a few hours. I’ve tried giving her yummy bones to chew and toys to play with but she quickly loses interest. It has crossed my mind that the nighttime brings reminders of the fights she used to witness. I have no idea what she’s really thinking, of course.

I’ve lost interest in why she does this, though, and am only concerned with how to make her stop. In a moment of desperation, I decided to threaten her with wearing her muzzle. It worked. Now I sleep with Brenda’s muzzle underneath my pillow so if she starts to bark when I’m trying to sleep I slip it out from hiding, quickly flash it in front of her face and she shuts right up.