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I did think it was because my husband was putting stinky wet cat meats, attracting several cats (and a very large sewer rat so brave and large I call him Brutus, and I worry Brutus may bite our pets) outside at night, but I am not so sure now. Brutus does not bother me, I am a rat sympathizer, but we live in close quarters with others and it is not fair on them.
Every night about 8pm our dog Beauty starts pacing back and forth between the living room and the kitchen.
This will go on most of the evening, usually resulting in arguments between us when she starts barking and crying at bedtime.
She absolutely does NOT display this behavior at any other time and is very responsive to me.
I have been through many theories, including:
The dog was slightly better behaved last night when there was no wet cat food outside. I made him stop this as the weather is getting warmer and my biggest concern is flies.
Every night about 8pm our dog Beauty starts pacing back and forth between the living room and the kitchen.
This will go on most of the evening, usually resulting in arguments between us when she starts barking and crying at bedtime.
She absolutely does NOT display this behavior at any other time and is very responsive to me.
I have been through many theories, including:
- Possible human activity on the back gardens, including snoopers or burglers, it's a problem on this road, is it possible she is trying to tell us something? However, why doesn't she do this each time a car passes or a person walks by in the daytime?. The type of bark she does at the back door in the evening is what I call the 'human bark', the one she will do to alert us when someone comes to the door or walks by etc. Although she may bark at passing people, once she's barked, that's it, no other behavior goes with it.
- Changes in daylight, but dogs don't see colour or light shades very well, so how could she pick up on this?
- Noises being more prominent at night, my mum suggested this, that once the TV goes off, neighbors go to bed, we have no background noise like music or talking going on in the house, other sounds, such as birds, doors closing, the neighbors coming outside for a cigarette, the list is endless, become more audible to the dog. However this behavior starts even while the TV is still on, while we are still up and about.
- Birds going to roost, changes in birdsong as the day comes to an end. Possible, but again why doesn't she display this behavior during the day, when birds are singing outside? She shows no interest in birds when out either, she will chase ducks and pigeons if she's able to get close enough, but she doesn't react at all to birds really.
- Other animals such as mice and rats coming for the cat food.
- Our cat, the one my husband does not want to admit may be the reason for the dog's behaviour, who has now gone semi feral and very probably needs to be found a new home. We are unable to rehome him though due to the fact we cannot catch him and he comes home at 10-11pm each day, usually when his food has long since filled the stomachs of everyone else's cats, rats, mice, pigeons and whoever else wants a free meal. I don't think anyone would be willing to collect him at this time, and we can't keep him inside the house at all because he shrieks and runs in fear of his life.
The dog was slightly better behaved last night when there was no wet cat food outside. I made him stop this as the weather is getting warmer and my biggest concern is flies.