There are numerous things that could be contributing to your dogs issue.

Please save you and your dog frustration and consult with your vet. Without a physical exam any advice you get is pure speculation.

Thanks. Yes, of course he's been to the vet.

Bossy, maybe you're right. He doesn't have this problem when he's camping and we hike his little furry butt off. But maybe it's the altitude that wears him out. :) Perhaps I've been locking him in too early so he's not getting as much evening exercise. I usually lock the doggy door after dark because we have a lot of wildlife passing through at night. I'll try letting him stay out until bedtime or a critter encounter.

This is an easy step to take that I hadn't really thought about.

At this point, I'm not worried about a stranger intrusion being slept through. Since doggie insists on guarding our bedrooms while we sleep, I assume that's enough to keep our persons safe. That part of the house is safe enough. They can ransack the rest of the house as long as I don't get woken up in the middle of the night!

Oh yeah, I understand about critters. This past w/end we believe an owl scratched a doxie from his neck all the way to almost his tail and he died from the deep, open wound. His family was crazy looking for him but the dogie had enough life to hide under a shrub and couldn’t be found until next light. Horrid!

We are lucky DH enjoys playing catch inside the house (I don’t) I’m the kisses and food provider.

wearing him out close to bedtime should help a lot.

You might try a white noise machine, or even a fan? Are your windows open or shut at night? I know they have amazing hearing, but the less they’re able to hear at night, the less they’ll be woken up by.

Yikes! Owl vs doxxie is scary. Luckily we'd need a pteranodon to haul off this mutt. But one thing that has changed recently is that it's warmed up and the critters are out more. Maybe I have been locking in the dog sooner than I normally would because I don't want the neighbors annoyed by barking. We don't have a set time and just go by what is convenient.

Steve, our house is not at all sound-proof, unfortunately. That's how even *I* know what he's barking at usually. I think he's genuinely startled. Then he gets up and checks on family members, sometimes emitting gentle woofs as he goes. It would be cute in the daytime.

I'll try getting him more tired, and I'll try a fan or white noise machine. But then again, he might just be losing his marbles or has an undiagnosed medical issue that is keeping him from sleeping as soundly.Sleep apnea? He's a snorer.

The dog does settle down after the initial "threat" (with the exception of the raccoon two nights ago that ignored the lights and the barking and kept playing in the lawn. Most critters have the decency to leave when you spot them!). So I don't think he's senile. He's just doing his job too well....

I recommend this:

https://www.amazon.com/Marpac-Dohm-DS-All-Natural-White-Machine/dp/B000KUHFGM/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1517870054&sr=8-1&keywords=Marpac%2BDohm-DS%2BAll-Natural%2BWhite%2BNoise%2BSound%2BMachine%2C%2BTan&th=1

We run one to sleep. I love them. They come in tan, white and black.

Thanks Sherry! Is it for you or your pup? :)

i have 3 great danes that sleep in bed with me. we live waaaay out in the country surrounded by hundreds of acres of farm fields and timber. the only time my dogs wake in the middle of the night is when i have the bedroom windows open. i'm sure they are hearing coyotes, i know i can! there are so many sounds in the night! they usually just WOOF a couple of times and then go back to sleep while i lay staring at the ceiling, wide awake at 2 a.m. LOL

Mostly us, but it helps the dog also. The house behind us has dogs that go in and out at all hours. They bark on and off, I think at coyotes and deer. When we run the noisemaker, he can't hear them. I run one also when I am wanting to read and my husband has the TV on.

Well, I let him play outside until late yesterday and he managed to make it through the night without barking. I have no way of knowing if it's coincidence of course!

I have the white noise machine saved in case it comes to that. :)

Our pup barks occasionally at night. I think it’s when he smells or hears a critter outside.

Check his ears for ear infection.