My Pet World: Helping a deaf, older dog find peace at night

Cathy M. Rosenthal, Tribune Content Agency on Oct 29, 2025

Dear Cathy,

My husband and I have a deaf 15-year-old male black Lab named Okie. He has a lot of anxiety, which we attribute to his deafness. He likes to be in the same room with one or both of us so he can see us. When we’re doing chores in the house or yard, he invariably comes to look for us.

Recently, he has started barking in the middle of the night, sometimes right after bedtime, other times around 3:30 a.m. We tried giving him melatonin at bedtime. Sometimes, he sleeps through the night, sometimes he doesn’t. He also began experiencing urinary leakage, so he now wears male dog wraps in the house. We wondered if the melatonin caused it, so we stopped using it.

At bedtime, we give him a Kong filled with peanut butter and close him in the family room/kitchen, which is not carpeted. In that area, he has a kennel and his own upholstered chair where he sits when we watch TV or read. We don’t give him free run of the house at night because we worry about tripping over him and want to avoid carpet damage from accidents. After the leakage started, we began closing him in his kennel at night. At first, he slept through, especially if we took him for an evening walk, but now the barking has returned.

Last night, we tried ignoring him, but he continued. Right now, we take turns getting up and staying with him in the family room for the rest of the night. We are literally losing a lot of sleep. Do you have any suggestions? I read that ultrasonic devices won’t work with a deaf dog, and I wondered about citronella bark collars. Do they work? Okie is a sweet, loving dog, but his nighttime barking is taking a toll on our quality of life.

— Kathy, Omaha, Nebraska

Dear Kathy,

Thank you for sharing Okie’s story. At 15, he’s given you many wonderful years, and I can tell how deeply you care for him. Older dogs often develop new behaviors, and sometimes barking at night can be a clue that something else is going on.

The first step is to make sure there isn’t an underlying medical reason for his restlessness. Since you’ve already noticed urinary leakage, I strongly recommend a check-up with your veterinarian. Age-related issues such as urinary tract infections, arthritis pain, canine cognitive dysfunction (similar to dementia in people), and even changes in vision or hearing can make a dog anxious, uncomfortable, or more vocal, especially at night.

If the vet rules out medical problems, then you can focus on helping Okie feel more secure. Because he’s deaf, he may rely heavily on sight and touch, so being separated from you at night may increase his anxiety. Some dogs rest better when allowed to sleep in the same room as their people. I bet he would sleep through the night if his kennel was in your bedroom. That way he could see and smell you without being under foot.

As for citronella collars, I would avoid them. They’re designed to interrupt nuisance barking, but in Okie’s case the barking likely signals distress, not misbehavior. Punishing him could worsen his anxiety.

While there are over-the-counter calming chews that contain melatonin and theanine to help relax dogs, if those are not working, you might try a pheromone collar to see if that helps (just note these need to be replaced every 30 days, so it can get a bit expensive).

If those options fail, your veterinarian can prescribe something to help Okie sleep more soundly at night. Remember, his barking is his way of telling you that something isn’t quite right, whether it’s a health issue or simply the need to be closer to you.

Dear Cathy,

I just read the column about the overly friendly cat. This cat needs a feline companion. The need for attention, companionship, and activity seems to be too much for his owners, but is just right for a companion animal.

— Anita, West Hartford, Connecticut

Dear Anita,

If one doesn’t have as much time to devote to a pet as that pet needs, then adding another pet – another cat in this case – can sometimes help meet those needs. But one should not get another pet solely for that reason, as every pet still requires one-on-one time with their humans. Still, when a family is ready, a second cat can bring joy, balance, and companionship to everyone in the household, including other pets in the home who may enjoy having a new friend.

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(Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, author, columnist and pet expert who has more than 25 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to cathy@petpundit.com. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal.)