Abby Connolly
It’s not uncommon for people to be afraid of the dark. While you may think kids only experience fear in the dark or at nighttime, adults can also experience it. After all, darkness can be quite unsettling.
Did you know that not only do some humans react negatively to the dark, but dogs do, too?
Dogs can experience anxiety at nighttime for several reasons. While dogs are known for seeing better in the dark than humans, old age and other health conditions can cause their vision to decline, and when they can’t see as well, they can become anxious.
A few other reasons a dog may get anxious in the dark have to do with their past. For instance, a poor pup who experienced some kind of traumatic incident in the dark may get anxious about it. Those incidents could include if a dog was enclosed in a dark space for too long or they were attacked outside at night.
A dog may have separation anxiety that peaks at night, especially if they get left alone at nighttime or in dark spaces. Therefore, when the sun goes down, or you turn out your lights to relax, your pup may think they’re about to get left alone for a while.
There could also be something in your environment that causes your dog to have anxiety at night. For instance, if there’s a certain appliance or device in your home that only runs at night and makes a high-frequency noise, it could spook them.
So, what does it look like when a dog becomes anxious in the dark?
When a dog feels this way, they’ll often show general symptoms of anxiety, like pacing, whimpering or barking, having accidents in the house, drooling, etc.
If you notice these symptoms occurring in your dog in the dark or at nighttime, it’s advisable to take your pup to the vet and update them on their health history and past. This way, they can help you get to the bottom of things and figure out if your dog’s anxiety is from an underlying condition.
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