[teddysteatime]

Would like to stop this behavior immediately.....I have been away from my Brant for about 5 days and my son has been caring for him. Since my absence he has been waking up at 2 am barking incessantly at the ceiling fan,which by the way he normally barks crazy like when it is on). He has never done this before only these last 3 days. Now that I returned he woke me up with this crazy barking....He literally is in a sound sleep and then he off and barking jumping on furniture, acting like the house was on fire and looking at the fan(which by the way is off)...I have read about the positive reinforcement and distracting him to sit/down, which he does very well, but I find I am raising my voice and not treating him for the sit/down at 2 am....I really don't want to start feeding him at that hour. What's the best way to handle this? I also find myself petting him and soothing him when he is in the down position, and I don't think that is a good idea either....but honestly nothing is prompting this behavior, it just occurs....We excercise him plenty but maybe its not enough, could that be why he is waking from a sound sleep? Or could it be my absence? Any suggestions would be appreciated, he is a sheep dog/poodle mix, and a rescued dog, we have had him since December and sleeping at night has never been a problem.

[borzoimom]

What breed is the sheepdog? and - is the fan making a strange noise- like clicking etc.. ( or humming etc..)

[teddysteatime]

The fan is stopped dead still, and my groomer thinks polish sheep dog, but we are not sure.

[borzoimom]

My oldest boy got worried about a fan.. It ended up with a short is why I asked.. And if the dog is use to it moving and it stops... Could be light from a window making movement off the blades if metal.. but I would still wonder..

[teddysteatime]

Instead of him getting use to it on, I NEVER turn it on and when it was on it was by accident, and he freaked.....nothing like conditioning the owner There is no short and it doesn't spin, I hope he doesn't get into a habit that everytime he barks in the am hours I am coming down to see me.....Is this a trick on his part....I do have to say he is definitely barking like a mad man...I just don't know how to handle this, and do I put the fan on during the day and just tolerate the barking, I really don't think that is the soluition. I try the distraction with good food rewards but I am not feeding him at 2 am.....