Hi, I need some advice.  My 11 month cavalier king charles keeps barking at night.  She has been in a crate since I had her at eightweeks and it has never been a problem, until we went on holiday in August for 2 weeks and a friend looked after her.  While she was looked after she was always put to bed at night in her crate and slept through, but since returning home she has a good couple of nights and then a run of bad nights. She tends to go down really well.  I cover the crate on three sides to make her settled and make sure that she has been to the toilet before she goes in.  She tends to wait until about midnight or even two, three in the morning and then continually whines and gives out a high pitched bark.  I have tried ignoring her and she does eventually go back to sleep but last night she woke at about midnight and continued to whine and bark for nearly an hour and a half.  In the end I had to come down and sit with her for ten minutes until she had settled.  I then tried to put her back in her crate and she refused to go in.  That is how it carried on until I eventually I gave in by two in the morning and brought her upstairs where she slept contently until the morning.  I really do not want this to continue, has anyone please got any tips.

I think you really do have to persevere and work though it.  If your dog was fine before she will be again :)

Did your girl go in the crate whilst you were away?  If she was a bit over indulged by your friend it's normal for her to try it on when she gets back.  My 5 yr old dog goes to 'Grandma's' whilst we are away and she spoils him terribly.  We have tried to explain it does him no good but nothing we say will change her mind it seems.  He eats roast dinners and is allowed to sleep on the sofa.  Last time we left the kids and the dog there whilst my husband and I took out other dog to a show and she put my son to sleep on the floor and the dog on the furniture!!

My dog has the occasional moan about his lack of royal treatment when he gets back but he does seem to have got used to different behaviour in different houses.  Much like the kids - I found her feeding them ice cream at 9.30am (it's amazing my husband turned out so well !)

Just make sure your dogs needs have been met with toilet etc and then grit your teeth and put her to bed.  I know it's difficult if you have neighbours but perhaps you could warn them.  Try going to bed a bit later for a few nights and keep her awake for a bit before then.  BTW have you put your heating back on?  It might be something as simple as a new noise when it switches on?  When our pup was small we used to not flush the chain at night as that seemed to be one of his wake up signals!!  Good luck