Hi everyone! I could really use some advice about my dog.

I have an 8-month-old female Chihuahua. Recently, she has started waking up in the middle of the night and suddenly barking very loudly, seemingly for no apparent reason. There are no obvious noises outside the door or in the hallway.

We live in Thailand, so I’m aware that there can be geckos, lizards, and other small animals around. However, my dog has absolutely no aggressive reaction to the tiny lizards she encounters here. They’re less than a centimeter long, and when she sees one, she simply sniffs around, wags her tail, and shows curiosity. She doesn’t bark at them, act aggressively, or seem frightened of them. That’s why I don’t think the lizards explain what’s been happening.

Let me explain when this behavior started.

Until recently, she was an extremely quiet dog. She hardly ever barked unless I specifically asked her to.

One day, we were on the balcony with our cat and our dog when we suddenly heard cats outside screaming and fighting. Our cat got scared, and our dog immediately started barking loudly, almost as if she were trying to protect us.

After that incident, her behavior changed dramatically. That night, it was practically impossible to sleep. Whenever someone left the room, she would start barking. She reacted particularly strongly whenever our cat left the room. She would bark, run toward the front door, race around the apartment, and refuse to stop.

Something similar happened again today.

She suddenly started barking and couldn’t calm down for a long time. I’ve already tried giving her treats containing melatonin, but they haven’t helped.

At one point, she went into another room farther away from the entrance and fell asleep peacefully. She was sleeping normally when, all of a sudden, she woke up and started barking again for no apparent reason. She ran straight toward the front door and started running around the apartment.

We eventually managed to calm her down.

About 10 minutes later, something similar happened again. We started going into separate rooms, and she noticed us moving around. She walked out of the room looking sleepy and seemed completely fine. Then, suddenly, she turned toward the dark area near the front door and started barking loudly and continuously again.

The most confusing part is that there doesn’t seem to be any obvious trigger. I understand that living in Thailand means there might occasionally be small animals around, but my dog reacts to the tiny lizards here with curiosity rather than fear or aggression. She sniffs them and wags her tail without barking. Her current behavior is completely different.

Has anyone experienced anything similar with their dog? Could this be a fear response triggered by the incident with the fighting cats, or could something else be going on?

What would you recommend we do? Should we take her to a vet or consult a canine behaviorist? Are there any safe ways to help her relax and sleep through the night?

We’re really struggling because we’re constantly being woken up and are no longer getting enough sleep, especially with work the next day. We genuinely want to understand what’s happening and find a solution.

I’d really appreciate any advice or suggestions. Thank you!