Puppy started barking in the crate during the night

We’ve had our 7-month-old rescue pup for about two months now. From the moment we brought her home, she took to her crate really well—she’d sleep through the night without a sound and stay calm when we had to leave her crated for a few hours during the day.

Last week, though, my partner had to go to the hospital and ended up staying for about 48 hours. I was in and out visiting her, which meant our pup spent a bit more time in her crate than usual, especially in the evenings. Our neighbors did stop by to walk her and check in, but it was definitely a disruption to her routine.

Ever since then—about five nights now—she’s been barking during the night in her crate. She’ll settle down fine at bedtime after a couple of barks, but around 2 a.m. she starts up again and won’t stop unless I take her out. The thing is, she doesn’t need to go out—no peeing or pooping—she just wants to play. Then around 5 a.m., it starts all over again.

Nothing about her setup has changed: same crate, same bed, same room. With the colder weather, I’ve also made sure her space stays warm and comfortable.

I know it might not sound terrible for a young dog, but this is a complete 180 from how she used to be—so easygoing and content sleeping through the night. Maybe her routine just got thrown off and things will settle down again soon, but I’m starting to worry she’s forming a new habit. And honestly, I’m exhausted.