All dog owners have wondered if their dogs are sleeping too much. Dogs seem to be spending many hours in the day taking naps. However, you must have noticed they also fall asleep with you at night. Therefore, it is common to wonder if your dog is sleeping throughout the night or not.
On average, dogs sleep for around 1/3rd of the day. So even though the sleeping patterns differ for each dog, most dogs sleep all night, just like humans.
Numerous things affect a dog’s sleeping patterns and hours, such as the amount of exercise they get, the food they eat, etc. Read this article to find out more about your dog’s sleeping patterns.
Sleeping patterns of dogs based on their age
As mentioned above, numerous factors can affect the sleeping hours of a dog. However, age is most significant as it dramatically impacts the sleeping health of a dog. Therefore, if you want to check whether your pet is resting enough, you should go through the following information about the sleeping patterns of dogs through different stages of their lives.
Puppy stage
Dogs require the most amount of sleep when they are growing puppies. The puppy stage lasts from birth to six months or, in some breeds, upto a year. If you have adopted a puppy, you must ensure that they sleep for at least eighteen to twenty hours daily. This will help them grow properly.
If you notice any discrepancies in their sleeping patterns, you should consult a veterinarian through your dog insurance plan. If your puppy cannot get at least eighteen hours of sleep every day, it will affect its health negatively.
Adult Stage
After your dog reaches the age of one year or five years, in some cases, your dog will become an adult. You will notice that they are not as sleepy as they were in the puppy stage. For dogs to be healthy and full of energy, they need at least eight to fourteen hours of sleep.
You can buy a snug dog bed to encourage your dog’s sleeping habits. This will allow them to have their own space to sleep and discourage them from sleeping on the bed with you.
Old dogs
Once dogs reach the age of five or ten, they are considered senior dogs. At this stage of their lives, dogs need to sleep as much as they did as a puppy, i.e. eighteen to twenty hours per day.
You don’t need to be alarmed ug you see your senior dog sleeping for most of the day and through the night, as this rest is much needed for their age. They don’t have as much energy as we did younger.
Factors affecting your dog’s sleep patterns
1. Breed
If you have more than one dog that belongs to different breeds, you must have noticed many differences in their behaviours. For example, if you have a dog that belongs to a smaller breed, they probably don’t need to sleep as much as dogs from larger breeds, such as Great Danes and Mastiffs.
If your dog is a small breed, it will require at least fourteen to sixteen hours of sleep. If your dog is a medium-sized breed, it will likely sleep for 10 to 14 hours. However, if your dog belongs to a large breed, it will require the most sleep, ranging from sixteen to eighteen hours.
Moreover, some breeds of dogs, such as sled breeds (e.g. huskies), will need less sleep than other dogs bred to be pets. This is because sled breeds have been bred specifically to assist humans and protect them from danger.
2. Exercise
The amount of exercise your dog gets during the day is strongly correlated with their sleeping patterns. Therefore, if your dog is not getting enough exercise to spend energy, it might have trouble sleeping through the night.
If your dog belongs to certain high-energy breeds such as Boxers, Golden Retrievers, Border Collies, etc., you will notice that they have a lot of energy when awake. Therefore, you need to take them on walks at least twice a day and play with them, or give them treats like CBD dog treats in order to keep them happy and stress free. By doing this your dog can spend the energy during daytime and rest properly during the night.
Conclusion
Dogs need much more sleep in one day than us. Hence, dog owners must have noticed their dogs taking multiple naps during the day and sleeping through the night. There is no need to worry, as this is entirely normal for dogs. However, you can visit the vet for any sudden abnormalities in your dog’s sleeping pattern.
