How much a dog should sleep

Do you think your dog sleeps too much ? Or little? Like humans, dogs go through each and every phase of sleep, from numbness to the REM phase (when the brain is most active, the eyes move in an accelerated way, the heart rate increases and the number of dreams), and they need a few minimum hours of rest . Yes, dogs also dream, have you ever noticed how your dog slept? You have probably noticed that it moves, cries and even barks, it is because it is dreaming. If you want to know how much a dog should sleep, keep reading this article and find out.

one

The minimum hours a dog should sleep a day depend on age and size. The bigger your dog is, the more rest time it needs. Likewise, exercise time is vital for our sleep to get everything we need, and not less. Check our article about how much time a dog needs to exercise to know the number of trips and what each one should last.

two

The puppies spend most of the day eating and sleeping, and this is the stage in which more energy is spent and, therefore, more need to sleep. In general, a dog during its puppy months needs to sleep between 18 and 20 hours a day, depending on the breed. Of course, neither now nor adults sleep so many hours in a row, they distribute them during the day. If your puppy sleeps less, it's probably because he does not consume all the energy he needs and you have to increase the number of walks or intensify the games.

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Healthy adult dogs, which do all the exercise they need and eat correctly, need to sleep between 15 and 16 hours, the giant breeds between 16 and 18. In general, they dedicate 10 of these hours to the night and the rest divide them during the day through small naps. The routine is vital to get our dog to be happy, stable and balanced, so spend the time you need, play with him to find and bring the ball and make him consume all the accumulated energy so he can rest.

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As your dog gets older, the physical and mental wear and tear caused by aging will make you need to sleep more hours a day. However, this does not mean that you should reduce the time you spend exercising your dog, you have to keep it to avoid problems in your joints, heart disease and, above all, mental deterioration.

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What happens if a dog sleeps less than usual? If your dog does not sleep the minimum hours he needs is because he does not spend the energy, he accumulates it and is in a state of stress, anxiety or hyperactivity. In these cases, you must calm and relax your dog by means of massages and dedicating more time to take him out for a walk. As we have said, they need to burn the energy and get rid of accumulated tensions, and this can only be done through physical exercise.

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What if he sleeps more? That your dog sleep more hours than it normally needs is a symptom of depression, boredom, fever or more serious diseases such as distemper or parvovirus. In any case, you should take it to the veterinarian to examine it and determine the reason for the excess of sleep.

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Paying attention to your dog's sleep is important to identify serious diseases or pathologies on time, or if you need more attention. A happy and healthy dog ​​will sleep without problems the hours he needs, neither more nor less. In this sense, do not forget to provide a comfortable bed, where you feel safe and protected.