If you just got yourself a new dog, you may be wondering about dog sleep. After all, it seems that he may be sleeping a lot.
The truth is that dog sleep is different from human sleep. According to some recent research, dogs aged between 1 to 5 years old tend to sleep about 12 hours a day on average. On the other hand, older dogs and puppies tend to sleep even more.
How Long Do Dogs Sleep?
As we mentioned above, how much should dogs sleep depends on the age of your dog. Besides, there may be differences depending on your dog’s breed, diet, personality, and even activity level.
Just like humans, dogs need to sleep to ensure that their brain function and immune system continue to perform well. In addition, your dog’s sleep may also be affected by many different factors. For example, if you change your dog’s bed to a different place or if his routine changes, this can affect his sleeping patterns.
An interesting fact is related to the different sleeping patterns of dogs that sleep indoors and the ones that sleep outdoors. While the first ones tend to spend about 80% of their night asleep, if your dog sleeps outdoors, he will only spend about 60% sleeping in the night.
But more than the time your dog spends sleeping, you may also be wondering about dog sleeping positions.
Dog Sleeping Positions
It’s incredibly interesting to watch your dog when he is sleeping. The truth is that you’ll probably see him in many different positions. It will almost seem like he adopts a new position each time he sleeps.
It’s important to realize that the sleeping position of your dog may tell you how he feels. For example, if your dog likes to sleep on his side, it means he feels safe and relaxed in his environment. However, it may also be a sign that he suffers from stiff joints. In case you noticed that your dog likes to sleep with his head on top of his paws, your dog isn’t actually sleeping. He is simply resting but he’s alert. Another common dog sleeping position is when your dog sleeps on his stomach. This is usually common among puppies and it means that even though they are tired, they are ready to play.
It is also common to have a dog sleeping in bed. If your furry friend tends to sleep under blankets, clothes, or pillows, it may mean he’s looking for security and comfort. The last dog sleeping position we want to mention is the dog sleeping on back. This is also known as the belly up position and it usually means that your dog is hot. Besides, he is showing you that he fully trusts you and his environment.
A very common question pet parents have relates to why do dogs sleep under the bed. Simply put, it may mean that they just want to be around or near you, or that they don’t feel safe to be on their own. One of the things that you can do is to offer your dog a bit more comfort by getting him an orthopedic dog bed.
