August 06th, 2020

Written by myself and NK9

Let sleeping dogs lie...

We have all heard this saying but are our dogs really getting enough sleep, just like us if there not getting enough sleep this can affect behaviour.

Puppies need around 18-20 hours’ sleep which decreases into adolescence and adults need around 12-14 hours in a 24-hour period.

As owners we need to ensure that our dogs are getting enough sleep and good quality sleep with no disturbances.

We need to consider:

• The temperature is it too cold or is it too hot that can have an impact on the dog sleeping if we were cold we wouldn’t sleep properly

• The type of bed they have – if it isn’t comfortable we want to make sure that the bed fits the dog and they have space to lay how they would like to comfortably

• We want sleeping area to be away from distractions that could be noises from the environment outside or how light the room is during the summer as this can disturb sleep

If dogs need to go out for the toilet in the night, then it needs to be as fuss free as possible with little interactions just to the toilet and back to bed not engaging in play or fuss as this can make it more difficult for them to get back to sleep.

Disturbed or little sleep can impact on behaviour and manifest into behavioural issues just like us they can become agitated and feel exhausted if they can’t get enough rest. Rest is also important for recovery and regeneration of cells just like us humans so it is key to ensure they get enough down time.

Consider how we could make our dogs sleeping area better- it might be something as simple as a putting a blanket over a cage to make an area more cosy and block out some light or a breeze that could disturb sleep.

Consider whether your disturbing them or whether they are able to sleep in peace. Are family members or even other Dogs within the home allowing the puppy or Dog to sleep?

Consider how much they sleep? How often do you try to create a sleep routine for your Dog or puppy? Do you try to ensure a calm setting for sleep?

When behaviour is unwanted or you find that your experiencing difficulty with behaviour. Consider sleep. Sleep is a key factor in Holistic care for your Dog as well as diet, health and general wellbeing and plays a big role in their behaviour needs.