Why Does My Dog Sleep So Much?

Is it normal for my dog to sleep all day?

Dogs are said to sleep more than humans. They spend 50% of their day sleeping and 30% resting. Sometimes, we think that they are sleeping but they are actually awake and just lounging. Dogs tend to be active at only 20% of the day. Sleeping too much can be one of their common behaviors. However, there are some factors that we need to consider on how much sleep does our dog need.

Why Does My Dog Sleep So Much?

1) Dog’s breed

While long sleep in dogs is normal, there are also specific dog breeds that sleep longer than the average. Some of these are the Shih Tzu, Chow-Chow, Greyhound, and pug. These are just a few of the several dog breeds that sleep more:

Shih Tzu

Shih Tzus are known to be very playful. But you may not know that they also like to sleep. This breed of dog is likely to sleep 12 hours a day; longer sleep for puppies and elders.

Chow-Chow

Another breed of dog who certainly loves sleeping is Chow-Chow. Like Shih Tzus, they are likely to sleep or 12-14 hours a day. Chow-chows prefer to sleep all by themselves.

Greyhound

Greyhounds sleep about 18 hours a day. They love sleeping at night and are active with minimal sleeping habits during the daytime.

Pug

Pugs love to sleep at night. They usually sleep around 12-14 hours a day majority of these happen during the night. While they are very active in the daytime with few naps in between.

2) Age

Like humans, dogs’ sleeping habits also change considering their age. Puppies, especially newborn and older dogs bodies tend to require more sleep than the normal adult dog. Sleep is essential for newborn puppies for their healthy physical development and to support the development of their central nervous system. Likewise, older dogs sleep more as they age, because their energy levels also drop as discussed by the AKC Canine Health Foundation.

Below is the average hours of sleep in dogs according to age:

Average hours of sleep of dogs according to age:

• Puppies: 18-20 hours a day
• Adult Dogs: 12-14 hours a day
• Older dogs: 16-18 hours a day

3) Health

This, I believe, is the most important factor that we should consider on why our dogs sleep so much. Prolonged sleeping can be an indication of a health issue. Dogs become less active and weak when they are sick. We should be cautious in checking the signs of possible illness.

Accompanying symptoms in dogs illness:

• vomiting
• refusing to eat
• runny eyes or nose
• looking unwell

If our dogs are experiencing these symptoms, we should rush them to the nearest vet for appropriate medication.

Serious health conditions in dogs that can cause excessive sleeping

Sometimes, our dogs may look like they are just sleeping but they are actually not. For instance, they are just resting and lounging because they are feeling unwell. When our dogs are sick, they become lethargic and tired. Also, they become weak that they just wanted to lie down and close their eyes instead of moving around. it’s important to know the underlying complications they may have that causing these actions. Below are a couple of serious health conditions that cause too much sleeping or weakness in our dogs.

1) Infection

Our dogs can be prone to many kinds of infections. I’m talking about all kinds of infections (bacterial, fungal, viral, etc). They can even lead to serious conditions such as canine distemper, heartworm disease, and kennel cough. These diseases have some common symptoms aside from lethargy such as vomiting, diarrhea, and coughing. This is something that we shouldn’t take for granted.

2) Metabolic and Organic Diseases

Many chronic conditions can cause weakness to our dogs that result in too much sleeping. Some of these are liver problems, diabetes, and heart problems. Regular check-ups with the veterinarian can avoid these from happening.

My Take

Longer sleep in our dogs can be part of their normal behaviors. Sometimes we are so overprotected in our dogs that we notice every single change in their behavior. However, being their owners, we are responsible for our dogs’ overall health and wellness. We are also the first ones to notice any strange behaviors in our dogs. And if something not good is going on, the vet will be our dog’s best friend.