Dog Behavior Series 10 - Why Do Dogs Sleep So Much?

Do you want to know the top 3 reasons why dogs sleep so much? Keep reading to discover what they are and whether you should be concerned by gaining an understanding of your dog's behavior. First, let me explain that a dog's sleeping habits are dependent on the breed, the dog's environment, and the dog's age. These factors determine the amount of sleep that is required. On average, a dog is awake and active twenty percent of the time, awake but inactive thirty percent of the time, and asleep fifty percent of the time. So why do dogs sleep so much? The reason is because dogs do not get as much deep sleep as humans. Humans spend twenty-five percent of their time in deep sleep, but dogs only spend ten percent of their time in deep sleep. So dogs Dog Stairs more sleep to get adequate rest. It is normal dog behavior for domestic dogs to sleep half their life. Normal dog behavior is not a concern. It is a concern, however, when there is a change in your dog's sleeping habits or a change in your dog's normal behavior. Reasons for these concerns will be discussed later in this segment. There are a number of reasons why your dog sleeps so much. Let's find out what the most common reasons are and what you need to understand about this dog behavior. One - BreedSome sleeping habits are breed dependent. Very large breeds like the Mastiff, St. Bernard, Newfoundland, and Great Pyrenees love to sleep. The amount of sleep that a dog requires is contingent to its size. Larger dog breeds need more sleep than smaller dog breeds. Two - EnvironmentDogs adapt their sleep behavior to their surroundings. With little or no activity in their environment, dogs with sedentary lifestyles will lay around all day out of sheer boredom. Bored dogs tend to sleep and rest more, but this dog behavior is normal given the lifestyle. Working dogs, on the other hand, have an active lifestyle and sleep less. The more active the dog, the less he sleeps.