Exact Answer: 12- 14 hours per day
On average, adult dogs sleep 12 to 14 hours per day. The puppies sleep 18 hours a day or more. Although the sleeping cycle of a dog depends upon several factors like the breed of the dog, conditions, gender, and age. Every dog is different from one another in its behavior. The average sleep of every dog varies from breed to breed.
But it is also a fact that dogs need more hours of sleep than humans. With the growing phase of life, their sleep cycle varies over time. The breed, size, age, and health of a dog play a requisite role in his sleeping cycle. So, there is nothing wrong if your dog sleeps more or less than 10 hours.
How Long Do Dogs Sleep?
The dog goes through different stages of life and that’s how their sleeping requirements change over time. Dogs spend most of their time sleeping and reclining. They sleep after some time to recharge themselves with a good amount of energy. Generally, the puppies, adult dogs, and senior dog’s sleeping cycle is a little different.
Indeed, the breed of the dog plays a major role in the behavior but so does age too. A budding puppy sleeps about 18 to 20 hours a day. As they start growing old, their sleeping time and pattern begin reducing. In the initial period, their little balls of fluff like to rest more.
That is why sleep becomes very important at this point for their overall growth. All they do during this phase is ply, eat and sleep.During the adulting period, dogs sleep less than budding puppies. They need 8- 13 hours or 10-14 hours of sleep a day.
They take power naps after some period and that’s how recharged themselves with more energy and activeness. Jumping, barking, and moving from here to there consume a lot of their energy. Some breeds of dogs like Great Pyrenees, Newfoundlands, Mastiffs, Saint Bernards, etc these are the giant breeds of the dogs.
These breeds of dogs tend to sleep and relax a lot. Senior dogs sleep for about 16 to 18 hours a day. When your dog overpasses 5 years, they are formally getting old. The life span of the dogs is for a very limited duration.
With the increase in axing, the dogs like to just sleep and relax all the time. With time, the older dogs like to sleep more and more. It also depends on underlying health conditions.
| Health Condition | Duration |
| Completely healthy | 12 hours |
| Minor illness | 14 hours |
Why Does Dogs Sleep So Long?
There are several factors other than breed and age which makes dogs sleep more than usual. There is no doubt that dogs are extremely loyal to their owners. Thus, it is important to have some time for playing with them. If you failed to do so then the dog is likely to be lonely and bored.
This is also one of the factors for the increase in sleeping.Weather also plays a crucial role in it. Be a little alert during the summer, heat can make your dog lethargy, drooling. This can also increase the sleeping cycle of a dog. If you brought a new pet in your home other than a dog.
This may also be one of the reasons. Your dog may feel disruptive. In this situation, the dogs prefer to distance themselves and sleep, relax in a safe and quiet place. It has been found that around 50% of the dogs are sleeping in a day. In a day near about 30% of the dogs are on rest.
It means that the dogs are only active near about 20% of each day. Newly born dogs are going to sleep a lot. If you have welcomed a budding dog then don’t worry if he/she sleeps a lot. With the rise in age, the dogs automatically lessen their sleeping time.
They become a little more active and engaged in other activities like roaming here and there, jumping, and playing. While in the puppy stage, the dogs tend to lay down the whole day.
Conclusion
Well, we all know that dogs are social sleepers. They like to sleep more than human beings. The quality of the dog determines the sleeping pattern of your dog. Just like human beings, dogs are very sensitive and soft-hearted.
Other than natural aging, many other factors can cause disturbances in their sleeping cycle. Stress, anxiety, health issues, and a disturbing environment can make them feel low. Dogs are super friendly if you feel a sudden change in their behavior. Try to consult a specialist as soon as possible.
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