Put Your Puppy on a Sleep Schedule
Similar to babies, puppies will play and explore their new surroundings until they drop. Therefore, they might need up to 18–20 hours of sleep to recharge their batteries. Because they aren’t yet physically capable of going for long stretches overnight without relieving themselves, they will require a sleep schedule, according to LaRocco-Skeehan.
To figure out how much sleep your puppy needs before they have to take a potty break, apply this rule: Count one hour for every month-old and add one. For example, if you have a five-month-old puppy, they can sleep for six hours, before they need to go out. After nine or 10 months, many dogs can wait to relieve themselves for 10 to 12 hours. Recently rescued dogs may also need more structure with their overnight sleeping schedules.
“Once you set a good foundation, if your dog is settling in well, you can loosen up the schedule,” LaRocco-Skeehan says.
Sleeping is the main event in most dogs’ daily lives, so you shouldn’t worry if your pup is a champion snoozer like Mabel. But if you develop a good schedule and something changes with your dog’s sleeping habits, the first step is to check with your veterinarian. Excessive sleep can signal conditions such as canine depression, diabetes, hypothyroidism, and possible loss of hearing.
“The first thing is to determine if the problem is behavioral or medical,” LaRocco-Skeehan says. “If you’re just dealing with a dog that needs to go out more frequently, you can set a new schedule and help them know when they are going out.” https://www.akc.org/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php Get Your Free AKC eBook
How Much Do Dogs Sleep by Age?
When it comes to sleep, your dog’s age is one of the most important factors affecting their naptime needs. To make sure your dog is getting proper rest, read through the following veterinarian-recommended sleeping habits for dogs at every stage.
Age
As discussed above, age is one of the biggest determining factors for a dog’s sleeping needs. Puppies and senior dogs require the most sleep, resting for 18 to 20 hours per day. Meanwhile, adult dogs only need to sleep for eight to 14 hours each day.
In addition to age, continue reading the other factors that influence a dog’s sleep patterns.
How Many Hours a Day Do Dogs Sleep? – Puppies, Adults & Seniors
You look admiringly at your fur baby after a long morning walk, and they are conked out in their dog bed: tongue out, legs twitching, a slight snore escaping their snout, dreaming about chasing the mailman—or some other odd dog behavior. A few hours pass, and its lunchtime. Other than a lap around the house, your puppy is still sleeping. You wake them for another walk, and afterward, they curl up in bed again—leading you, were sure, to ask the question: How much do dogs sleep? [rd-video id=”1362533″]