Sweet slumber for Rover!!!
Sleep is such an important part of human life. It allows our bodies to refresh themselves and our minds to dream. Sleep is an important part of growth and development and is also necessary for the maintenance of good health. Our sleeping habits are distinct for humans and interestingly enough there are specific sleeping habits for dogs.
Dogs sleep about 13 hours a day, virtually half of their lives!!! (Doesn’t that sound restful?) This can vary by breed, but overall that is the average. Dogs tend to circle an area before they formally bed down. Unlike humans, who crawl into the bed, a dog will use the circling behavior as dogs did in the wild to flatten vegetation in high grass areas that would serve as protection. If its colder, you will find that dogs curl into a ball to concentrate heat, just as they did with the puppies in the litter when they were born. If a dog is in deep sleep, they will possibly stretch out, twitch and move their legs like they are running. I can remember watching my dog in this state of sleep and laughing because it appeared as he was dreaming. It is this stage of sleep that is considered deep sleep for a dog. However, most of the time sleeping for dogs is in light sleep.
As we know, dogs descended from wolves in the wild and as a result had to always be on the lookout for a great hunting opportunity. Usually dogs will awake quickly when there is a lot of activity around them as they don’t want to miss what they believe could be a great opportunity!!! However, most dogs don’t like to be woken up on purpose and may react instinctively with anger and hostility if woken up deliberately. Where do you think the expression, “let sleeping dogs lie” got its meaning?
Just as with babies, it is important to develop good sleeping habits in dogs when they are just puppies. If done correctly, there will be little disruption in sleep habits as the dog gets older. Meaning, it is not a great idea to let your puppy sleep with you when it is young and then put the dog out in another room when it gets older. This infers rejection from the pack by the dog and he could experience behavior issues as a result of this rejection. As with children, the most important thing in developing good sleeping habits in young dogs is to be consistent. Keep to a routine and your dog will become familiar and comfortable with that routine. Everyone in the house will sleep better including the dog, which will make for a much happier, when awake, family!!!
For some great life tips in addition to a good night’s sleep, check out fellow blogger Jummy!!!!
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