What You Should Know About Your Dog's Sleeping Habits

You see, Dogs will usually sleep for around 13 hours every day. Although this can vary between different breeds, this still means your dog is going to be asleep for almost half it's life!

Dream time.

Your dog will tend to circle before lying down to sleep

As he would do in the wild, where he would trample down vegetation to create a bed, typically in longer grass where his presence will be concealed.

If it's cold, your dog will curl up in a ball to conserve body heat. (just as puppies do by sleeping together instead of stretching out).

It's not unusual for an adult dog to lie on his side while he's sleeping, and start moving his legs as if he were running.

The eyelids and whiskers may twitch too at this stage, which is usually a sign of what we humans call 'deep sleep'.

Dogs generally spend most of their time sleeping lightly.

Sleeping habits.

Seeing as dogs are descended from opportunistic hunters, dogs instinctively wake when there is an increased amount of activity around them.

However, if a dog is deliberately woken, particularly if it is disturbed by a child, he may react aggressively and bite without warning.

Also, your dog may be a little unwilling to settle down again if woken at an unusual hour.

This means it's important to establish a set routine for a new dog from the outset. This includes things like exercising, feeding and sleeping times.

A new puppy is likely to be distressed on its first few nights in a new home, as this will be the first time that he will have been separated from its littermates.

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