Owners sometimes think that their pets sleep soundly day and night. However, the average dog sleeps at night, dozing after eating or intensive walking. Of course, the duration and frequency of a dog’s sleep depends on many factors, such as nature, age, and state of health. But still there is average data on how much dogs sleep per day and at what time.
Content
- Стадии сна 1. The stages of sleep
- Когда и каким образом спят собаки 2. When and how dogs sleep
- Возраст 3. Age
- Сон и нагрузки 4. Sleep and stress
- Режим дня собак 5. Dog's day routine
Sleep stages
As it turns out, the sleep of dogs and people is identical in structure, only periods last differently. The following types of sleep
- Snooze - the dog is relaxed but conscious.
- Shallow sleep - the animal is absolutely relaxed, but he hears ambient sounds.
- Deep - only at this stage the muscles relax in the pet, it can move its lips or pull its limbs.
- Fast - the animal is motionless, relaxed, only eyes move. After this stage, the pet wakes up or goes into a phase of shallow sleep.
When and how dogs sleep
If we talk about wild relatives, then the flock sleeps at night. But one of the group is always awake, vigilantly observing the territory. His duties include the detection of danger and the wake of his fellow tribesmen. This behavior is common to almost all animals living in the community. By the way, in the group of animals the leader most often sleeps, whom the other members trust most.
As for pets, an adult dog should sleep in principle about 15 hours (plus / minus an hour) per day. However, such an averaged indicator is not always suitable for an animal in a certain life stage. It is worth considering the main factors affecting a dog’s sleep.
Age
As babies, pets sleep a lot, they can fall asleep during games and even eating. And this is not surprising, since the daily norm of sleep is 18-20 hours. After three months, pets become more active, and time for sleep is reduced, but only for a couple of hours.
Veterinarians warn that if a puppy picks his feet in a dream, whimpers or squeals, this should not be alarming. Pets, as scientists have discovered, also have dreams and can react to what they see. But if a pet wanders without opening its eyes to the end, this is an alarming sign of a neurological disorder.
Animals aged again return to puppy mode, but here everything is individual. Representatives of some breeds do not lose activity until 8-10 years. But more often, an elderly pet tries to sleep well at night and does not miss the opportunity to sleep after eating and walking. For this period, it is worth reducing the calorie content of the food, as the dog slows down the metabolic processes, and sleep becomes longer.
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Sleep and stress
Like people, dogs from idleness can start to eat a lot and sleep. Hence the duration of sleep. A dog that sits alone at home all day sadly will be in a drowsy state almost all the time, and a pet that was taken for a long walk, and even with physical activity, will not sleep that long, but his sleep will be deep.
We can conclude that in order for the animal’s body to function properly, it is necessary to give it feasible loads. In addition, the hearing in dogs is very sharp, and if the pet lay down to take a nap, and at home there is noise, then a good rest will not work. The dog will hear everything that happens. For representatives of some breeds it is extremely important to have a corner where he could relax in silence.
A stressful situation can disturb the animal’s sleep. Noisy guests, any unpleasant incident on the street can deprive him of deep sleep for some time.
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Dog Day Mode
Naturally, the dog’s daily routine directly depends on the person. There are breeds that require constancy, they get used to eat-sleep-walk at the same time, and any changes are very acute. This applies to dogs for hunting, protection , as well as animals with hyperactivity. They may stop sleeping normally if the owner had to leave, or even if he was late at work.
But the companion dogs have a very stable psyche and can always adapt to the needs of the owner. For them, the main thing, even with a delay, is to do what is necessary - take a walk, eat and relax.
When acquiring a dog, attention should be paid to this aspect. But will it be possible to provide the pet with the necessary regimen, or to give preference to a breed that can sleep when it is necessary?