If you were to turn around and look at your dog now, chances are he might be napping. Did you know the average dog sleeps about 12 hours a day? And larger breeds sleep more than smaller ones. While humans typically spend a majority of their day awake, dog follow a different, non-binary pattern.
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Here are some fun facts:
- Puppies and seniors sleep between 14-18 hours a day; for larger breeds it is about 16-18 hours a day
- Dogs spend 50% of their time asleep, 30% of their time awake but inactive - that means they only spend 20% of their time awake and active
- More active dogs (like service dogs and working canines) need less sleep because they get to sleep faster; whereas their less active counterparts sometimes suffer from insomnia due to inactivity
- The biggest difference in sleep patterns of dogs versus humans is in how much time they spend at different stages - dogs tend to sleep in bursts (polyphasic sleep) versus humans tend to sleep in longer stretches usually at night (monophasic sleep)
- The ability for a dog to wake up instantly and be ready for action right away evolved from their need to defend the pack from a threat at a moment's notice
- Typically in 10 minutes, dogs enter REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and dream like humans - during this stage, the dog rolls its eyes under their eyelids and may start twitching or moving all four paws as if they were chasing a rabbit
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So what does this all mean? Make the most of your time with fido everyday - take walks, play with them, keep them active. The stimulation allows him to have better sleep because their bodies can get ready to sleep faster and allows them adequate rest.
Keep in mind the time spent is only 20% of their day. Make the most out of it…and trust us, we know you'll benefit from it too.
source | 📷 images: playbarkrun, catherine rene photography
