SkellyWags Dog Training Kent

Not when it comes to our dogs!

Why Your Dog’s Sleep Matters, by Bert.

“Hi all, Bert here with my Friday Blog. Hope you are all well and rested.…did you see what I did there! Lets dive straight in and talk about why sleep matters.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking: “My dog seems to sleep an awful lot is he just being lazy?”, well let me put your mind at rest literally. Because sleep isn’t just about curling up on the sofa and looking adorable although us dogs do excel at that. Sleep is vital for us dogs and today I’m here to tell you why it matters so much.

Why do we sleep so much anyway?

Us dogs are absolute pros at sleeping, as a puppy I could easily snooze up to 18–20 hours a day! As I started to get older and became an adult I average anywhere between 12–14 hours, and when my lovely sister Lily was here she slept even more as a senior dog, boy she could really sleep. That’s not laziness, that’s biology, my friend.

You see, sleep gives our bodies and brains the chance to repair, refresh, and reboot. It supports everything from healthy joints to sharp minds and frankly, after a hard day sniffing every single blade of grass on our walks, we need it.

Learning while we nap, yes we really do, us dogs are so amazing ,but you know that right.

Here’s a fun fact for you, when I’m dreaming probably about squirrels or that one patch of fox poo I didn’t get to roll in, my brain is actually busy processing all I learned while awake.

During certain stages of sleep called REM sleep, that’s when you see my paws twitch and my nose wiggle, us dogs consolidate memories and new skills. So, if you taught your dog a new trick or did some sniffy training during the day, guess what? Our dogs brains file that away and strengthens the learning while we snooze. That is incredible right!

Basically, nap time makes us smarter however it does not seem to be the same for my dad, maybe it is all that snoring that stops the learning!

Just yesterday I did some fun gun dog active searches with dad and smashed it, his words not mine! Well when I got home I headed straight for the sofa and within minutes I was in dreamland and maybe even had a little snore. My brain took this time to process my learning and consolidate that learning and prepare me for the next session. I felt amazing by the way when I woke up you humans should really up your napping game.

Myth-busting time!

Dogs sleep too much
No, our sleep needs are different from yours. We nap in cycles throughout the day because we don’t have Netflix to binge at night.

A tired dog is a lazy dog
Actually, we’re just looking after our wellbeing. Puppies especially need their shut eye to grow healthy brains and bodies. And older dogs? Well, let’s just say they’ve earned every nap they take.

Tips for supporting your dog’s sleep.

Give us a few comfy quiet spots, somewhere safe where we won’t be disturbed. I personally have several beds around the house and that does not even include the sofa or mum and dad’s bed which are obviously my favourite places to nap.

Let us nap when we need to, don’t wake us up by standing over us with the phone taking snaps, yes we look cute when asleep but seriously how many photos do you need of us sleeping. Also we love you we really do but if we are asleep it is because we need it and should be left alone. Imagine it is 03.00 in the morning and someone wakes you up just to say hello, not sure you would be happy.

Remember different ages need different amounts, pups need loads, adults a bit less, and older dogs may need more snooze time again. 

So next time you see your dog curled up on the sofa, twitching away in dreamland, just know we are not being lazy, we are looking after ourselves and probably dreaming of our next training triumph.

Sleep well hoomans and let us do the same!

Love, snoozes and snores,

Bert 

P.S that is the amazing Larry showing how it is done, now that boy knows his way around a nap or 8!