How Long Do Puppies Sleep? Read On To Find Out
You just got your new puppy home. You got them some great toys, their own pay area and a comfy bed. In fact, from the looks of it, that comfy bed may just be TOO comfy.
Your sleeping puppy seems to be sleeping more than you think they should. "I'll just let them sleep a little longer," you say to yourself. You come back after a few hours and wonder if this is all normal.
It is, very normal actually
If this is your first puppy, then it’s understandable that you may begin to worry about their sleeping habits.
The one thing to remember though is that they are puppies. This makes them the equivalent of a baby. In essence, they are baby dogs.
You may be saying - "Yeah, I get it, they are baby dogs. This may be my first puppy, but I understand that much."
As humans, we do
We understand that they are babies, but unlike babies, we get puppies and want to play with them and have them on OUR schedule.
Unfortunately, as we mentioned, they are babies. And just like a baby, they need their rest as well.
In fact, you are looking at them sleeping up to three-fourths of the day, and being awake for the rest of it.
What does that look like?
Well, it really looks like potentially 18 hours of sleep and 6 hours of up time or playtime.
While you may find yourself coming home from work to a sleeping puppy, remember that it’s normal.
You can still train them to get into a routine to be up at certain times, but keep in mind that you may just get a little bit of time with them in the evening when you get home, and then it will be off to bed for them.
What will most likely be the case is you will have them sleep half the day, and then be up for a bit, then hit the sack again.
Now, please understand that trying to keep them awake will make things much worse.
Just as a baby who doesn't get the proper rest, your puppy may get fidgety, anxious and stressed out. What can sometimes result is a puppy that tries to bite anything and everything.
Once you can get them into a routine of waking up, going to bed and just into a general sleeping pattern, it will make their lives as well as yours much easier.
When you start setting things such as a puppy bedtime, you need to train them and ensure that they are in their own bed and sleeping area. This helps them to understand that it’s bedtime
The answer to the question - How long do puppies sleep?
Is this: A LOT. Once again, thinking of them in terms of being a baby should help you to deal with the amount of time that they sleep, and how you should be treating the situation.
They aren't there just for our enjoyment. We, as their owners, must take the best care of them and this starts with allowing them the rest and sleep time that they need.
If you have any further questions about how long do puppies sleep, we would love to hear from you in the comments below!
