The arrival of a dog into the home of its human family is always special, regardless of the dog's age. However, it is true that everything seems more endearing when the newcomer is a puppy just a few months old. At this stage, the care of the puppy is fundamental, as well as the observation by the guardian, in order to detect any anomaly as soon as possible and treat it quickly, favoring he althy development.
It's not hard to see that puppies sleep a lot. In fact, you have probably asked yourself, How much does a puppy sleep? If you have this concern, be sure to read this article on our site where we answer this question.
Sleep in puppies
As we mentioned initially, in the first weeks of life, observation is as important as affection or feeding, since it will allow us to detect any sign that tells us that something is not right. Therefore, before assessing whether the duration of the puppy's rest is adequate, it is important to know what the different phases of canine sleep are in order to notice any disorder in this cycle
Let's see below what are the sleep phases that a dog goes through:
- Drowsiness: is the first stage and corresponds to the transition from the waking state to the sleeping state, it barely lasts a few minutes and the dog can respond perfectly to external stimuli.
- Light sleep: At this stage it becomes more difficult for the dog to wake up abruptly, however, the brain still can produce sudden physical reactions. The first physiological changes are observed and the heart rate decreases.
- Deep or delta sleep: lasts approximately 20 minutes and is characterized by large brain waves and slow breathing rates. Dreams do not usually occur at this stage.
- REM Phase: is the rapid eye movement phase, characterized by very high brain activity that produces dreams. In this phase we can see that the dog moves its legs or ears.
How many hours does a puppy sleep?
When we talk about how much a puppy sleeps, at the end of the day we are referring to canine babies, so it is not surprising that they have similar habits to human babies. They are full of energy and probably throughout the day they will not stop running or browsing from one place to another. Still, that doesn't mean they don't need to rest, since sleep is one of the most important habits for them.
We know that puppies sleep a lot, but how many hours do they sleep exactly? Normally a puppy will sleep from 18 to 20 hours a day, since his body is in the process of maturing and, therefore, nutrition and rest are essential. fundamental pillars for the beginning of a he althy life.
It is common that they do not sleep all night long and that during the day they recover the hours of sleep in the form of naps. In this way, they sleep at most about 6 or 10 hours at night and the rest of the hours during the day.
To take good care of your puppy's nutrition, we recommend this other article where we mention The best feed for puppies.
How much does a 2-3 month old puppy sleep?
As we have been able to read, it is a fact that puppies sleep a lot. Now, is there a difference between how much a newborn puppy sleeps and how much a 2 month old sleeps? The reality is no. The hours of sleep are the same We have to bear in mind that the puppy is only 8 weeks old, so at this time there is no a big change in their activity and growth.
How much does a 3 month old puppy sleep?
From 12 weeks of age and progressively, the puppy will begin to be active for longer, as new activities (both physical and mental) will be incorporated into his daily routine. In this way, a 3-month-old puppy usually sleeps between 12 and 14 hours a day, of which 8 will be at night and the rest during the day as of nap
As your puppy is still growing, you may find this other article on our site about The best toys for puppies interesting.
My puppy sleeps a lot, is it normal?
It is normal that we have sometimes wondered, does my puppy sleep a lot or is he just tired? It is common that initially this may concern you. However, it is normal for a puppy to sleep a lot and does not indicate any abnormality in the animal.
Even so, if you see that your puppy sleeps too much and that when he is awake he has no energy or he looks tired, you should consult your nearest veterinarian. Some of the causes that can cause your puppy to sleep a lot are:
- Have an incomplete feed: Check out this article on Feeding Prematurely Weaned Puppies in case this is the case for your puppies.
- Don't drink enough water.
- He is sick: you may be interested in taking a look at this post on the Symptoms of a sick dog.
Tips to improve your puppy's sleeping habits
Once the question about whether it is normal for a puppy to sleep a lot has been resolved, we are going to give you a series of tips to improve your puppy's sleeping habits so that he can have a good rest.
- You must not interrupt his sleep: this would be counterproductive for the proper development of his body, which needs large amounts of energy to carry out carry out all the maturation processes of organs and systems.
- You must schedule a sleep schedule: after an hour of play, the most normal thing is that the puppy wants to take a nap to recover energy. Therefore, you must be aware of your puppy's times, respect them, and know how to program a schedule that combines games and training with rest.
- You must choose a good place to sleep: being a newcomer to the family and not knowing the environment, the puppy may be afraid or nervous the first few nights. Make sure you find a comfortable, safe and quiet place for your new furry friend to rest. You can consult this other post on our site about Where should a dog sleep? for more information.
