As we transition from Fall into Winter, we once again have to be mindful of our health, and the health of our pets and animals. Just as folks like you and me tend to sleep more during Winter, it's not uncommon to find our pets sleeping more as well. Especially as our pets get older, they will tend to sleep more with age as well.
Daisy, our sweet retired greyhound racer, just turned 12 last month! And she has been sleeping more each day, especially as the days get shorter. Thankfully, we always appreciate the opportunity to provide extra snuggle and comfy blanket time for the old girl.
So how long do our beloved pet dogs sleep? Puppies generally sleep upwards of 20 hours per day. For proper development, puppies should be allowed to sleep around 18-20 hours. Sleep deprivation can be detrimental to your puppy's health. To encourage strong, healthy habits, it is recommended that puppies take their naps in a crate or kennel.
In their adolescence and young adulthood, this figure lowers to about 14 hours per day, with a healthy minimum at 8 hours per day. Most puppies we know outgrow their crates and into big comfy dog beds. The dog bed should be large enough to fully support your dog's weight.
As our adult puppies age into seniors, they can be found sleeping almost as much as they did when they were puppies. This transition generally starts between the ages of 5 and 10 years of age.
As with all things, these figures will vary with breed and size. For instance, Italian Greyhounds, Whippets, and Greyhounds are the Small, Medium, and Large variants of practically the same animal. In this example, our Daisy, who is a full-size Greyhound, sleeps about 18 hours per day currently. Italian Greyhounds generally sleep a little less at around 16 hours, and Whippets sleep the fewest at around 14 hours.
There are essentially only four factors that will contribute to your dog getting great sleep. 1) Quiet Environments, 2) Comfy supportive dog bed, 3) Minimized yelling/outbursts (especially for our racetrack-sensitive greyhound), 4) Enough exercise.
Providing the conditions and environment for our doggy friends to get great sleep is the basis for spoiling your pup. And a spoiled pup is a happy pup.