Shhhh!! The puppy is napping.
Leave him be. Let that puppy sleep! Resist the urge to disturb a sleeping puppy. I know, I know they are so stinking cute and you can’t help but want to cuddle and rub their soft little bellies. Puppies smell wonderful, like sweet cream, innocence and sheets line dried in spring. They are intoxicating to the point we lose all rational mature thoughts. But No, please do not disturb a sleeping puppy. In case you're wondering, today I am going to talk about puppies and their need for sleep. Lots and lots of sleep. Sleep is an essential element of canine development. Puppies require uninterrupted sleep. Puppies who are frequently forced awake can develop sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation leads to irritability, frustration and aggression. Puppies need up to 18-19 hours of sleep a day and that time decreases as they age til about one year, when they will average 8-14 hours a day. Puppies will be awake for roughly one hour before needing more sleep. Avoid the temptation to keep your dog awake for the sake of playing or training. An overtired puppy will have difficulty learning. A young puppy under 6 months who plays and exercises too much will have a hard time settling down because of the build up of the hormone adrenaline. Puppies release adrenaline while they sleep. When sleep is restricted over the course of several days, the release of adrenaline slows down considerably. It will take longer and longer to expel from the puppy’s body and you’ll end up with a puppy that is frantic and bites anything that moves. Sadly many of these dogs will end up in shelters or worse just because the dog couldn’t get the sleep it needed as a puppy and its owners did not want to deal with what they created. I made this mistake with my youngest dog, Mr. Ted. I allowed him to run and play with his older siblings and didn’t give much thought to napping throughout the day. I thought by giving him lots of exercise, allowing long playing sessions and several sessions a day working on basic obedience that he would sleep straight throughout the night. I was wrong and am still working to correct his frantic behavior. So now that we know how much sleep is required of a puppy to be healthy and happy, we can discuss how to make sure your dog gets all those restful sleeps. First thing, a puppy needs a quiet dark distraction free space for his bed or crate. The bed does not have to be a 500 dollar designer brand, but it needs to be comfortable and durable, after all they will be spending a vast amount of time sleeping on it. Now is the perfect time to crate train your puppy. You can never go wrong in crate training your dog, it’s useful in potty training and could save their lives in an emergency. Crates offer a dog a safe haven when they feel stressed, sick or just want to nap in their own space. I think of my dogs' crates as their own bedrooms, a place where they can hang out and chill. Create a routine. Dogs love routines. A routine helps you strike the right balance of sleep and wake time. Your routines could be as simple as potty, breakfast, potty, play, sleep, potty, lunch, potty, play, nap, potty, play, potty, dinner, walk/play, potty, bedtime. Your routine will obviously be set around your schedule and lifestyle and don’t worry, your dog will adapt to it, just be consistent. In the early stages of a puppies life, they will nap from 30 minutes to 2 hours at a time. As the puppy matures the naps will start to decrease. They can sleep in a separate room or in your bedroom, but should not sleep in bed with you until they are fully potty trained. Allowing your dog to sleep with you is a personal choice, but both you and your dog will sleep better in your own separate beds. A healthy diet goes a long way in helping your furry family member get plenty of sleep. Quality foods will provide the proper vital nutrients that your puppy needs for a growing body both mentally and physically. Always feed your puppy age-appropriate food, avoid feeding them adult dog food until they reach adulthood. When your puppy needs to potty in the middle of the night, take them outside and only allow them to potty, no running around chasing imaginary prey, no toys, no fun, just potty and straight back to bed. If they whine or fuss, ignore them and after a few minutes they will settle back down. By 12 weeks most puppies are capable of sleeping through the night. Small dogs with their small bladders may need a potty break for a few weeks or more, but by 16 weeks all dogs should be able to sleep through the night. Here’s a little advice for those who just brought home a puppy or are thinking of adopting a new puppy, make peace with the fact that you’re not going to get a full night's sleep for weeks. I know some of you reading this can relate to that. I think a nap sounds good right now, don’t you?
Written by Louisa Redman