Editor’s Note: There’s a little bit of a play on words in our blog title. Yes, we’re all about canine health through better nutrition and a holistic approach, but we are about the wHOLe dog. Nose to tail, top to bottom, inside and out.
Does your pup catch enough Zzz’s? Sleep is as critical to your dog as it is to you, and your dog needs a lot more of it than you do to live a long and happy life.
How much a dog sleeps will depend on several things, including age and general health. The average, healthy adult dog tends to sleep about 12-14 hours per day. Puppies, larger breeds, and senior dogs will tend to sleep more than that. Working dogs may sleep less. Quit calling your dog lazy. She needs her beauty rest!
Dogs typically don’t sleep as soundly as humans (although because Truman is deaf, he’s a champ). They take lots of short naps and can adjust their sleep patterns depending on their need to be alert. Dramatic changes in sleep, however, could indicate a health problem. So pay attention. If your dog is normally peppy but has become lethargic, something might be going on and a trip to the vet may be in order. Otherwise, let him snooze. He’ll jump to attention when the garbage truck rolls by.
My dogs get plenty of rest in their crates when I’m at work. I used to think crating was a bad thing, and you do what you want, but mine happily trot into theirs each morning at the appointed time. They rest and feel safe. They are not concerned with guarding the den while I’m away. I have door locks and an alarm system for that. They do not get into the trash, chew shoes, tear up doors or furniture, or potty in the house because they are neither bored nor stressed. They are friendly to my guests because their guarding instincts haven’t consumed them.
When I’m home on the weekends, they’re awake more during the day, and I can tell it wears them out to follow me around the house. So they asked Santa for a cool new bed.
TA-DA!
This delight is a Bessie + Barnie bagel bed. Santa saw it at Hollywood Feed in Birmingham. (www.hollywoodfeed.com) At first, we thought Santa had experienced an error in judgment because neither Pearl nor Truman were all that crazy about it. But after it sat unoccupied for a few days, Truman claimed it for his own.
Now, he has a place to rest his weary head while I’m making Pupcakes in the kitchen. He also likes for me to put it on my bed so that he can sleep in greater comfort, but it is so large, we only did that once.
Highly recommend for this time of year. Come summer, we’ll probably be needing something a bit less furry, but for now it is the Bomb.com.
pugs & kisses,
The HOL Dog 