How much does the average dog sleep?

1. 95

   angela_michelleposted 11 years ago

   How much does the average dog sleep?
   
   My dog sleeps a lot. He is a small dog, a rat terrier to be exact. Does being big or small affect how often your dog sleeps?

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2. 81

   Relationshipcposted 11 years ago

   My dogs sleep when they can. If we were to go for a mountain climb (we've done this) then they will stay awake the whole day enjoying nature. But if I am on the computer all day, and they are stuck inside, then they will sleep all day long.
   
   I will say that my doberman/rottweiler and miniature pinscher sleep much more than my schnauzer. But he is about 6 years younger than one and 12 years younger than the other. He would rather be up then sleep. So I think age has a lot to do with it.
   
   In kennels that I worked at I observed that labs tended to have more energy than other breeds - even when they had to stay in their pens...so it can definitely be a breed thing as well.

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3. 64

   Desertarmorposted 11 years ago

   LOL Size really doesn't matter.  "Most" dog will sleep between 18 and 20 hours if they are allowed to.  Relationshipc gave a great example, if home and not stimulated  a dog will sleep a majority of the time, but if they are stimulated such as for a hike out if the woods all day, they will remain active, but will most likely sleep the next day away.

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4. 63

   Perspycaciousposted 11 years ago

   The average for puppies is 13 hours per day, while adult dogs average 12 hours per day.  (That may explain why they can have so much energy when they are awake and bringing you their leash!)

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5. 0

   huckelburyposted 11 years ago

   Dogs are denning animals, which means they would be asleep out in the wild if they weren't hunting food or a mate. Weather plays a role, at least in the way my two dogs behave. If they aren't playing or eating, they are curled up somewhere conserving their energy. I've had many dogs in my life, and they all seem to follow this pattern sculpted by their DNA.

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6. 70

   toknowinfoposted 11 years ago

   There are many factors that affect how much a dog sleeps. Canines seem to sleep much more and much lighter than people do. Dogs have particular sleeping habits that are much different from human beings. Yet, it seems they dream like people do, and... read more

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