According to the National Sleep Foundation, most dogs spend around 50% of each day — or 12 to 14 hours — sleeping. The average dog is active for only 20% of their day, and is awake (and lying around) for the other 30% of their day.
The average dog will sleep between 12-14 hours a day. This is generally made up of day-time naps and overnight sleep. Puppies need even longer, typically sleeping 18-20 hours a day until around 12 weeks of age. As dogs start to reach their mature years, they will sleep more as their bodies and minds tire quicker.
Typically, though, dogs often spend 50% of a day sleeping, an additional 30% just lying around, and a mere 20% being active. Sounds like our kind of day…
"A lot of dogs will sleep as a default, if they don't have something to do," Jill Sackman, a clinician in behavioral medicine for BluePearl Veterinary Partners, tells The Dodo. But, of course, they also sleep when they're actually tired.
Dogs and Time
We know dogs have circadian rhythms, and are sensitive to day and night, as well as certain times of day. We know through living with dogs that they know when it's time to go to bed and when it's time to eat. Certainly a part of this is based on circadian rhythms and past experiences.
Burch, Director of Canine Good Citizen, AKC family dog director, and a certified applied animal behaviorist. This means not letting our dogs get bored. “Boredom can lead to depression, sadness, and a dog who has behavior problems, such as destruction,” says Burch.
Excessive chewing, barking, digging, getting into the trash – these sorts of destructive behaviors are often caused by dog boredom. If you're not giving your dog things to do they'll find ways of entertaining themselves.
Ideally, adult dogs shouldn't be left alone for more than 4 hours. There is some wiggle room, provided that your pooch has access to enough food and water, as well as a place to go potty if they need to.
That said, for a general guideline, dogs should get a minimum of two hours of dedicated social time with humans or other dogs on a daily basis, which can be broken up into chunks of time over the course of the day.
That being said, if your dog starts sleeping more than usual, they might be feeling overly bored. Dogs get just over ten hours of sleep per day, on average. Your dog might get a slightly different amount of rest (especially for certain age groups or those fighting illness).
Getting Lots of Sleep
Healthy, happy adult dogs usually sleep for up to 16 hours a day. If your dog isn't sleeping that much, it could be a sign of stress or illness.
While it might seem counterintuitive, ignoring your dog can sometimes work as a useful training tool. The idea is that when you react to an unwanted behavior, you are actually rewarding the behavior. So ignoring behavior is particularly helpful when what the dog seeks is your attention.
You will most likely see an extinction burst with dogs who have previously been reinforced for barking or jumping when you begin ignoring the behavior correctly. They're working through the process of unlearning the association that barking/jumping = attention.
One thing that has been figured out is that dogs can feel rejection. They may not show it like humans do, but dogs are definitely capable of feeling rejected and unwanted. Not just by their human counterparts, either. It has been proven that dogs can feel rejection when it comes to falling in love as well.
A lot of dogs get bored when their owners aren't around, and a good way to combat that is with interactive toys. Interactive toys are a great way to keep your pup entertained, even when they're home alone.
The short answer is yes. One of the emotions dogs can feel is loneliness. As you may know, dogs are pack animals and social creatures, and for this reason, they don't like spending too much time alone. Don't worry though, the good news is that most dogs can be left alone for short periods of time.
Dogs are social and typically prefer to be with others. Some may always struggle with being alone. When a dog doesn't know how to self-soothe or cope, they may turn to chewing or clawing stuff around the house, or barking or howling. Learn more about treating canine separation anxiety.
No. Dogs actually have fewer taste receptors compared to humans. That means they have less of an urge to eat something different every day. So your dog will not get bored of eating the same food every day.
Dogs absolutely can see TV, and many seem to enjoy it. There are a number of features about television shows that dogs find attractive. Some of these are visual, such as motion, while others relate to the sounds coming from the TV. Dog eyes are very different from human eyes, so they see things on TV differently.
Licking is a natural and instinctive behaviour to dogs. For them it's a way of grooming, bonding, and expressing themselves. Your dog may lick you to say they love you, to get your attention, to help soothe themselves if they're stressed, to show empathy or because you taste good to them!
However, petting should be done in a way that pleases your dog and helps them feel calm, loved and safe. It's important to make time to pet your dog every day and allow others to pet them in the way they like.
Separation anxiety is triggered when dogs become upset because of separation from their guardians, the people they're attached to. Escape attempts by dogs with separation anxiety are often extreme and can result in self-injury and household destruction, especially around exit points like windows and doors.
Saying goodbye can, for some dogs, be a good ritual that calms them before you leave. Speaking in a soothing voice or simply petting them can leave them in a calmer state. This shouldn't be the only time you do this, however, so they don't use it as a trigger to begin to worry that you're leaving.