Nap Time
Winston has always been a napper on and off during the day. He’s never been a morning dog; he’ll go out to potty when we get up at 5 am, then head right for his bed in the den to resume sleeping. After breakfast and a little morning playtime, he’s content to rest beside my desk until midafternoon. His pattern of sleeping for hours happens at the same time every day. Then there’s Jack.
Dogs need a lot more sleep than people, and some napping is typical. It’s not unusual for adult dogs to sleep 14 hours a day. Puppies often sleep closer to 18 hours each day, although sometimes all this sleep happens in many little sessions rather than a few bigger ones.
During conversations with our trainer, she pointed out that some of the excessive energy I see in Jack could be a sign that he needs a nap – YES!
Some of the signs that a puppy needs a nap are obvious—yawning, lying down, fighting sleep just like a human baby. However, sometimes a puppy is acting as though it needs activity and stimulation. What they need is a nap. The trainer pointed out to me that when Jack is racing from toy to toy and not settling on any activity for more than a few minutes, it’s a sign that he’s a puppy in desperate need of rest.
The trainer suggested putting Jack in his crate for several hours in the late morning and again in the mid-afternoon. It takes him a few minutes to settle, but he’s a happier puppy after his nap time.
- It’s been my misunderstanding of the dog’s way of thinking that led me to believe if I provided enough activity, the dog would be tired and content. I now realize that by giving a lot of stimulation, Jack is thinking.” what’s next, I’m ready “…rather than my goal of, “ah, that was fun, and I’m tired.”. There’s been a considerable change in the energy level since implementing Michelle’s play advice, followed by some downtime. In the evenings, we now play fetch for a while, and when I’ve had enough, I stop. Jack will pile toys at my feet, hoping I will resume the game, but within a couple of minutes,, he now settles at my feet and can relax. It’s hard to resist that cute face holding his stuffed hedgehog – but the lesson he’s learning is improving the dynamic in our home.
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