Dogs need more sleep than humans; typically around 12 – 14 hours a day. If your pooch isn’t sleeping well or keeps the house awake all night wandering around, barking or scratching, try some of our tips to help your dog to sleep.
Exercise
It goes without saying that exercising your pooch is the best way to tire them out and help them settle at night. Walkies give your pooch a time to exert themselves both physically and mentally by stretching their legs and exploring new sights and sounds. If you don’t have time to exercise your dog, book a sitter in your local area to help out. You can even take $10 off your first dog walk in January with code FIRSTWALK.
Stimulation
It’s not all about tiring your dog out physically – mental stimulation is just as important. Giving them puzzles to solve or challenges throughout the day and evening will tire them out and help them to relax into sleep more easily when the time comes. Stuffing a Kong with treats and sealing it with xylitol free peanut butter can be a great challenge or you can purchase more advanced interactive toys like the Nina Ottosson range.
Routine
Just like humans, dogs like to follow a routine and establishing a bedtime regime can help your pooch to settle. Try to keep the last hour or two before bedtime calm and relaxed – no rough and tumble or running around – and follow the same pattern each evening – maybe a walk or some time in the yard before sending your dog to bed with a treat or chew. Research suggests that 45% of dogs sleep on their owner’s bed, 20% in a crate, 17% in a dog bed, 14% indoors on floor or furniture and 4% outdoors. Wherever your dog sleeps, make sure it becomes part of their routine.
Medical Conditions
Just like humans, dogs can suffer from sleep conditions such as insomnia, Narcolepsy and Sleep Apnea. If you have concerns over your dog’s sleeping, particularly if they develop sleep problems as an adult dog, take them to the vet to be checked over.
