Canine animals go to sleep about 13 hrs per day, though some breeds may snooze as much as 18 hours per day. It is important to note that dogs wake up more frequently than we do. Therefore even though it appears your dog is sleeping excessively, there are far more interruptions to their sleep than you assume.

Dogs experience sleep states similar to humans with slow wave sleep and rapid eye motion (REM) sleep. The first sleep phase is the slow wave sleep that happens for the first 10 or so minutes of sleep. During this time your dog's breathing slows and blood pressure and heart rate decreases. Following this first stage your dog enters the REM stage of sleep. During REM you may observe your dog quietly barking or whimpering and jerking their legs. Your dog's brain activity at this point is akin to the activity observed when humans dream. Perhaps this why we naturally say that our dogs do dream.

Various factors influence the amount of time your dog sleeps.

1. Your dog's breed - Different breeds need different amounts of slumber

2. Physical exercise levels - significantly active dogs such as a working dog will sleep less than a dog who lives as the pet at home.

3. Boredom - If a dog is bored it is more likely to sleep than one who is involved in something going on. Interestingly they know when to be awake and be conscious of their surrounding area. They appear to have a sixth sense when it comes to this but also respond to certain auditory stimulus such as the family car arriving home.

4. Age - Older canines will sleep more that younger dogs.

5. Medication/Poor Health - If a dog is ill, depressed or on medication, they will have a tendency to sleep far more.

6. Surroundings - noisy and uncomfortable environments will result in the dog sleeping less than if the environment is quiet and comfy

The most important thing regarding your dog's sleep habits, is to realise what is routine for your dog. Once you are aware of what constitutes normal, you can become aware of any alterations to length of sleep, time of sleep and lack of response to stimulus that typically wakes your dog. If you become mindful of any variations it may be prudent to make an appointment with your local vet, to eliminate the chance of any underlying health issues that may need treating.

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