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The sleeping behaviour of the dog
The different sleeping and lying positions for dogs.
Nothing calms you more than watching your dog sleep. Watching his sleeping behaviour, how relaxed he lies in front of you and thinking about what he is dreaming about. How many photos are there on your mobile phone of your dog resting deeply relaxed on his bed? Have you ever thought about why he sleeps on his stomach, back or side? And what these sleeping positions say about your dog?
We have summarised a few things here, we wanted to know how dogs sleep, which sleeping position they like and do dogs actually dream?
The side sleeper
The side sleeper position exudes a lot of calm and serenity. Many dogs love this position. They then feel very comfortable and completely at ease in their surroundings. The dog also likes to use this sleeping position in summer to cool down on the cool ground after sunbathing, playing or romping.
The fox roll
This sleeping position is popular with dogs. They lie curled up on their belly with their muzzle above or below the root of their tail. This position is taken when the chosen sleeping place is not so big. Also when the dog wants to be particularly cosy and when it is not so comfortably warm in the surroundings. In this sleeping position, the dog naturally protects its body, face, neck and internal organs.
The belly sleeper
This is a popular sleeping behaviour when snoozing. They do not fall into the absolute deep sleep phase when doing this. The dog wants to rest, not sleep, while just rushing around a bit. As a rule, the dog positions its legs to the side of its body. He can then jump up immediately full of energy and is adventurously ready for fun and action.
The back sleeper
To sleep in this position, your dog must be deeply relaxed and have absolute trust in his surroundings. This sleeping behaviour is only seen in the deep sleep phase and in dogs that are still very young. A fearful, insecure or traumatised dog will certainly not adopt this sleeping position. Now we know that the sleeping position of a dog depends on the dog's condition and environment. So what should be taken into consideration when it comes to its sleeping and lying position?
The dog's sleeping and lying place
Dogs love a pleasant and comfortable place to sleep. The sleeping place is pleasant for the dog if it is protected from draughts and the cold of the floor. In addition, the dog loves his sleeping place protected and preferably with back protection. When he retreats to sleep, your 4-legged friend wants to feel safe and well taken care of. The dog finds his sleeping place pleasant if it is comfortable. It should not be too hard or too soft, but it should be slightly elevated. Of course, the dog always wants and should be with its family pack. But especially in families with small children or where there is a certain amount of unrest, the position of the sleeping place is of great importance and has a great influence on his sleeping behaviour. Find your dog a place a little away from the action. You will be surprised how often he chooses this place to sleep.
Sleeping and dozing of the dog
Dogs snooze most of the day. They need much more sleep than we humans do and take many little naps throughout the day. The need for rest does vary from dog to dog. If your dog takes a little nap, he really does not want to be disturbed and expects us humans to respect this. Your home should be a resting place for the dog overall, a stress and value-free zone. There should only be play, fun and excitement outside their home. If dogs can trust that nothing significantly exciting is happening in the house, they will fall into a light sleep more quickly. Once the dog's eyes are closed, the nose and ears take over. If you then let him have his necessary rest, he feels safe and undisturbed and falls into a deep sleep phase within a short time. This deep sleep phase accounts for 20-30% of the total sheep time in an adult dog. This means that your dog needs 5-8 hours of deep sleep, the rest of the sleeping time between 10-20 hours is for dozing, slumbering and relaxing.
Do dogs dream?
From what is known today, dogs do dream. If you watch your dog sleeping, you can see the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) phases very clearly. Under the closed eyelids, the dog's eyes move rapidly back and forth. The dog is lying deeply relaxed in front of you, the paws are twitching and the dog seems to be walking or running. The jaw moves up and down, the lips tremble and the ears move quickly back and forth or twitch. What your dog is dreaming about will remain his secret. If the dream phase becomes too violent, you can wake your dog very gently. Don't let your dog have a bad dream and be caught in a nightmare.
