Have you noticed how much dogs sleep? They can literally snooze all day and only move if they’re after food, want a cuddle, a doggy walk, or a quick pee break!
But if you let them sleep all day, how can you be surprised if they don’t want to sleep all night, like you?
So, there’s nothing more annoying if you’re in your great state of nod when your dog starts to whimper or bark and wakes you up in the dead of night.
Okay, we all know puppies are going to be more restless and unsettled in the early days – that’s to be expected.
And that dogs, whatever their age, can’t tell the time, so they aren’t always going to get the morning wake-up call right.
But if your dog is starting to wake you up in the wee dark hours regularly, then you know that something’s got to be done…
Because you know that dogs can be taught to sleep through the night without disturbing you and that your perfect pooch can retain its title of ‘man’s best friend,’ with a few little handy tips.
You must give your dog regular potty breaks, but the most important one is the last one at night.
And it really should be the last one of the day, so they soon know that it’s the last thing they do before you all hit the sack.
Try and be consistent with your routines so they’ll recognize when it’s bedtime. Routines for food walks and bedtime are essential – keep them calm while you carry out the bedtime rituals, and so they’ll know you mean business about their business.
If you let them get away with breaking the routine at bedtime, you won’t be establishing any boundaries, and they’ll think they can go out whenever they want – yes, even at 3 am!
It’s been suggested by experts that your dog shouldn’t have a drink before bed – preferably, their last one should be 2 hours before bedtime.
Obviously, if they have an underlying medical condition, they should never have their water restricted, but, on the whole, they should be fine without water from about 8 pm.
Sharing your bed with your pooch isn’t really going to be a conducive way of having a good night’s sleep, now is it?
Research has shown that for 63% of people who do kip with their furry friends, their sleep quality is reduced dramatically due to your dog’s constant movement, snuffling and you can even risk getting skin infections, asthma, and other allergies.
It’s not good for your dog to be disturbed by you either!
If your dog has plenty of fresh air and exercise, just like us humans, then they should sleep far better.
Obviously, the bigger the dog and what breed they are, the more exercise it’ll need, but no dog can resist having a good old run about – it’ll do you good too.
So, if your dog does start disturbing you in the night, even though you have good bedtime habits, have restricted their water before bedtime, and their bed is comfortable, but they are still waking up, perhaps it’s time to get them checked out by your vet.
There could be an underlying medical problem.
After all, if you’re both tired and grumpy thanks to broken sleep, no one’s happy…
We love dogs as much as you do. Because of that, our blog is all about helping you give your dog a happier life.
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