How Many Hours a Day Do Dogs Sleep?

You look admiringly at your fur baby after a long morning walk, and they are conked out in their dog bed: tongue out, legs twitching, a slight snore escaping their snout, dreaming about chasing the mailman—or some other odd dog behavior. A few hours pass, and it’s lunchtime. Other than a lap around the house, your puppy is still sleeping. You wake them for another walk, and afterward, they curl up in bed again—leading you, we’re sure, to ask the question: How much do dogs sleep?

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Why do dogs sleep so much?

Dogs need a lot more sleep than people do, and it’s crucial to their overall health, according to PetMD. Humans are trained to sleep at night for a set number of hours, even if we feel tired during the day. For example, if we are at work and feel sleepy, we won’t curl up at our desks to take a nap—although we may really want to. While humans ignore these signals of sleepiness, dogs do not and just sleep when their body tells them it’s time.

How many hours a day do dogs sleep?

So, how many hours a day do dogs sleep, and why so doggone much? On average, dogs sleep anywhere from 10 to 12 hours a day, says Rachel Barrack, DVM, a veterinarian with Animal Acupuncture. And there are factors to consider when thinking about just how long they’re on the snooze cruise—their age, for instance.

How long do dogs sleep when they’re very young? It can be normal for puppies to sleep up to 20 hours a day, says Sara Ochoa, DVM, a veterinarian with Dog Lab. And you thought cats were big snoozers! Find out exactly how much cats sleep too.