Q: How many hours a day should my dog sleep?

A: Dogs require much more sleep than humans. However, the total amount of sleep a dog needs can vary depending on various factors. Of these factors, age is the most important and has the biggest impact on the amount of sleep required.

Puppies: Research is limited in puppies, but one critical study showed that puppies sleep at least 11 hours per day. Unfortunately for us, however, puppies tend to sleep less at night than adult dogs and instead sleep during the day!

Adult dogs: Most adult dogs seem to need somewhere between eight and 13.5 hours of sleep every single day, with an average of just under 11 hours. Adults dogs tend to sleep longer at night than puppies do but will still take daytime naps.

Senior dogs: Senior dogs tend to wake up less often overnight and sleep later in the morning. They also sleep more during the day with regular naps.