Puppy Behavior Due to Lack of Sleep

Puppies require adequate sleep, nutrition, mother's care and love to grow up to be healthy and active dogs. During the initial three weeks after birth, the puppies are totally dependent on their mother for their food, upbringing and very existence. During this phase the puppies do not cause much disturbance and they usually cuddle up to their mother and sleep through the day. Gradually the puppies become very demanding and extremely noisy; they do not allow the mother to get her fair share of sleep and rest.

  1. Sleep Pattern

    • At first a puppy goes through the slow phase of sleep by lying still, unaware of anything happening around it. Its breathing slows down, its body temperature and blood pressure fall and its heart rate decreases. Within 10 minutes of sleep the puppy enters the active phase (rapid eye movement) when it dreams like humans do. A fully grown dog invests 10 to 12 percent of its sleep in this phase while puppies spend more time sleeping in this active phase simulating all knowledge it has picked up recently.

    Growth Problems

    • Proper sleep is important for the growth and development of puppies. Sleep rejuvenates them and contributes positively in maintaining both their emotional and mental balance. Sleep helps them to grow up to be strong, robust and active constitutionally. Puppies are extraordinarily curious, energetic and active and they love to indulge in exploration of their surroundings. They love to play all the time and keep performing energy-draining antics all day. Lack of sleep would definitely affect them adversely, meaning their growth and health will certainly go down.

    Psychological Distress

    • While adequate sleep of approximate six to eight hours a day for puppies can help them be constitutionally sound, lack of sleep may cause mental stress and discomfort. The puppies would become unnecessarily cranky, easily irritable and would demonstrate unreasonable behavior. For no rhyme or reason they would become aggressive and loud. They would express their discomfort by frequent barking and fights with other pups. They would pose a lot of problems for their mother who would be too exhausted to cater to their ever demanding attitude.

    Sleepy All Day

    • Lack of sleep at night often results in a puppy falling asleep every now and then all through the day. It may feel extremely lethargic and avoid indulging in any activity. Insufficient sleep at night could make a puppy lose track and experience sleep attacks. It may all on a sudden collapse and fall to the floor and start sleeping deeply, oblivious to everything around it. It may then wake up fully replenished after a few moments of fulfilling sleep.