Sleeping is important to not only humans but animals as well. The body is designed to function properly with adequate rest. But for some animals like the pug, they can sleep pretty much the whole day.
So, why do pugs sleep so much?
Well, pugs’ puppies age 3 to 8 weeks will sleep up to 20 hours a day while the adult between 10 to 14 hours a day and this is completely normal. Adult pugs who sleep for more than 14 hours maybe as a result of obesity, poor quality diet, illness boredom, or lack of enough exercise.
Most of the pug owners are puzzled at how much sleep is enough for their little furry buddies. Well, if your pug’s sleep is worrying you then this article is sorely meant for you.
Read along.
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Why do pugs sleep so much?
What’s Normal Sleeping Hours for Pugs?
A young and growing puppy should sleep for at least 20 hours a day. This includes all the hours they’ll sleep at night and the short daytime naps.
An adult pug will normally sleep between 10 to 14 hours a day. According to most pug owners, the average sleeping hours for this furry breed is between 10 to 12 hours. Essentially, pugs love to take a nap more than an average pooch.
I realized the number of hours I sleep especially at night will influence how long my pug Buddha will sleep. Sometimes I will sleep for up to 9 hours and when I wake up, Buddha will be still snoring in her bed.
In a nutshell, your pug will pick after your habits. If you spend most of your time relaxing on the couch catching your favorite series on Netflix then expect your little furry buddy to sleep on your lap or next to you.
However, after a whopping 10 hours of sleep, my pug will be super active for most parts of the day. Well, she’ll take quick naps sometimes but stay awake most of the time. So, make sure you regularly exercise your pug.
For Senior Pugs, expect them to sleep more as they have now aged and are what most people don’t like to say, in their final last years.
Their metabolism is quite slow at this age and you’ll notice they’ll be less active and just spend most of their time laying around throughout the day.
For pugs who are less active or not regularly exercised expect long sleeping hours both during the night and daytime. If this habit persists then I highly recommend you check with your vet before it develops into major complications like obesity.
Common Sleeping Disorders that Affect Pugs?
Insomnia
When this disorder affects your canine, he/she will have trouble falling asleep. Sometimes the dog’s sleep will be constantly interrupted during the night. Normally, insomnia indicates there is a problem with the dog- it can be anxiety, illness, or your dog is injured.
As your pug crawls into their senior years, they get vulnerable to insomnia due to numerous discomforts caused by arthritis, digestion complications, painful joints, and sometimes bladder issues.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea is prone to pugs that are overweight. This disorder may cause your pug to develop breathing complications for a while forcing your canine to stay awake all the time. If this complication persists your canine will feel exhausted and bleary during the day.
The best way to prevent this disorder is to control how you feed the pug and this will help in shedding the excess weight.
Snoring
Pugs are brachycephalic breeds hence they are prone to snoring. It might look funny when pugs are sleeping while snoring but sometimes your little furry buddy might be struggling to sleep.
When this persists, I always try and get my Pug Buddha into the right sleeping position to control snoring by opening her airways.
Check out this snoring little furry buddy
Reasons Why Your Pug is Sleeping Too Much
Boredom
Whenever dogs or pugs for that matter are bored, they are most likely to end up sleeping. In some rare cases, you’ll spot them barking when they are bored. However, this is unlikely to happen since pugs barely bark, at least not for my pug Buddha whom I hardly spot barking.
To prevent your pug from getting bored I always recommend spending quality time with him/her. Take your little furry buddy for walks and play games such as catch to keep him/her entertained. Alternatively, you can get your pug a companion to spend time with and this will improve their life immensely.
Quality of the Bed
Pugs are prone to hips and back complications which will make them un-comfy and have trouble sleeping if they are sleeping on a poor-quality bed. So, it’s crucial to buy them a quality dog bed that is of the right size and made with orthopedic memory foam for base support.
Bear in mind, puppies’ bed will defer from those of senior Pugs in terms of size and buoyancy support. If you got your pug bed when he/she was a puppy then soon you’ll have to get a bigger one for adult pugs.
When my pug Buddha was about 1 year old, I got her The Dog’s Bed-Premium Memory Foam Bed because it’s equipped with a 2-inch base- medical-grade memory foam. The bed’s cover is mold and dust mite’s resistant and both the outer and inner fabrics are waterproof.
Season Changes
The fact that a specific sleeping spot is comfy for your pug in summer doesn’t necessarily mean it will be the same during the winter or fall. During warm seasons your pug will need to be closer to an AC as opposed to the cold seasons.
Also, drafts will interrupt your pug’s sleep. Common places that tend to experience drafts are near windows, doors, and exterior walls. Some floors like tiles can get extremely cold especially during the night so you may want to cover such spots with carpets.
Mimicking Your Behavior
Just as I said earlier, pugs are lap dogs and love spending most of their time next to the owner. So, whatever activity you’ll indulge in they’ll pretty much participate in it.
If you love watching moves relaxed on the couch then be lest assured your little furry friend will sleep next to you enjoying his/her sleep.
Illness or Injury
When your Pug sleeping habits suddenly change it’s a clear indication there’s something wrong with his/her health. Puppies aged between 2 to 5 months old that suddenly appears to be weak may be suffering from hypoglycemia.
Adult pugs on the other hand will tend to sleep more than usual when attacked with any condition that makes their body fight off illness or cause discomfort.
If these conditions persist for more than 3 days and still you can’t really get what’s triggering the sudden sleeping change then it’s high time to check with your vet.
Can Pugs Sleep Outside?
Pugs are lap dogs and should spend most of the time with the owner either outside walking, exercising, playing, or doing indoor activities and also, sleeping which they do best. This breed has a flat face with a short nose which makes them prone to extreme cold, humidity, heat surrounding.
I always advise you to never leave your pug alone outside for longer hours and also make sure they are under shade mostly in hot seasons and have enough water. Check out this portable water bowl to help keep your pug hydrated.
In case your pug likes sleeping outside just ensure you get them a pet door to allow them to access the house when it gets cold outside but never leave them outside on their own.
Tips to Help Reduce Pugs Excess Sleeping
- Provide your pug with some stimulation activities. A better way to do this is to get him/her the Treat-dispensing ball toy such that when the dog is chewing and pouncing it there some treats being released that make it more fun.
- Take your pug for some outdoor activities like in the pet parks, small walks, or play hide-and-seek outside to keep time/her active. Simply get creative with your little furry buddy but ensure you don’t put too much pressure on them since they are brachycephalic breeds.
- Make sure you feed your pug quality kibble to allow him/her to get the best nutrients needed to convert food to energy. Also, small treats one in a while throughout the day will be super helpful just make sure you don’t go overboard with it.
- Create a routine to make yourself active since pugs are good a mimicking behavior. You can make random sprints in the house just for few minutes and let your little friend catch you or each time you wake up after spending much time on the couch just interact to give him/her attention you’ll be surprised how much they enjoy it.
- In the event that all the above remedies are not working then it’s highly advisable you check with your vet. However, it’s much okay to allow your pug to sleep if he/she is ill.
- A visit to the vet will also help you know if your pug is suffering from hypothyroidism that contributes to weight gain. Diagnosing this condition will help combat obesity in your pug.
Read Also: Do pugs fart a lot?
Wrapping Up
In a nutshell, a pug’s sleeping habits shouldn’t be a major concern especially if the dog is offered healthy meals and enough exercise.
Pugs sleeping habits will differ so it’s important to keenly study your little friend’s sleeping routine and any sudden change should be a red flag.
This article has thrived to offer detailed info concerning why pugs sleep so much and the best remedies to take.
I hope you find it useful.
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