Excessive Sleeping Lethargy is usual one of the first and most common symptoms of stress and anxiety in dogs.
So, it is normal for your dog to sleep or rest for a majority of the day. However, excessive sleep can be concerning for any pet owner. If your dog is sleeping too much, this could indicate health issues, such as canine depression, diabetes and hypothyroidism, says the AKC.
Dogs can share some of the same stress signals as humans— including getting too much sleep. Dogs can get depressed, and sleeping more is a method of coping. Sleeping more can also be a sign of illness.
While humans take longer to fall asleep after a bad day, the dogs fell asleep more quickly after a bad experience than after a good one. This is thought to be a protective response to stress. But, just like humans, dogs did not sleep as well after the bad experience, showing their sleep was disturbed.
Likewise, if your dog is suffering from separation anxiety, allowing them to share the bed with you may not be wise. They need your help to learn to self-pacify and spend time calmly and quietly alone.
Ignoring a dog that has suffered with severe anxiety whilst alone – until he gives up trying to interact - is unkind and counterproductive because it actually adds to their anxiety.
However, allowing your dog to sleep in your bed may encourage a problem that's already there. For example, sleeping in bed with you can reduce anxiety in dogs, but can also exacerbate separation anxiety in the long term as your dog becomes used to having you as support every night.
Raised hackles are an undeniable physical sign of your dog's discomfort. Pacing: Your pet might walk back and forth nervously if feeling stressed. Shaking or trembling: This behavior is an obvious sign of dog stress. Whining, barking, or growling: Your pet will often “talk” to you when feeling uncomfortable.
Being forced into an unfamiliar and frightening experience. Being deprived of social and environmental exposure until 14 weeks of age. Phobias and panic: history of not being able to escape or get away from the stimulus causing the phobia and panic, such as being locked in crate.
When dogs experience anxiety, music or white noise can help calm them down. This provides a soothing and calming environment, and it can naturally reduce their stress and anxiety levels. White noise or music can also drown out the unpredictable noises from thunderstorms or fireworks that trigger anxiety.
Exercise Your Dog
Because anxiety can cause an excess of energy, taking your dog out to play ball or on a long walk before you leave can be helpful. Providing plenty of physical contact and talking to them during this time is also beneficial.
A little extra shut-eye here and there probably isn't something to be concerned about, but if your dog is sleeping excessively accompanied by a change in eating patterns, unusual thirst, or excess urination, it's time to seek medical attention. This combination can sometimes point to canine diabetes or kidney disease.
While they might take naps here and there, they shouldn't be sleeping 24/7. If they are sleeping more than usual and you've ruled out any potential health issues, then they are probably bored. As humans, we tend to sleep or eat when there is nothing left to do, which is also true for our pets.
Dr. Wooten says she would be worried if a healthy adult dog slept more than 18 hours per day, every day. As mentioned, observational studies have shown adult dogs at least 12 months old sleep an average of 10 hours per day.
Dogs can get depression, and it's most often caused by big changes, such as the loss of a significant human or an environmental change (such as a move). Depressed dogs may show symptoms such as a lack of interest in activities, loss of appetite, increased irritability, and unusually clingy or needy behavior.
Dogs can develop anxiety as early as fourteen weeks of age, and experiences early in life can affect their anxiety. Dogs from puppy mills mya be at higher risk of anxiety, due to the conditions they were exposed to right after birth.
Situational anxiety, on the other hand, occurs during unusual situations that prevent your pup from calming down. These can include thunderstorms, vet visits, car rides, or holidays (especially the Fourth of July and Halloween). Anxiety also comes with old age.
Stress signs to look for include whale eye (when dogs reveal the whites of their eyes), tucked ears, tucked tail, raised hackles, lip-licking, yawning, and panting. Your dog might also avoid eye contact or look away.
“So many owners have heard the old advice to ignore your dog when you leave and when you come home, but there's really not any evidence for it,” says Zazie Todd, PhD, author of the website Companion Animal Psychology and the Psychology Today blog Fellow Creatures.
THEY CONSIDER YOU A PACK MEMBER.
Because this is their nature, they may prefer to sleep so close to you as they seek the same warmth, security, and comfort that they would from their pack mates. In essence, they think of you as a pack member.
Canine companions that follow their humans everywhere are often referred to as “Velcro dogs” because of their desire to be attached to your side. “Dogs are pack animals, and we are their pack,” says Sally Morgan, author and holistic physical therapist for pets and people.