When we receive an enquiry from one of our clients or a new client, about their dog suddenly mouthing/biting them or their clothes, chewing furniture, jumping up at them, barking excessively etc or if this behaviour has gotten worse, one of my first questions is 'How much sleep if your dog getting?'.
We too, get grumpy and frustrated when we don't get enough sleep and dogs need even more sleep than we do, especially when young (less than 2yrs old). The main reason appears to be due to how much REM sleep our sleep involves - for humans 25% of the time we spend asleep is REM sleep, where as for dogs it is only 10% of the time spent asleep.
Young dogs, much like young children and teenagers, will no always make the best choice for themselves. They may insist on playing for longer even though they are tired, and they won't always take themselves off to bed for the ideal 16+ hours of sleep/rest a day. We need to help them make the right choice by removing exciting things such as toys, getting their sleeping area nice and cosy, offering them something yummy to chew (chewing, licking and sniffing are all calming for dogs), scattering their lunch across the floor for them to sniff out, and then just sitting quietly with them until they settle down.
A good nap can make a world of difference!
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