If your German shepherd sleeps a lot then you may be thing why they are sleeping for a long and what can reduce the habit of sleeping.
Adult German Shepherds will sleep about 10 to 12 hours a day and older German shepherds and puppies will sleep for a long time (12 to 15 hours a day). It was a natural habit of a dog to sleep a minimum of at least 10 hours a day.
So, don’t worry about a dog that sleeps for a long time. In this article, you will know the reason for german shepherds sleeping for long and how to reduce the sleeping habits of dogs without affecting their health.
Why are waiting for it, let’s get started and follow till the end.
Why do German Shepherds Sleep For Long?
There are different reasons why german shepherd sleep for long. The main reason was due to the habit that we teach them.
As you already know that German Shepherds need to sleep for 10 to 12 hours daily for improving their health and increasing their growth.
If you don’t provide a suitable environment for sleeping then the dog will have health and mental problems. Sleeping will improve the central nervous system and immunity power of the dog.
So, Sleeping will help the growth and health of a dog.
If your german shepherd sleeps more than 14 hours then you need to wake them. You can concern a vet if the adult dog sleeps more than 14 hours.
How many hours should a healthy german shepherd sleep?
An adult German Shepherd needs to sleep 10 to 12 hours a day and older german shepherds and puppies can sleep for 12 to 15 hours a day.
If the dogs sleep more than 15 hours then you need to concern a vet for help. Healthy dogs can’t sleep for long.
So you need to keep a schedule for the dog day routine.
Below are the main reasons for German Shepherd sleeps a lot.
What are the Reasons for German Shepherd Sleeping?
These are the main reasons for german shepherds sleeping that I have found in my research. There may be other reasons too, but when we asked the dog owner, they have given these reasons.
If there are more reasons you can comment below.
Due to Poor Diet
Poor diet may be a reason for German Shepherd Sleeping.
You should provide a proper diet for your german shepherd dogs.
Otherwise, they will lose their energy and sleep for a long time due to tired. So you need to provide a good diet for your dog.
It was the first important thing that a beginner must know. Preparing a diet plan will make the dog healthy.
The Diet was specially designed for the healthy growth of a dog. The sudden changes or poor diet will affect the health of the dog.
If they become tired due to poor diet then they will sleep for a long time. So it’s very important to provide a good diet for dogs.
If the health and immunity power gets low then it will be hard to regain the health and immunity of a dog.
I have provided a good diet plan for my dog and good training will make the dog healthy.
Sickness
Sickness or illness was the reason for the german shepherd sleeping a lot. They will sleep for a long time for fighting the bacteria and viruses inside the body.
If you find the german shepherd was not active then you need to note them. If they show some erratic movement and are not active repeatedly then you need to concern a vet.
The most common causes of lethargy in dogs are Infection, including parvovirus, distemper, kennel cough, and leptospirosis. Source.
You should provide good care for a german shepherd for protecting them from sickness. Good care will make the dog healthy and they will fight against bacteria and viruses.
When Dogs Get Bored
When your german shepherd starts boring it will spend more time in bed. They will create that as a habit and may become stressed or have other illnesses due to sleeping for a long time.
You should provide some toys for keeping them active in your home. If you get free time then spend it with the dog.
You can train them, get a walk or play with them for 1 hour a day. If they become active then they will not sleep.
Make sure to provide some fun toys for your dogs.
If you find the dog chewing the toys then you can encourage them in other activities like training, and walking.
Make sure that you spend some time with dogs for making them healthy.
Too Much Exercise
Excessive exercise will be a reason for german shepherd sleep. You should train the dogs for boosting their immune system.
Young puppies take time for developing their joints and bones. So you should only provide easy exercise for the puppies.
If you train the german shepherd for a long time without resting then they will get tired and start sleeping for a long time.
Make sure to provide easy training and exercise for the puppies and don’t train them for a long time.
You should keep an exercise routine for the dogs.
If you find the puppies sleep for long after exercise then give them some time for resting and the next day you can take the puppy for a small walk and don’t provide exercise for a few days.
Let them take a rest for regaining their immunity and health.
You can do a minimum of 2 hours of exercise for adult german shepherds and 1 hour for puppies. If they become tired then give them a rest.
Hot Environment
A hot environment will make the dog tired. In the summer months, you can see the changes in the habits of the german shepherd.
They will be inactive because the hot temperature will make them sleepless and they become tired. You should provide a suitable environment for dogs.
If the temperature rises then you should provide an air conditioner for maintaining the temperature. So they can sleep comfortably.
If the temperature is low then you should provide a heater for the dogs. You should maintain a temperature between 50° and 80°F.
You should need to provide a waterproof bed or sheet for a dog with a bowl of water. If they love snow then provide a few minutes for playing snow.
Conclusion
Now you know the reasons for german shepherds sleep a lot.
You must provide good care for your dog and make a schedule for sleeping and diet plans for the dog.
If your dog shows abnormal movements then concern a vet.
