This blog will talk about the fundamentals of the sleeping Husky Puppy. Relevant topics like how to get a puppy to peacefully sleep at night will also be covered.
Husky Puppy Sleeping
Noting the body position of your Siberian Husky as he sleeps reveals a lot about his comfort levels and his self-image. In cold weather, the Siberian Husky does what is known in the trade as the Siberian swirl, carefully tucking his tender nose under that furry tail for warmth.
A Husky curled snugly close beside you is probably not so much interested in keeping warm (he’s hotter than you are) as he is keeping safe. If he’s an alpha dog, however, you may notice that he keeps himself a little distant from you — maybe just a few inches. He wants to be secure, but at the same time he’s letting you know that he is perfectly capable of handling anything that comes up. A dog farther down on the dominance scale may snuggle more closely.
If your Husky prefers to take his ease flat on his back, legs in the air, you may take comfort in knowing that you have a supremely confident, friendly dog without a care in the world. He is totally at ease. This is an extremely vulnerable posture, and only the most self-assured dog will assume that position.
A Siberian lying flat on his stomach, legs sprawling in every direction, is probably hot. He is trying to dissipate his body heat as efficiently as possible.
A yawning Husky doesn’t necessarily mean a tired Husky. Yawns may also indicate anxiety or tension. You will often observe them, for instance, when getting your Husky ready for a walk or a ride.
If your husky puppy has been sleeping a lot, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. In this post, I will show you a number of reasons why it might be sleeping a lot and when it would be a cause for concern. So, why does my husky puppy sleep a lot? Husky puppies naturally sleep for between 15 and 20 hours per day. This is because they are growing fast and they grow during their sleep.
While it is true that husky puppies will sleep a lot naturally, it could still be the case that yours is sleeping a lot for a different reason. There are a number of things that you can consider to help figure out whether or not it is sleeping normally or if it is due to something else.
Huskies are known for being one of the most energetic dog breeds. But they are just as well known for spending quite a bit of time sleeping.
How much should your Husky be sleeping? What is considered normal? Why do they sleep for so long? You’ll be able to find the answers to these questions and more about Huskies and their sleep needs in the sections below.
Nature of a Husky’s Sleep
It is natural for a husky puppy to sleep for between 15 and 20 hours per day. During sleep, a huskies brain, central nervous system, immune system and muscles develop. Since husky puppies grow quickly it is necessary for them to get a lot of sleep so that they are able to direct their energy towards growing.
This means that, if you are concerned about why your husky puppy sleeps so much, then don’t be since it is natural for them to sleep a lot at a young age. With that being said, if your husky puppy sleeps for more than 20 hours per day and it is lethargic when it is awake then it may be cause for concern and it would help to take it to a vet.
What are other things that cause the husky to sleep a lot?
Even though it is normal for a husky puppy to sleep a lot, it could still be the case that there are other reasons for it sleeping a lot.
Additionally, if it is more than 16 weeks old, it should be starting to sleep much less than it used to. If it is sleeping for more than 14 hours per day then it could be that there is something else contributing to it.
Below, I will mention a number of possible reasons why your husky puppy has been sleeping a lot and what would make them more likely.
Hot weather
The reason that it has been more tiring than usual could be due to the weather becoming hotter. This would be more likely if it becomes more tired at midday when it is hot outside and if it can get hot indoors.
In this case, it would help to make sure that it has access to lots of shade, water and a cool room. It would also help to avoid taking it out in the sun when it is directly overhead and it would help to exercise it when it is less hot in the morning or evening.
Illness
It could be the case that it is ill. This would be more likely if it has started sleeping more suddenly, if it is fatigued when it is awake and if it has been showing other signs of being ill such as vomiting.
If it does seem like illness could be the cause then it would be the best option to take it to a vet.
Boredom
It might be the case that it has been sleeping more than usual due to being bored.
Huskies are highly active, while they are awake, when they are young. If they do not have things to stimulate them in their environment then it can cause them to become bored.
Husky adults require a lot of exercise. However, the amount that you should be exercising your husky puppy will be a lot less since their joints are not fully developed yet.
Instead, you can give it exercise, while it is young, by training it to behave the way that you want it to when it is older. It is important to take the time to train it while it is young since it will be easier to change its habits and you will be able to avoid behavioral issues when it gets older.
With that being said, you can still give it exercise and it is recommended to give it 5 minutes of exercise per month of age two times per day.
Diet
It might be the case that a problem with its diet is causing it to become fatigued. This would be even more likely if it suddenly started sleeping more when you changed its diet.
You can look at this website to see what you should and should not be feeding your husky puppy. It would also help to talk to your vet about what you have been feeding it.
Too much exercise
It might be the case that your husky puppy has been getting a lot of exercise and it has been wearing it out.
It is not unusual for husky puppies to be highly active when they are awake and then to fall asleep shortly after being highly active.
However, depending on its age, there is a recommended amount that you should be exercising yourself. According to the Kennel Club, a good rule of thumb is to give your husky puppy 5 minutes of exercise two times per day for every month of age. So, if it is 3 months old, it would be recommended to limit its exercise to 15 minutes twice daily.
How well do puppies sleep through the night?
Young puppies at 8 weeks old will usually be able to sleep for around 6-10 hours. Although there will be many interruptions at the beginning because of toilet breaks and general whining.
Waking up throughout the night will certainly happen. The main reason being that they need a toilet break. The next reason is for attention, which will have them crying until you attend to them.
Around the 16-week mark is when you can expect your puppy to start sleeping throughout the whole night. Although this can be earlier or later and will vary from puppy to puppy.
When it comes to daytime habits, puppies have big bursts of energy, followed by a nap which can last anywhere between 30 minutes to a couple of hours.
You will soon find out that your new puppy sleeps much more than you anticipated throughout the day! So if you have a new puppy and are currently concerned by them sleeping so much… Just remember, this is completely normal in new puppies.
According to the AKC puppies can sleep up to 18-20 hours per day!
What are ways to help your puppy sleep at night?
There are certain ways in which you can help your puppy sleep longer at night.
New puppies need sleep just like babies and young children do. Sleep is crucial for proper physical and mental development so putting the effort in to help your puppy sleep should be a top priority.
Prepare your puppy for sleep
If your puppy isn’t ready to sleep, this will almost always lead to a restless, unpleasant night.
To ensure your puppy is ready for sleep, make sure they have been properly stimulated in the last 2-3 hours prior to going to sleep. Physical and mental stimulation will use their remaining energy and set them up for bedtime.
For physical stimulation, take them out for their exercise in the evening time, 2-3 hours before they go to sleep. If your puppy doesn’t receive enough exercise, this will certainly lead to a build-up of energy, making them unable to sleep.
For mental stimulation, you can implement some basic training sessions 2 hours before bed. Things like teaching your puppy how to sit, wait, play, and drop will use significant amounts of mental energy, leaving them tired and satisfied.
Use calming music
Believe it or not, your puppy finds classical music very calming! If you don’t have any classical music to hand, you can check out music on Youtube like this one The Dog Song – Music to Help Your Dog Sleep.
This is completely free, on Youtube, and has been made with certain beats per minute to help calm down your puppy ready for sleep.
There really has been extensive research put into this! PetMD has a great article with the studies.
Dogs seem to relax the most when listening to music with 50-60 beats per minute, very common to classical music, reggae, and some types soft rock – according to Dr. Christie Cornelius, founder, Senior Paws & Last Wishes.
Conclusion
This blog talked about the fundamentals of the sleeping Husky Puppy. Relevant topics like how to get a puppy to peacefully sleep at night were also covered.
References
Morgan, Diane. “Antifreeze and Pets – a Lethal Combination.” Dummies, 26 Apr. 2016, www.dummies.com/pets/antifreeze-and-pets-a-lethal-combination/.
Neale, Dan. “Why Does My Husky Puppy Sleep a Lot?” Pet Dog Owner, 5 Nov. 2019, petdogowner.com/why-does-my-husky-puppy-sleep-a-lot/.
Husky Owner, huskyowner.com/how-much-sleep-do-huskies-need/.
Carter, Noelle. “How Much Sleep Should a Husky Have?” Embora Pets, Embora Pets, 18 Feb. 2020, emborapets.com/how-much-sleep-should-a-husky-have/.
“How Much Sleep Should a Husky Have? Sleep Tips & FAQs.” My Happy Husky, 10 Nov. 2020, www.myhappyhusky.com/how-much-sleep-should-a-husky-have/.
“4 Best Ways to Help Your Puppy Sleep at Night – Sleep Guide.” My Happy Husky, My Happy Husky, 28 Oct. 2020, www.myhappyhusky.com/do-puppies-sleep-through-the-night/.
