Nap Time

Nap Time

Winston has always napped on and off during the day. He's never been a morning dog; he'll go out to potty when we get up at 5 a.m., then head right for his bed in the den to resume sleeping. After breakfast and a little morning playtime, he's content to rest beside my desk until midafternoon. His pattern of sleeping for hours happens at the same time every day. Then there's Jack.

Dogs need much more sleep than people, and some napping is typical. It's not unusual for adult dogs to sleep 14 hours a day. Puppies often sleep closer to 18 hours each day, although sometimes all this sleep happens in many little sessions rather than a few bigger ones.

During conversations with our trainer, she pointed out that some of the excessive energy I see in Jack could be a sign that he needs a nap – YES!

Some of the signs that a puppy needs a nap are obvious—yawning, lying down, fighting sleep just like a human baby. However, sometimes a puppy acts as though it needs activity and stimulation. What they need is a nap. The trainer pointed out to me that when Jack races from toy to toy and does not settle on any activity for more than a few minutes, it's a sign that he's a puppy in desperate need of rest.

The trainer suggested putting Jack in his crate for several hours in the late morning and again mid-afternoon. It takes him a few minutes to settle, but he's a happier puppy after his nap.

• My misunderstanding of the dog's way of thinking led me to believe that if I provided enough activity, the dog would be tired and content. I now realize that by giving a lot of stimulation, Jack is thinking." what's next, I'm ready "...rather than my goal of, "ah, that was fun, and I'm tired.". There's been a considerable change in the energy level since implementing Michelle's play advice, followed by some downtime. In the evenings, we play fetch for a while, and when I've had enough, I stop. Jack will pile toys at my feet, hoping I will resume the game, but within a few minutes, he settles at my feet and can relax. It's hard to resist that cute face holding his stuffed hedgehog - but the lesson he's learning is improving the dynamic in our home.