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Importance of sleep
Resting is essential for any species. For dogs, sleep is important for the following reasons:
- It allows the animals' organs to preserve and restore its energy.
- It keeps their brain agile.
- It improves the ability to learn.
- It helps to consolidate new memories and update old ones based on what the animal has just learned: the sleeping brain knows what new information is significant enough to keep it and what is not worth retaining.
- It establishes neural connections.
- Promotes growth: during sleep, growth hormone is released, so understanding how dogs sleep and the importance of rest is essential when it comes to puppies.
- Prevents brain degeneration: during sleep activity increases in the genes involved in the production of" oligodendrocytes ", which are the cells responsible for coating the myelin neurons, the brain's "insulating material". On the contrary, the lack of sleep produces increased activity in the genes involved in stress and cell death.
- Improves the immune system.
- A dog that does not rest properly can have learning and memory problems, as well as a weaker immune system that leaves him exposed to diseases.
The fact that your Australian Cobberdog is chronically sleep deprived can lead to stress and serious illness. Sleep is intended to reorder the events of the day and to data processing and memory consolidation, which is why proper rest is important.
HOW PUPPIES SLEEP
Puppies can sleep up to 20 hours a day. From the time a puppy is born until it reaches maturity, changes in its sleeping patterns occur. The time the puppies stay awake increases as the deep sleep time decreases. 4 weeks old, we are already in the socialisation period, the puppies remain alert more than 50% of the time. Little by little, and up to 8 weeks, the sleep patterns are more similar to that of an adult.
HOW ADULT DOGS SLEEP
An average dog sleeps 12 to 14 hours a day. Dogs wake up frequently during their rest. In the same way that wolves (who are their ancestors in the evolutionary chain) do, they alternate sleep with waking moments. Sleep patterns in adult dogs will vary according to the vital activity the dog develops and familiarity with the environment. Dogs have an average of 23 sleep-wake episodes over an 8-hour period. Each episode consists of a sleep time of between 5 and 16 minutes followed by an awakening of about 5 minutes.
How to guarantee a dog good sleep
Good sleep for your Australian Cobberdog depends on several elements:
- The rest area: The best thing is to offer him a special place for his rest. That place is his place of tranquillity where we should not disturb him under any circumstances, the dog must be sure that he can sleep without being startled. We must also try to keep the resting place away from drafts and heat sources, that it is padded, cornered or attached to the wall or to some piece of furniture (this will give them a greater sense of security). Since the dog is an animal of packs, its ideal place will always be the one that is close to where we rest.
- Feeding: Heavy digestions and poor quality feed can directly affect our dog's sleep. If you perceive that your dog is having difficulty sleeping, make sure that the feed is of good quality and try putting several feedings on it a day to distribute the daily dose of food and lighten their digestion.
- Exercise: Dogs, and especially young dogs, have a high level of energy. A vigour that needs to be released daily to be able to sleep peacefully afterwards. Going for a walk, encouraging him to run or play with him will not only push for their character to stay balanced but it will help them rest better.
- Routines: A key to the dog's sleep is to create routines, including the same protocol every night before going to sleep ourselves and letting him rest. In this way, we will be helping him to identify that the time has come to sleep.