Why does my dog sleep when I’m gone?

If your dog sleeps a lot when you are away, this post will show you the most likely reasons why it has been doing it.

So, why does my dog sleep when I’m gone? The most likely reason why your dog sleeps while you’re gone is that it is natural for a dog to sleep a lot daily and a good time to sleep is when it has nothing else going on.

There are more reasons why it might sleep when you are away and it might be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the most likely reason.

Why your dog sleeps when you are away

Below are some common reasons why dogs do it and what would make them more likely to be the main reason why your dog has been doing it.

It is tired from exercise

The cause could be that it is tired because of exercise. This would be more likely if it tends to sleep more after getting exercise and if it does not sleep as much, while you’re away, if it has not already gotten exercise. For healthy dogs, it is generally a good thing for them to get exercise so it would be best to continue giving it exercise and to avoid not letting it get exercise too often.

Nature

Dogs naturally sleep a lot, on average they sleep for 12-14 hours per day. The reason why your dog sleeps, while you are away, is likely to be that it does it naturally and not because there is anything wrong. This would be more likely to be the reason if it does not show any signs of illness or injury when awake, if it is not fatigued when awake and if it behaves normally otherwise. It would also be more likely if it has not started doing it suddenly.

Boredom

It could be the case that it chooses to sleep when you are away because it wants to have energy when you are around. This would be more likely if it tends to be more lively when you are home. In this case, it would help to make sure that it is able to get exercise since it could be the case that it has excess energy due to needing more.

It’s tired after eating

The cause might also be that it is tired because it has just eaten. This would be more likely if you tend to feed it before leaving and if it does not sleep when you do not feed it.

It would also be more likely if it has started doing it since a change in its diet. In this case, it would help to ensure that it is getting the right diet, it is eating what it should be and that it is eating the right amount of calories.

Separation anxiety

Another possible cause is that it has some separation anxiety. However, this is not as likely since it would be more likely if it cries or misbehaves when you’re away. But, it could still be the case, if it starts to become anxious when you are leaving home.

Things to consider

Below are some things to consider when figuring out why your dog has been doing it.

How old it is

It would help to consider the age of your dog since its age will have an impact on the most likely cause.

If it is a puppy or an elderly dog, it would be more likely that it sleeps when you are away because it naturally needs to get a lot of sleep. Due to all their energy and because they are growing quickly, puppies can need as much as 20 hours of sleep per day. Elderly dogs also require more sleep since it takes more energy for them to move around.

If it is an adult, it would still be likely that it does it because it sleeps a lot naturally. However, it could be due to one of the other reasons mentioned above, so it would help to consider if it behaves unusually in other ways.

If your dog always sleeps when you are away

It would also help to consider if it always sleeps while you are away or if it only does it sometimes. If it only does it sometimes, it would be more likely that the timing has something to do with it. For example, if it only does it when it has already gotten exercise, it could be the case that it does it because it is tired after getting exercise.

It is likely to be normal behavior

Since dogs sleep a lot, it is likely to be the case that your dog sleeps while you are away, because it is natural behavior. However, if it has started doing it suddenly or it has been behaving unusually in other ways, it would help to seek the guidance of a vet or dog behaviorist so that you can get expert advice tailored towards your particular dog and to rule out more serious causes.