Why does my Golden Retriever sleep so much?

If your Golden Retriever has been sleeping a lot then you are probably wondering why and what you can do about it.

This post will show you a number of reasons why your Golden Retriever might be sleeping so much and what you should do.

So, why does my Golden Retriever sleep so much? An adult Golden Retriever will naturally sleep for 12 hours per day, puppies and older Golden Retriever will sleep for even longer (source).

There are actually a number of reasons why your Golden Retriever might be sleeping so much. Depending on the cause there are also a number of things that you can do about it.

Why your Golden Retriever sleeps so much

Below are some possible reasons why your Golden Retriever sleeps a lot and what would make them more likely.

Nature

The cause of your Golden Retriever sleeping a lot is likely to be because it does it naturally. It is natural for a large dog like a Golden Retriever to sleep for 12-14 hours per day (source). If your Golden Retriever is a puppy or it is old then it will likely sleep for even longer.

Hot weather

The reason why your Golden Retriever has been doing it could be that the hot weather has been making it feel lethargic. This would be more likely if it has started sleeping more since the weather has become hotter.

In this case, it would help to keep it cool by walking it in the mornings or evenings, giving it access to shaded areas and a cool room. If it continues sleeping for longer than normal when the weather becomes cooler then it would help to take it to a vet for a checkup.

Illness

An illness could be what has been causing it to sleep a lot. This would be more likely if it has started doing it suddenly and if it has been showing other signs of having an illness such as vomiting or being fatigued when awake. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet.

Boredom

Golden Retrievers are meant to get quite a lot of exercise on a daily basis. The reason why your Golden Retriever has been sleeping a lot could be that it is understimulated. Generally, it is recommended for them to get an hour of exercise per day. If yours is not getting that much it would help to make sure that it does.

Diet

It could be the case that there is an issue with its diet that is causing it to feel fatigued. It could be the case that you have been feeding it too much, not enough or that you or someone else has been feeding it things it shouldn’t be eating. A problem with its diet would be more likely to be the cause if it started sleeping more when you started feeding it differently.

It would help to make sure that no one else has been feeding it without you knowing and that you have been feeding it correctly. You can look here to see some tips on what you should and should not feed it and it would help to consult on its diet with your local vet.

If it is young or old

It is normal for puppies to sleep even longer than adult dogs since they are growing quickly and they rebuild their muscles when sleeping. This is why it is normal for a Golden Retriever puppy to sleep for between 15 and 20 hours per day (source).

Likewise, it is normal for an older dog to sleep for longer as well since it takes more effort for them to move around and they need more sleep to recover.

Things to consider

If it suddenly started to sleep more

When trying to figure out why your Golden Retriever has been doing it, considering when it first started would likely be helpful since an event might have caused it to start.

If it did start sleeping more suddenly, it would be more likely to be due to things such as a sudden diet change, becoming ill or the weather becoming hotter. In this case, it would help to take it to a vet for a checkup.

If it has always slept a lot and the vet has not found any issues then it would make it more likely to be normal behavior.

When your Golden Retriever sleeps a lot

It would also help to consider the timing of when it sleeps more since the timing could also have something to do with it.

If it tends to sleep more at certain times it would make it more likely that it is due to things such as the weather becoming hotter, being fed the wrong foods or too much food or it could have simply formed a habit of sleeping at that time.

What to do about your Golden Retriever sleeping so much

Below are some things you can do about your Golden Retriever sleeping a lot.

Allow it to

Since it is natural for Golden Retrievers to sleep a lot, it is important to let it sleep when it needs to. When they sleep they are rebuilding their muscles and recovering from all of their activities when awake. Trying to get it not to sleep when it wants to will likely make things worse.

Make sure that it is able to sleep comfortably

It would also help to make sure that the room it tends to sleep in at night is comfortable for it. This means that it should not be too bright, it should be cool and there should be a space for it to lay down comfortably.

Make sure that its diet is right

As mentioned above, it could be the case that there is an issue with its diet. You can look here to see what you should and should not feed it and it would also help to talk to your vet about its diet when you see them next.

Keep it cool

If the weather has become hotter where you are, it would also help to keep it cool. You can do this by giving it access to shaded areas, a cool room and by walking it in the morning or evening.

Take it to a vet

If you are unsure of why your Golden Retriever has been sleeping a lot or it has started sleeping a lot suddenly, it would help to take it to a vet. By doing so, you will be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular Golden Retriever and to rule out the possibility of it being due to a medical condition.