Why does my Malamute sleep so much?

If your Malamute always seems to be sleeping, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you six common reasons why malamutes do it and what you can do about it.

Your Malamute might actually be doing it for a number of different reasons and it might be due to a combination of them. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main causes and there are many things you can do about them.

Why your Malamute sleeps so much

Below are a number of possible reasons why your Malamute sleeps a lot and what would make them more likely.

Nature

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

Hot weather

If your Malamute has started sleeping more since the weather has become hotter, it could be the case that the heat is causing it to feel fatigued. In this case, it would help to give it lots of access to shaded areas, a cool room, water and it would help to exercise it in the morning or evening when the sunlight is not as strong.

Illness

Another possible cause is that an illness has been causing it to feel fatigued. This would be more likely if it has started doing it suddenly and if it has been showing other signs of being ill such as vomiting or being fatigued when awake. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet.

Boredom

Another possible cause is that it is bored. Malamutes are a breed that is meant to get a lot of exercise daily. If yours has not been getting much exercise it would help to make sure that it does. Generally, it is recommended for them to get at least an hour of exercise daily and the American Kennel Club actually recommends that they get 2 hours of exercise daily.

Diet

The cause might also be that there is an issue with its diet. It could be the case that it has been eating too much, not enough or that it has been eating things it shouldn’t be. A problem with its diet would be more likely if it has started sleeping more since a change in its diet.

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

If your Malamute is a puppy then it will naturally sleep for even longer. This is because puppies are growing quickly and they rebuild their muscles in their sleep.

Also, if it is getting old now, it would also be normal for it to sleep more since older dogs use up more energy moving around so they need more sleep to recover.

Things to consider

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

If it suddenly started to sleep more

It would help to consider whether or not it suddenly started sleeping more since it could be the case that there was an event that caused it to start.

If it did start sleeping more suddenly, it would be more likely to be due to things such as illness, a change in its diet or hot weather. In this case, it would help to take it to a vet to rule out the possibility of it being due to illness or another medical cause.

When your Malamute sleeps a lot

Another thing to consider would be the timing of when it tends to do it more since the timing might have something to do with it.

For example, if it tends to do it more when the weather becomes hotter it would be more likely that the hot weather is making it feel fatigued.

What to do about it

Below are some things you can do when dealing with the behavior.

Allow it to

Sleeping is a necessary function that dogs need carry out in order to be able to rebuild their muscles and to recover from the things they do when they are awake. So, it is important to allow your Malamute to be able to sleep when it wants to and to try to figure out why it might be sleeping more if it doesn’t seem to be normal behavior.

Make sure that it is able to sleep comfortably

It is also important to make sure that the area it sleeps in, at night, is allowing it to fall asleep easily. This means that it should be not too bright, cool and that there should be an area for it to lay down comfortably.

Make sure that its diet is right

Another thing to do would be to make sure that it is eating the correct diet. You can look here to see what you should and should not be feeding it and it would help to consult with your vet on its diet and how much you should be feeding it.

Keep it cool

If the weather is hotter where you are, it would also help to make sure that it can stay cool during the day. This means that it should have access to shaded areas, a cool room and water. It would also help to walk it in the morning or evening so that it can avoid being out in the sun when it is at its strongest.

Take it to a vet

If your Malamute has started sleeping more suddenly or it has been showing other signs of illness, the best option would be to take it to a vet. By taking it to a vet you will be able to rule out the possibility of it being due to illness and to get expert advice tailored towards your particular Malamute.