Why is my Golden Retriever always tired?

If your Golden Retriever is constantly tired, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it.

This post will show you a number of reasons why your Golden Retriever might always be tired and what you should do about it.

So, why is my Golden Retriever always tired? Possible reasons can include heat, illness, boredom, a poor diet or its age. It’s important to consider that dogs will naturally sleep for over 12-14 hours each day.

There are multiple reasons why your Golden Retriever might be tired a lot and it could be due to a combination of factors. However, there are a number of things you can consider when trying to figure out the exact reason.

Why your Golden Retriever is always tired

Below, I will show you a number of reasons why your Golden Retriever might always be tired and what would make them more likely to be the main reason.

Hot weather

If your Golden Retriever has started being more tired since the weather has become hotter, it could be due to the weather. This would be more likely if it tends to sleep more when it is hot outside and if the room that it tends to stay in gets hot as well.

In this case, it would help to give it access to shaded areas, a cool room and lots of water. It would also help to walk it when it is cooler outside in the morning or evening.

Illness

It might be the case that it has gotten an illness and it has been causing it to be tired. This would be more likely if it has started doing it suddenly and if it has been showing other signs of being ill as well such as by vomiting or being fatigued when awake. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet.

Boredom

Golden Retrievers are a breed that is supposed to get a lot of exercise daily. When they do not get much exercise it can cause them to behave unusually and it could be why yours is tired all the time.

Generally, it is recommended for Golden Retrievers to get an hour of exercise daily when they are healthy adults. If yours is not getting that much it would help to make sure that it does after ensuring that it is not ill with the vet.

Diet

It could be the case that there is an issue with its diet. It could be that it has been eating too much, not enough or that it has been eating things that it should not be. An issue with its diet would be more likely to be the reason if it has started being more tired since a sudden change in its diet or if it does it more when it eats certain foods.

You can look at this website to see what you should and should not be feeding your Golden Retriever. It would also help to talk about its diet with your vet and to make sure that no one else has been feeding it without you knowing.

Nature

Dogs will naturally sleep for more than 12-14 hours per day (source). If your Golden Retriever sleeps for this amount of time daily then it would be more likely that your Golden Retriever is actually sleeping a normal amount.

It is also normal for puppies to sleep for up to 20 hours daily (source). So, if your Golden Retriever is a puppy and it has been sleeping a lot, it would not be unusual but it would still help to have a vet take a look at it.

It’s highly active

If your Golden Retriever is highly active it could be the reason why it is often tired. If it is highly active then it will need to sleep more so that its muscles can recover from all of the work that they have been doing. This would be especially likely if it tends to sleep more right after being active.

Things to consider

Below are some things you can consider about your Golden Retriever being tired all the time.

If it suddenly became tired all the time

If it was not always tired all the time, it would help to consider what else happened at around the same time that it started being tired since it could be the case that there was an event that caused it to start doing it.

If it started doing it suddenly, it would be more likely to be due to things such as becoming ill, a change in its diet or a change in the weather.

Whereas, if it has always been tired all the time then it would be more likely that it is because it sleeps a lot naturally especially if the vet has not found any issues.

If there are times when it becomes a lot more lively

It would also help to consider the timing of when it is tired since it could be the case that the timing has something to do with it.

If it does become more tired at certain times then it would be more likely to be due to things such as an issue with its diet, being active or hot weather. It would help to consider what happens shortly before it becomes tired and what is different when it is more tired.

If it seems to be tired more at random times then it would be more likely to be due to things such as naturally sleeping like that, illness or not getting enough exercise.

When to be concerned

Below, are some examples of when you should be concerned and take it to a vet.

• It has started sleeping a lot more suddenly
• It is lethargic even when it is awake
• It has started behaving differently suddenly
• It’s sleeping pattern has suddenly changed

What to do about your Golden Retriever being tired all the time

Below are some things you can do about your Golden Retriever being tired all the time.

Take it to a vet

If you are unsure of why your Golden Retriever has been being tired all the time, it has been doing it excessively or it has been showing signs of being ill, the best option would be to take it to a vet. By doing so you will be able to find out if it is due to medical causes and to get expert advice tailored towards your particular Golden Retriever.

Ensure that you are feeding it the right foods and giving it enough water

It’s important to make sure that it is getting the right diet and that it has plenty of access to water. You can look at this website to see what you should and should not be feeding your Golden Retriever. It would also help to make sure that other people have not been feeding it without telling you.

Give it access to more cool and shaded areas

It would also help to give it access to cool and shaded areas during the day and to avoid letting it be out in the sun for too long so that it can avoid getting heatstroke. It would also help to walk it when it is not as hot in the morning or evening.

Give it exercise

If your Golden Retriever is not currently getting a lot of exercise and it is healthy then it would help to make sure that it does. You can walk it, play fetch with it or you can get a dog walker to do it for you.

Ensure that it is able to sleep comfortably

It would also help to make sure that its sleeping environment is comfortable. You can do this by ensuring that it is not too bright, it is cool and there is a comfortable area to sleep in.