A Tired Doodle ? Napping in the AM

[Frank & TeddyToyDoodle]

Teddy mimics my sleep pattern (usually in bed about 2 AM or later) but he does get 6-7 hours of sleep.

So I am somewhat surprised that he is really tired/"out of it" after sleeping that long.  He is very tired after going out for potty or not going potty and just going to the living room with me for the morning.  Don't get me wrong, if I put my coat on and grabbed his leash or opened the terrace doors, he'd snap to attention. But it seems strange he is this tired/napping AFTER he just slept 6-7 hours. 

He seems MORE tired after a night of sleep than he does when he comes back from playing with other dogs at the dog park or in the neighborhood after a long walk and some fetch play.  He is totally laid out, looks more tired than when he lays next to me on the sofa late-night as we both watch TV and conk out.

Is this normal ?  Did your Doodles do this when they were under 1 year of age (Teddy is 8 months old) ?  

[Kaitee and Orwell]

This is not unusual. Dogs need more sleep than humans. He probably wants perhaps 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Dogs can sleep up to 14 hours a day. 

You and I have the same sleep pattern. I don't know what Teddy's sleeping arrangements are, but Orwell goes to sleep a few hours before me to get extra rest. I spend the last hours of my day on my computer in my room while he sleeps on our bed and waits for me to join him later. Perhaps something similar could work for you.

[Frank & TeddyToyDoodle]

Thanks Kaitee.....as I work only PT and job search from home, my hours are highly irregular/late.  I usually fall asleep in the La-Z-Boy sometime after 3 AM and then mosey on down to the bed at 4 AM...or 5 AM....or 6 AM....after sleeping a few hours on the sofa.  Then a few more in the bed.  Teddy and I usually are out of bed about 9 AM, a bit before the markets open.

If I go to my bedroom before I fall asleep on the couch, I will usually pick Teddy up if he was sleeping/napping on the sofa.  If he's on the floor or on one of his pillow beds, I just go to the bedroom solo and he comes in a few seconds later and hops up on the bed and goes to sleep on old crate pillow next to my head. 

[Amy and Annabelle]

Annabelle sleeps a lot more than that. She falls asleep about 9pm on the couch while I am watching tv. Then she continues to sleep while I brush my teeth etc before bed. Then she wakes up for one last potty break and is asleep again by 11pm. Then she sleeps until I get up about 7am. Sometimes she is just not ready to get up when I do and may sleep another hour. So she has had at the very least, 9 hours of sleep since she first fell asleep on the couch the night before. Then she will take an hour or so beauty nap in the afternoon after her 3-4 mile walk. Annabelle is 2 1/2 years old, and has always been a big sleeper. She must have a bladder of steel.

[Frank & TeddyToyDoodle]

Teddy is RESTING late at night, like after 11 PM (but if I snack, he almost always does, too) but he's still up....if I'm lucky, his last potty call is 11:30 PM or so....but normally, 1 AM or so....and sometimes 2 AM or a bit later.

So it's not like he's active before sleeping....but he clearly is tired in the AM when he wakes after a good 9+ hours of sleeping/resting which includes maybe a potty call and a 10-15 minute snack while I down my Coffee and Twinkie.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

My dogs lay around a lot.  It is what they do if there isn't something to alert to, or play with or do.  It is perfectly normal.

[Joani, Skadi & Elli]

My dogs have a distinct pattern:  Up at 7 am...jump in bed with us for cuddles.  Finally get up 7:15am....get their breakfast which is frozen raw, so they take it outside.  Less than 10 minutes later after they've ate and done their "duties", they are at the bedroom sliding door wanting to come in and take a rest until we finish getting ready for work...8:45 am get in the car and go to doggie day care and when they come home, they lay around waiting for supper, then a little interaction with mom and dad...a walk, a run, play downstairs...by 10pm they are sauntering down the hall to their beds...they always want us to come with them...much smarter than people! LOL

[Frank & TeddyToyDoodle]

Thanks for sharing, Joani.

[Stacy]

I think some breeds and some individual dogs are more "need for speed" than others. I've talked before about a friend of mine who runs half marathons with her german shorthair pointer. That dog does not have an off switch. And my brother's german shorthair has destroyed their yard running laps. My dogs go out and lay in the yard and then they come in and lay on the couch. They like a nice 5 or 6 mile hike at the park, but they don't require it daily. 

But I think a lot of it is owner driven. My friend with the olympic athlete dog has been running with him since he was just a baby. She created him. I'm not a runner and so my dogs aren't in that sort of shape. But I'm not sure they would be built for that even if I was a runner. 

Having said that, my girls are 6 and almost 3, so they've lost some of that puppy craziness. I remember Katie not having an off switch when she was a year old. She would drive me crazy looking for something to get into. If you're concerned that Teddy is sleepier and more lethargic than you feel he ought to be I suggest you take him in to the vet. Let them run some labs. Make sure there isn't anything going on. In another thread someone was talking about hip problems and how they didn't realize their dog was in pain until they saw how they played after the hips were repaired. I'm not sure anyone can tell you what should be normal for Teddy. Maybe he's just a super chill dog or maybe there's something else, but it's hard to tell without knowing him.

[Frank & TeddyToyDoodle]

Stacy....Teddy's blood tests and checkup just came back A-OK.  He is PLENTY active when I take him to the dog park or on walks or up late at night.

When you think about it, I'm not into being that active when I roll out of bed in the morning, so why should I expect him to be Mr. Pep ? LOL