Dog owners may have noticed various types of sleeping positions your four-legged friend sleeps in. As active as dogs may be, they also love taking naps, and an adult dog needs an average of 12-14 hours of sleep every day. Due to their playful nature, pooches often toss and turn in their sleep.
If your dog tucks their tail while sleeping, it is a sleeping position usually done to preserve heat and protect vital organs. This article shall help you understand everything about a dog’s sleeping positions and answers to why they tuck their tails in their sleep.
Why Do Dogs Tuck Their Tail While Sleeping?
This position of being tucked in – curled up in a ball and tail touching nose – is a very common one, not just in dogs but in most animals. It helps conserve body heat in winters, and animals do it to protect their vital organs. The position also helps dogs get up quickly after napping.
You might think that this meaning hints at the fact that the dog is uncomfortable in its surroundings – but that is not the case. Just like some human preferences for sleeping positions differ, some dogs just like to sleep curled up in a ball – especially during winters.
In addition to that, doctors state that most of the time, dogs sleep in this manner when left completely undisturbed. It is also important to note that animals come from a world completely different from us, wherein they often brawl with others of their kind.
Hence, this position might come naturally to them as it makes them feel less vulnerable in their sleep – a time when they are completely unguarded.
When To Be Concerned About Your Dog’s Habit
If your dog tucks their tail in its sleep, there is nothing concerning to be worried about as it is one of the most natural positions that canines sleep in. You need to be concerned about tucked tails if your dog is doing that in its awake, conscious form, as this is a sign of underconfidence or scared behavior.
A dog’s tail can tell you a lot about it besides the fact that wagging means that it’s happy. Dogs who are nervous or feeling submissive usually tuck their tails in between their legs and often make whining noises. If the tail is tucked tightly up to the belly, it means that your dog is extremely scared.
Apart from these conscious times, the tucking of the tail in its sleep is not a sign of anything negative.
What Does A Dog’s Sleeping Position Mean?
As doting parents to loving creatures, you might often worry about whether a sleeping position means something is wrong with your dog; or you might just want to know what different postures. Hence, I have compiled a list of some other very common sleeping positions in dogs and the meaning behind them.
1. Sleeping On The Side
This is a very common sleeping position for dogs. This means that they feel very relaxed, safe, and comfortable enough to leave their stomach exposed. This is also an initial sleeping position for some and may change later. Since legs are exposed for free movement, they might twitch in your dog’s sleep sometimes.
However, this is also a normal thing to do, and your dog may just be having a bad dream, or it may be a sleep habit.
2. Lion Posture
The lion posture – sleeping with the head on top of its paws – usually means that the dog is not really asleep and is just resting. It could also mean that your dog is just napping and means to get up after some time as the Lion Posture allows them to get up right away.
Dogs who are very active usually sleep in this position as it allows them to be up and running immediately after a rest.
3. Snuggling
If your dog likes to be the little spoon and sleep snuggled up to you, it is a sign of affection and attachment. When dogs sleep like this, it usually means they like being close to you and want to bond with you, as this is how they usually sleep in their litter. Pooches who sleep like this are usually very friendly and loving.
4. On Their Backs
If your dog is sleeping on its back – paws up and belly exposed, it usually means it is trying to cool off. Just how curling up in a ball preserves body heat, exposing their bellies, where the fur is thin, and their paws, where the sweat glands are located, helps cool off the dog’s body.
Hopefully, some of the given data above will help you in understanding your dog’s behavior. Sleep is normally a great thing to do for dogs as they regain lost energy. Sick or tried dogs usually just lay around doing nothing which may not be the best sight to see.
Therefore, the only times you need to be worried is if your dog is awake and restless. It could mean something like pain, injury or stress is keeping ir away from gaining back his energy.
Related Questions
How much should a dog sleep in a day?
Puppies may sleep for long periods of time, but an adult dog needs around 8-13.5 hours of sleep in a day.
Should I get a night light for my puppy?
While some puppies may have a fear of darkness and need a night light, most of them will stay awake because of the light as it can cause too much stimulation. A night light is not really a need for a puppy.
Final Thoughts
Most sleeping positions do not mean anything harmful, as a sick dog going through some sort of pain or sickness usually does not sleep at all. Apart from bad dreams or body movements in their sleep due to excessive energy, there is nothing to worry about in any sleeping position.
We hope this article has proven beneficial in helping you understand your dog’s sleeping habits better.
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