How Much Sleep Do Puppies Need?

Puppies need a LOT of sleep. You may not realize it because it seems like when they’re awake they’re causing so much mayhem that it seems like you’re running off your feet trying to keep up.

It may also seem like they’re ready to go at a moment’s notice: whenever they hear you moving around your home, they may act eager to participate in whatever you’re doing, and it’s tempting to let them. After all, that’s probably part of the reason you decided to get a dog in the first place.

Especially in your puppy’s first few months at home with you, it’s super important to ensure they get enough sleep. Most new puppy owners feel like they need to do more with their pup to tire them out so they’ll sleep. This is just one more reason why crate training is so important. Putting your pup in their crate for a nap at least 2-3 times during the day helps them regulate their arousal and prevent unwanted behaviour—especially puppy biting. It also helps with potty training.

Okay, so how much sleep are we talking about? Up to 20 hours a day when the puppy first comes home at around 8 weeks old. From there, it will decrease to about 16-18 hours of shut-eye a day by the time your pup is four months old and starting to get out in the world. Their physical growth and steep learning curve require that they still need a fair amount of down time.

If you have questions about your puppy’s sleep habits, feel free to reach out to me for a chat.