I was asked by my business coach, 'My dog sleeps a lot. Is that normal?" She told me her dog always wants to be upstairs where her bed is, and she cannot be coaxed to spend much time on the main floor being social with her family.
My reply to that Suzanne is that dogs and peoples base feelings and behaviors mirror each other through life. Just as with humans that need more sleep as time passes, so it happens with dogs too. Remember to multiply your dogs age by 7 to know how to compare her to a human.
My guess is that your dog is close to 10 years old, so you could compare her behaviors and feelings to those of a 70 year old human. I have noticed that as humans age, they tend to filter out all environments, peoples, foods, and pastimes that are not their favorite. Older people can and do become more predictable and patterned in what they do everyday. Older people like to sleep, rest and nap. Older people do not want to be in the middle of activity, they want to be in the space they are most comfortable.
Additionally, dogs needs mirror those of their human family. My guess is that you need quiet and your own space (your own office) to focus on your work - what is important for you to do during the day. It seems strange, but your dog wants a productive day also - sleep is her work, and that's important to her. She needs her own space and her own things (like her bed) around her to get serious about her sleep.
Rest assured that your dog's need to sleep and not seek social time with her human family is not a reflection of her love for you. Just like you have designated times for work, and for personal, you may be surprised to find your dog being more social if you actively encourage and support her need to get productive sleep during your productive work hours.
Let me know if that makes a difference. I would encourage to take your dog on a walk every day at the same time for 10 days, making it obvious that the work day is over, and family time is starting. After you have started this new exercise regimen with her, I bet she expects and asks for it. That will encourage her to interact with you in ways that you need to be social. And if she is sleeping her life away, she does need to move her body sometimes to stay healthy.
DuAnn Lustig-Chambers
Happy Pooch Tribune
Professional Tips to Pamper Your Pooch
http://www.thepoochparlor.net
1 comment:
Great insight DuAnn. We should call you the Pooch Whisperer. What you say makes a lot of sense. My pup is getting older just like me so I need to give her the freedom to sleep and create a framework for her when I would like her to be more social. Thanks! Suzanne
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