# Sticky  How many hours does your Havanese typically sleep during the daytime?



## 31818

Post your experience in this poll.


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## krandall

Pretty much whenever we aren't doing something "interesting".  They have a "wild play time" for about an hour in the morning, and again in early evening. Otherwise, they hang out and sleep if we aren't doing something with them. then they have PLENTY of energy!


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## Jackie from Concrete WA

I checked 2-4 on the pole, but I'm only guessing. She gets up with my husband and goes outside for potty, then goes back to sleep. Then she gets up again when I get up and we go for a walk. She'll be up for a bit after that and then naps again. Gets up around late morning for another walk. She'll usually stay alert until late afternoon than she naps. Up again for dinner and another walk and more play. Then naps a little more then gets up for more play before her last potty. Maybe she sleeps more than 4 hours!


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## Sassy's Mom

If it's gray and raining Sassy sleeps all day. She'll play for about 10 minutes then she wants to curl up and go back to sleep.


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## 31818

Jackie from Concrete said:


> I checked 2-4 on the pole, but I'm only guessing. She gets up with my husband and goes outside for potty, then goes back to sleep. Then she gets up again when I get up and we go for a walk. She'll be up for a bit after that and then naps again. Gets up around late morning for another walk. She'll usually stay alert until late afternoon than she naps. Up again for dinner and another walk and more play. Then naps a little more then gets up for more play before her last potty. Maybe she sleeps more than 4 hours!


This is pretty much Ricky's schedule too. Sometimes it is hard to tell if he is sleeping. Sometimes he just hangs out quietly, curled up with one eye open, watching us work on the computer, read, watch TV. However, if one of us gets up to do something, Ricky is at our side, ready for any activity!

Ricky's Popi


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## krandall

Ricky Ricardo said:


> This is pretty much Ricky's schedule too. Sometimes it is hard to tell if he is sleeping. Sometimes he just hangs out quietly, curled up with one eye open, watching us work on the computer, read, watch TV. However, if one of us gets up to do something, Ricky is at our side, ready for any activity!
> 
> Ricky's Popi


Interestingly, I've just been reading a book about stress in dogs. It turns out that dogs who sleep and/or rest less than 17 hours per day have much higher stress levels than those who get at least this much down time.


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## Karen Collins

krandall said:


> Interestingly, I've just been reading a book about stress in dogs. It turns out that dogs who sleep and/or rest less than 17 hours per day have much higher stress levels than those who get at least this much down time.


I an attest to the truth of that study. My dogs love extra activity, but they totally crash after all settles down. They get visibly stressed if it goes on too long. That's one reason I usually crate them in a quiet place when we have all the kids and grands here.


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## Ollie"s Mom

Ollie sleeps whenever play or training stops. He will follow me from room to room as I work, but he cat naps while I am cleaning in each room. He has a dedicated nap time when I crate him in the afternoon. I do this so that when I have things to do outside of the home I can crate him when I am gone and he just goes down for a nap which feels normal to him. He gets up at eight and goes to bed at eleven. He naps for two hours and sleeps a lot during the rest of the day and evening. I would guess he sleeps six plus hours.


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## 31818

krandall said:


> It turns out that dogs who sleep and/or rest less than 17 hours per day have much higher stress levels than those who get at least this much down time.


That is interesting! I wonder how "rest" is defined. Certainly Ricky is at "rest" more than he is active. His vigorous playtimes with his Momi and Popi last for 10 minutes or less during the day and total less than an hour per day. He goes on his two walkies a day that total about an hour. Then we train in 10 minute sessions for about 30 minutes per day. The rest of the time he is quietly resting or quietly entertaining himself with a toy. He usually shuts down and sleeps around 8 pm in his bed while we watch TV, read, or work on the computer. We put him in his crate around 9:30 pm and we get him up to potty around 6:30 am. He will then hop on the bed and nap some more until about 8am when we go for our morning walkies. So I would say Ricky gets about 17hours of sleep and rest, depending on how rest is defined.

This was a BIG birthday weekend at our house, celebrating three people and dog birthdays, with family and their dogs staying Saturday and Sunday. Ricky and the other dogs were going constantly to the point of over-stimulation. The party is now over and everyone has left. It is 6pm and Ricky is not sleeping yet, but he is resting quietly at my side. He will be sleeping shortly, as well as Momi and Popi.

Ricky's Popi


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## krandall

I think that that "quiet time" counts as "rest". They don't have to be knocked out, sleeping. It's also not a bad thing to have a busy day here and there. I think it's just important to keep in mind how much "down time" they need, in general, to keep stress levels down.


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## Jeanniek

krandall said:


> Interestingly, I've just been reading a book about stress in dogs. It turns out that dogs who sleep and/or rest less than 17 hours per day have much higher stress levels than those who get at least this much down time.


This is good to know. I was feeling guilty when I'd see that Zumba was curling herself up to go to sleep. As if she was bored, and there was nothing else to do. Now I know this is something she NEEDS. Let her have it. Good thread!


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## Jeanniek

Jackie from Concrete said:


> I checked 2-4 on the pole, but I'm only guessing. She gets up with my husband and goes outside for potty, then goes back to sleep. Then she gets up again when I get up and we go for a walk. She'll be up for a bit after that and then naps again. Gets up around late morning for another walk. She'll usually stay alert until late afternoon than she naps. Up again for dinner and another walk and more play. Then naps a little more then gets up for more play before her last potty. Maybe she sleeps more than 4 hours!


hmmm. . your post made me think.

Now that we are back in Florida, I have had Zumba in a more established routine where she sleeps in the crate by my bed, so she no longer has full access to everything all night like she did while we were in North Carolina and we had her in the Zampa. That worked rather well - -poop and pee in the litter box. No problem whatsoever, but I thought I needed to establish a routine where she needs to hold in her excrement to get correctly potty trained. I wake up super-early, usually by 3:30am. When Zumba hears my toothbrush, she starts whining. The first morning, I did put her in the ex-pen area, she didn't seem interested in pooping, just eating, and then I put her back in her crate by my bed. This morning, I just placed my fingers in her crate but left her there when I went to make coffee and get on the computer. Both mornings, I go back to check on her at 5:00 and there has been poop in the crate. (and I do put everything in the washer to wash again, and wipe down the cage.)

Now I am thinking I should be taking her to the ex-pen for a poop first thing. If so, how long do I wait before putting her back in her crate if she doesn't poop? Should I offer her food that early in the morning? (last meal is 6:00pm). That early in the morning, do I put her back in the crate by my bed, and close and cover it, or do I leave her in the ex-pen area, where she has access to litter box, food, and crate, whatever she wants? (I do leave a cover over the crate, but I leave the door open when I place the crate back with the ex-pen.) Thanks for your thoughts. I feel the weight that if I get this wrong, I am going to be very sorry down the road. . . .


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## krandall

It’s really REALLY important to respond to a puppy’s request to potty. It is all about establishing good habits. They are more than capable of “holding it” when they get older. That’s not something that needs to be explicitly “taught”. Right now, she absolutely does not have the sphincter control needed to “hold it”. All you will teach her is that it’s OK to potty in the crate, something you REALLY don’t want! 

With a litter box trained puppy, another option rather than just trying to figure out whether they really need to go or whether they just want attention is to set them up with their crate in an ex-pen, with a litter box. Then they can go when they need to without you having to be involved.


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## RIstream

krandall said:


> Interestingly, I've just been reading a book about stress in dogs. It turns out that dogs who sleep and/or rest less than 17 hours per day have much higher stress levels than those who get at least this much down time.


Wow. As cooper was getting a bit older he slept more and I wondered if he was sleeping too much. I guess not


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## Jeanniek

krandall said:


> With a litter box trained puppy, another option rather than just trying to figure out whether they really need to go or whether they just want attention is to set them up with their crate in an ex-pen, with a litter box. Then they can go when they need to without you having to be involved.


OK - - so that is acceptable to do! I thought I had to close them in the crate for some reason. Thank you!


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## Heather's

My husband takes Scout and Truffles for a walk at 5AM before going to work. They sleep pretty much all day. I find it amazing that they will jump up if there are deer in the yard or someone is walking their dog across the street. Around 4-5 PM they are awake lying next to the door to the garage sniffing. When the garage door opens they both go wild. Truffles starts howling and barking. Scout runs to get a toy and starts throwing it around. My DH is their favorite.


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## 31818

Heather's said:


> When the garage door opens they both go wild. Truffles starts howling and barking. Scout runs to get a toy and starts throwing it around. My DH is their favorite.


Ha, ha, ha! Ricky does that too. I usually take him everywhere I go in the car. Sometimes I can't take him, like yesterday to a business meeting. Ricky is attuned to the garage door opening and when I drive in, the first thing I hear is Ricky barking loudly at the back door. It is his "scolding Popi, you were supposed to take me with you bark." Inside the house, he goes nuts - pick me up, put me down, pick me up, put me down. He runs to get his favorite toy (usually a nylabone) and wants me to throw it for him to fetch.

Hey, SOMEBODY in the family has to be their favorite! :laugh2:

Ricky's Popi


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## Henry&Kate

_Around 4-5 PM they are awake lying next to the door to the garage sniffing. _

I don't remember if I posted this before. I recently watched a tv program on dogs. They talked about how most people note that their dogs seem to anticipate when they will be coming home from work or school, assuming they have a regular routine. My childhood dog used to go out right before my schoolbus was due and sit and wait for it.

The researchers studying dogs said their anticipation is based on scent. When we leave the house our scent is the strongest and it continues to decline during the day. Once the dogs get used to our routine, they learn that when our scent has declined to a certain level, we will be coming home. I found that pretty amazing.


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## EvaE1izabeth

It is so cute how our Hav will zoom off to the back door when he hears the garage door! He loves to lay on an air vent right by the door when he’s waiting or when I’m doing DD’s hair in the downstairs bathroom. When we’re getting ready to walk out the door he scoots over and lays in front of the door and just looks at us - it’s hard to tell if he wants us to stay or take him with us, but he definitely wants our attention! 

Our dog sleeps a lot, definitely more sleep time than awake. He NEVER sleeps at daycare, though. He’s still much better at daycare than home alone, because without the distraction of other dogs he gets worked up in a different way. I can tell a huge difference when he has to go two days in a row, even though he loves it. He gets back to that overstimulated place more quickly. They give him quiet time but as far as I know he never sleeps.


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## HavaCoco

I love this thread! Have folks found that their adult dogs are sleeping more than their pups? Coco spent much of the rainy day napping and resting. Will that affect her ability to sleep all night or is it like babies - the more you sleep, the more you sleep?


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## pting619

I’ve had the same experience with Jessie. She is 4 months old and goes from active to napping through out the day. If she gets too rambunctious during any stretch of the day, we will put her in her ex-pen....and she’s asleep in 5 minutes. If it’s just normal play, and she gets tired....she will take a nap. But if I move for any reason, she is up by my side following me around. At those times, I feel she is napping with one eye open. She is in her crate for the night by 10 pm. She sleeps all night til I let her out at 7:30-8 am. Off hand it’s hard to determine just how long she sleeps during the day, but a guesstimate would be 2-3 hours a day. Since her energy level can be high, I think the naps are about right!


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## Jeanniek

I took Zumba to my daughter’s house yesterday where Zumba and my daughter’s boxer played hard for a couple of hours. And then she played with the kids. During the hour to get home, I would quietly check on Zumba who looked fast asleep, but each time her eyes were wide open. She was subdued at home during the evening, too. That was the easiest grooming I have done on her! But,again, if I checked up on her when she’d lay down, looking fast asleep, she had her eyes wide open every time. I have to wonder if she truly sleeps at all during the day.


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## EvaE1izabeth

Jeanniek said:


> I took Zumba to my daughter's house yesterday where Zumba and my daughter's boxer played hard for a couple of hours. And then she played with the kids. During the hour to get home, I would quietly check on Zumba who looked fast asleep, but each time her eyes were wide open. She was subdued at home during the evening, too. That was the easiest grooming I have done on her! But,again, if I checked up on her when she'd lay down, looking fast asleep, she had her eyes wide open every time. I have to wonder if she truly sleeps at all during the day.


She can't take the chance she might miss something! Sleeping with eyes open is the best of both worlds, right?


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## LoriJack

pting619 said:


> I've had the same experience with Jessie. She is 4 months old and goes from active to napping through out the day. If she gets too rambunctious during any stretch of the day, we will put her in her ex-pen....and she's asleep in 5 minutes. If it's just normal play, and she gets tired....she will take a nap. But if I move for any reason, she is up by my side following me around. At those times, I feel she is napping with one eye open. She is in her crate for the night by 10 pm. She sleeps all night til I let her out at 7:30-8 am. Off hand it's hard to determine just how long she sleeps during the day, but a guesstimate would be 2-3 hours a day. Since her energy level can be high, I think the naps are about right!


Oh my goodness, this sounds exactly like my KC - Same schedule!

https://ios.pitapata.com/view.php/af2bec47fa170e848ee755cb2af0a5f2/1/4/17.png


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## Jackie from Concrete WA

Oops! I voted twice. First time I checked 2-4 hours way back at the beginning of the poll and I just voted again with 4-6 hours! I'm wondering if maybe it's more like 6+ hours now. She sleeps a lot. If she isn't actively begging or doing something she is usually asleep.


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## 31818

Perhaps "sleep" is a confusing word to use in the poll. I was really thinking of "inactive" or quiet with eyes closed. I don't know for sure if Ricky is really "asleep" at any one time, because if he hears a strange noise, I leave the room, Momi opens a bag in the kitchen, etc.....................Ricky is immediately wide awake "all hands on deck" and ready for action. I wish I could wake up that fast! 

Ricky's Popi


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## Jackie from Concrete WA

Ricky Ricardo said:


> Perhaps "sleep" is a confusing word to use in the poll. I was really thinking of "inactive" or quiet with eyes closed. I don't know for sure if Ricky is really "asleep" at any one time, because if he hears a strange noise, I leave the room, Momi opens a bag in the kitchen, etc.....................Ricky is immediately wide awake "all hands on deck" and ready for action. I wish I could wake up that fast!
> 
> Ricky's Popi


Yup! Sounds like Willow!


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## EvaE1izabeth

I was thinking about this poll the other day. My routine was different one day so our dog spent 4-5 hours following me around and didn’t take his usual morning nap. Later DD took him out with her friends and she said he was unbelievably calm. He’s so social, usually he’s overexcited and takes a few minutes to calm down, and he wants to play pretty continuously. In the past we’ve managed this by exercising him hard before a social situation, but it’s only been marginally effective. I’m thinking of trying to change his normal schedule. Usually I work on the computer in the morning when the house is quiet and he takes a nap, but I’m going to switch it up and move that to the afternoon, which is the time of day he tends to encounter more social situations. It means I’ll have to manage my time better, but he’ll be tired most of the time when he encounters people instead of refreshed and energetic!

I do wonder how much of it was the change, and if he’ll just get used to it.


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## mudpuppymama

How much my dogs sleep during the day is directly related to how much mole activity there is in our yard. :smile2: Fortunately, most Havanese owners are not “blessed” with mole hunters.


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## Mikki

mudpuppymama said:


> How much my dogs sleep during the day is directly related to how much mole activity there is in our yard. :smile2: Fortunately, most Havanese owners are not "blessed" with mole hunters.


*That is funny!*

Patti is also a mole-hunter. I hope Daddy has gotten rid of them because she's very aggressive about finding them, tears up the backyard and is a mess to clean up when the ground is wet.

Those darn moles are hard to get rid of. They're after Grump Worms. Those worms must be Yummy, between the moles, armadillos and a mole-hunter a yard can look like a bomb hit it. We're on a mission to kill the food source.

I know you don't use chemicals .... but there comes a point enough is enough. We have plenty of land they need to go some place else and stay out of the yard. :laugh2:


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## mudpuppymama

Mikki said:


> *That is funny!*
> 
> Patti is also a mole-hunter. I hope Daddy has gotten rid of them because she's very aggressive about finding them, tears up the backyard and is a mess to clean up when the ground is wet.
> 
> Those darn moles are hard to get rid of. They're after Grump Worms. Those worms must be Yummy, between the moles, armadillos and a mole-hunter a yard can look like a bomb hit it. We're on a mission to kill the food source.
> 
> I know you don't use chemicals .... but there comes a point enough is enough. We have plenty of land they need to go some place else and stay out of the yard. :laugh2:


Sorry you are suffering with mole problems. The only thing we do to get rid of moles is let the dogs have at it. They killed about eight between them last year. One summer my Yorkie killed twenty. Many of the neighbors set traps for them but once they kill those, others move in. We live on 3 acres in the middle of a forest basically so getting rid of them is difficult. I am not sure what you can safely use for them. Poisons would be extremely dangerous. There may be some sort of repellents that are safe but I am not familiar with them. My yorkie will dig if he even gets a whiff of a mole. Mia is smarter and only digs when there is something really there. Moles are relatively clean animals that do not carry rabies (unless you talk to a pest control companies who make money getting rid of them). I prefer to believe the conservation department. When Mia got her first mole, it was a thrill of a lifetime and it will be impossible to stop her from trying to get another one. And I do not have the heart to stop her...


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## Mikki

mudpuppymama said:


> Sorry you are suffering with mole problems. The only thing we do to get rid of moles is let the dogs have at it. They killed about eight between them last year. One summer my Yorkie killed twenty. Many of the neighbors set traps for them but once they kill those, others move in. We live on 3 acres in the middle of a forest basically so getting rid of them is difficult. I am not sure what you can safely use for them. Poisons would be extremely dangerous. There may be some sort of repellents that are safe but I am not familiar with them. My yorkie will dig if he even gets a whiff of a mole. Mia is smarter and only digs when there is something really there. Moles are relatively clean animals that do not carry rabies (unless you talk to a pest control companies who make money getting rid of them). I prefer to believe the conservation department. When Mia got her first mole, it was a thrill of a lifetime and it will be impossible to stop her from trying to get another one. And I do not have the heart to stop her...


Gotta kill the food supply (Grumb Worms) to get rid of the Moles and Armadillos. You're right, DH doesn't put poison Mole food out that dogs can get to. But... Mole Hunting is a fun activity for dogs.


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## mudpuppymama

Mikki said:


> Gotta kill the food supply (Grumb Worms) to get rid of the Moles and Armadillos. You're right, DH doesn't put poison Mole food out that dogs can get to. But... Mole Hunting is a fun activity for dogs.


Mikki, what do you do to eliminate the food supply?


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## Mikki

mudpuppymama said:


> Mikki, what do you do to eliminate the food supply?


DH treats the yard by applying Grub Killer, like you apply fertilizer. Nor sure if it's dry or liquid and I don't know what brand he use. I'll ask but below is an example at Lowes. It's not a one application deal. He applies it every year and it needs to be done at the right time of year.

I see I've been misspelling - Grub Worms. :| And, I can't blame the Spell Checker. :crying:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/BioAdvance...c6&gclid=CLarlvS4hucCFXy3ZQod4nEP-w&gclsrc=ds


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## mudpuppymama

Mikki said:


> DH treats the yard by applying Grub Killer, like you apply fertilizer. Nor sure if it's dry or liquid and I don't know what brand he use. I'll ask but below is an example at Lowes. It's not a one application deal. He applies it every year and it needs to be done at the right time of year.
> 
> I see I've been misspelling - Grub Worms. :| And, I can't blame the Spell Checker. :crying:
> 
> https://www.lowes.com/pd/BioAdvance...c6&gclid=CLarlvS4hucCFXy3ZQod4nEP-w&gclsrc=ds


Thanks Mikki. Looks like the ingredient in this is one of the ingredients in K9 Advantix - imidacloprid. So wondering if this treats fleas as well. I will just stick with my two live rodent killers. We are moving next year and the house will not be as close to woods so hoping fewer moles in the yard there.


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## mudpuppymama

mudpuppymama said:


> Thanks Mikki. Looks like the ingredient in this is one of the ingredients in K9 Advantix - imidacloprid. So wondering if this treats fleas as well. I will just stick with my two live rodent killers. We are moving next year and the house will not be as close to woods so hoping fewer moles in the yard there.


Just wanted to add that imidacloprid is highly toxic to bees. Being a gardener I try to avoid anything that can harm bees.


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## Tere

I have never seen my dog sleep. I "think" he is on 24/7. I wish he would sleep during the day!


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## mudpuppymama

Tere said:


> I have never seen my dog sleep. I "think" he is on 24/7. I wish he would sleep during the day!


I was just wondering what he does all day. Does he lay around some but just not sleep? Or is he always on the move?


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## Mikki

Tere said:


> I have never seen my dog sleep. I "think" he is on 24/7. I wish he would sleep during the day!


That's very unusual. Most dogs are up in the AM and sleep off and on during the day, then up in the evening. If there's a lot of activity Patti is up and around checking things out, but quickly retreats to grab a quick nip during the day.


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## Tere

When he is not on a walk, following me around, eating or playing, he DOES lay down in one of his dog beds. But I have yet to observe him sleeping. I don't think he sleeps! If I am awake, he is awake. If I move to another room, he is usually close behind. When I go outside without him, he is sitting at the door waiting for me. 
He never appears to be tired. I wish I could say the same for me!


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## 31818

Mikki said:


> Patti is up and around checking things out, but quickly retreats to grab a quick nip during the day.


Careful, alcohol is highly toxic to dogs. You might want to see if there is a chapter of HA (Havanese Anonymous) in your area. >

Ricky's Popi


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## 31818

Tere said:


> I have never seen my dog sleep. I "think" he is on 24/7. I wish he would sleep during the day!


I imagine your dog is like Ricky and most dogs, they have the ability to fall asleep and then wake up immediately - from instant off to instant on. And I think that dogs tend to be "light sleepers" because of evolution in the wild where being constantly alert, day and night, for signs of danger was a neccesity for survival.

In my opinion, a healthy dog will self-regulate their need for sleep as a result of amount of exercise and individual metabolism.

Ricky's Popi



Ricky Ricardo said:


> Perhaps "sleep" is a confusing word to use in the poll. I was really thinking of "inactive" or quiet with eyes closed. I don't know for sure if Ricky is really "asleep" at any one time, because if he hears a strange noise, I leave the room, Momi opens a bag in the kitchen, etc.....................Ricky is immediately wide awake "all hands on deck" and ready for action. I wish I could wake up that fast!
> 
> Ricky's Popi


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## Mikki

Ricky Ricardo said:


> Careful, alcohol is highly toxic to dogs. You might want to see if there is a chapter of HA (Havanese Anonymous) in your area. >
> 
> Ricky's Popi


:laugh::laugh: Ricky' Popi, I need an editor. :laugh: :laugh:


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## Melissa Woods

My husband and I were laughing about this today. Oliver is NOT a morning dog. His fur is growing back since being shaved and he has a jacket but it’s still cold in the morning. DH will try and take him out around 6:30 am to go potty and he will NOT have it! He gives this grumpy growl and if DH pushes the issue he’ll jump off the bed, jump around and play bark at him, and jump directly back in the bed and cuddle up to me. 

I have to take him out at 7:30ish. It’s inevitable. He sleeps at random intervals during the day, but even at night, if I get up for any reason he instantly wakes up and follows me.


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## cslogan240

*Sleepy Little Bean*

Our little bean sleeps all day! If he's not laying on the heating pad he's trying to crawl in our lap. If you're working from home sometimes he just has to be on the laptop keyboard you're typing on. Velcro all the way and we love it.


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## ShamaMama

Just heard on a podcast that a cheetah sleeps 18 hours a day. Rest up, little Shama. You've got rabbits to chase.


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## HiggieSmallsLady

I think Higgins actually sleeps longer. I was counting time in crate. He is still a puppy (7 months). Will he sleep more or less as he gets older?


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