As a dog owner, you would want your furry companion to be active and healthy throughout its life. Ensuring a balanced diet can make all the difference, and you will probably emphasize a lot on exercise as well. Even as you wouldn’t ever want to miss out on its daily walks and playtime, there is another factor you cannot ignore. Giving them ample rest is equally important to keep their health and energy levels on top. Surprisingly, sleep matters as much as an exercise to keep your dog happy and healthy. Here are some reasons why you should make sure that the pet is getting enough sleep and rest every day.

Keeps physical illness at bay

Just like humans, dogs need enough sleep to be healthy and stay safe from disease. A lack of sleep wreaks havoc on the animal’s immune system, and it will fall sick often. Ample rest, on the other hand, boosts immunity and keeps disease at bay. If your pet has medical conditions such as joint problems, it will need an extra dose of rest to stay comfortable. It is best to discuss the optimal sleep period with your pet and ensure that it is getting enough. Also, your vet will have the recommendations for the kind of exercise that would work for the sick animal.

Helps in processing life skills

Sleep is as important for your pet’s mind as it is for its body. A restless dog tends to be lethargic, and there are good chances that it will develop behavioral issues such as separation anxiety and aggression. Moreover, good rest lets the animal develop social and behavioral skills. If you are training the animal, investing in natural sleep aids for dogs is a good idea because it is likely to be overtired during the training phase. The effort is worthwhile because you have a healthy, happy, and well-behaved companion at the end of the day.

Know how much is enough

Now that you understand the value of good sleep and rest for your dog, you will also want to know how much enough is. Although there isn’t a one-size-fits-all formula, the age and size of your pet can help you decide the right number of hours of sleep that would be sufficient. Puppies require 12-18 hours of it because they are often highly energetic and stay on the move. Adults require 14 hours, while larger breeds may even need up to 18 hours of sleep. The requirement increases as the animal ages, so you can expect the senior dog to rest for more than 18 hours a day.

A dog owner needs to pay attention to the signs of insomnia and check with the vet immediately at the earliest symptoms. The problem may not be serious as your pet maybe a little more tired than usual on some days, just because it has been extra active or it isn’t well. You can consider missing the walk once a while if the pet appears to need a rest day.