Ever noticed that your dog loves to sleep in the strangest, most uncomfortable and funny looking positions? Since dogs cannot communicate with us verbally, their sleep position can tell you quite a bit about their mood and personality.
Like humans, dogs’ sleeping positions vary from the practical and comfortable to the strange and hilarious. Whether they’re lying spatchcocked in the sun or curled up in a tight little ball, understanding your dog’s chosen sleeping position can provide you with some helpful insight into their overall well-being.
Dogs who sleep on their side are comfortable with their surroundings since they are leaving their vital systems exposed and are unable to get up quickly like they can when sleeping in other positions.
This position could also mean that your dog is in a deep slumber and should not be disturbed, as they are likely to reach the REM stage of sleep which is restorative.
The number one reason dogs face their bums towards their owners when they’re sleeping is that they love and trust you. This sleeping position also makes your pup feel safe because he knows you’ve got his back (literally). Moreover, some dogs will do this because they are trying to mark you with their scent.
In the ” curl up” position, the dog rolls up. It’s a safe pose because it covers all internal organs and strategic points like paws or tail. Most likely, your dog is sleeping in the curled up, nose-to-tail snowball position when the temperatures start dipping. Indeed, this sleeping position is the best way to conserve heat.
Dogs lying down with their arms spread out in front of them and their legs kicked out flat behind their butts prefer to sleep in the “Superman” position. Typically, energetic dogs and puppies will take power naps like this so they’re ready to spring into action as soon as they’ve recharged. And on a hot day, lying belly down on a cool surface like tile or hardwood can help them cool off.
Dogs who sleep on their backs with their legs up in the air don’t have a care in the world. Sleeping this way helps your furry friends cool off in the summer or after extensive exercise, since they are exposing their belly where the fur is thinner as well as the sweat glands on their paws.
This position is a sign of comfort as all the muscles are relaxed. You'll likely see your dog sleep in this position mostly when he's indoors in his safe haven and around people he trusts.
A FREE phone consultation is available for all dogs.
We do appointments by scheduling only as we are not open to the public. No dog is permitted on our property without undergoing a complete behavior assessment and temperament test.
Where do I begin. My husband works for a company based in Florida but runs the Boston office, we are back and forth a bit and wanted to take our French bulldog, bear (his name) with us. Bear was trained with a sit command but that is really where it ended with his discipline. I wanted a dog I felt comfortable flying with. We did a bunch of research and came across Full potential K9 inc. After reading through their webpage we set up an appointment with the owner. He came to our home, met us, met Bear and did a bit of an evaluation. We settled on a customized board and train program. The next day, with a huge lump in my throat I dropped bear off to The owner/founder/head trainer Dillon. He was very kind and respectful of the fact that it was really hard for us and that for me particularly hard. Bear is an emotional support dog for me and Dillon was going to start the process of getting him to service dog status. Within days of Dillon having our dog, we all discovered a bunch more about Bear, good and bad that needed work and extra attention. Bear was a bit slow to learn as Dillon had to first work on behavior modifications such as crate and sometimes people reactivity. The constant communication we had with Dillon whether it was a quick text, video or phone call was vital for us in getting through giving up our dog for what would end up being almost ten weeks. Dillon as well as his whole staff, was available when ever we needed anything. They also went above and beyond with vet visits, filling prescriptions and respecting Bear’s need to be on very specific dog food. After a few weeks of training my husband and I had a long FaceTime chat with the staff (we were back in Boston at the time) about Bear’s progress, and difficulties. The honesty, detail, love and compassion the whole staff had for Bear was evident. We as a group decided to extend Bear’s training and really dive into a bunch of commands and boundaries we all knew would be best for both bear and his owners (myself, my husband and our two children). WHAT A GREAT CHOICE!! The leaps and bounds he has make with listening and following a bunch of commands is unreal. Bear is now home with us but it is unbelievable how much he has learned and how much we have all learned. Dillon went the extra mile by meeting me several times in high traffic areas like Home Depot so that Bear and I could be tested and perhaps occasionally fail. Dillon was right there, to get us back on track. The other piece of this perfect puzzle known as full potential K9 is their care and detail in teaching the owners. I really didn’t appreciate my role in keeping Bear safe, happy and successful as a well mannered animal. I think at the end of training we all agree .. the owners are the harder ones to train;) so THANK YOU TO THE WHOLE STAFF AND a special thanks to Dillon and Emma for giving me back my dog with all these amazing tools to be his best self! When you leave the training facility and the loving staff you know you have a new, extended family in them. They made it clear and have checked in often to let us know they are one phone call or visit away if we ever need anything! Don’t walk.. run to Full potential K9. If dogs could talk they would thank you for that;)
