Dog Sleeping Positions and What They Reveal About Your Dog

Dogs’ sleeping positions can reveal a lot about their personality, health and how they are feeling. This guide breaks down the most common dog sleeping positions and explains the science behind why dogs sleep in certain ways. The Donut or Curled-up The Donut is one of the cutest dog sleeping positions. This is when your dog is curled up like a ball with all their legs tucked close to their body. This resting position means that your dog might be trying to conserve body heat and provide protection to the fundamental parts of its body. It’s the most common sleeping position for animals in the wild too, as it helps conserve warmth and protects the vital organs. Side Sleeping When your dog sleeps on their side, it means they feel relaxed and safe in their environment. Side sleeping is a vulnerable position for dogs because it leaves their vital organs exposed and it can take much longer for them to rise up in case of danger or a predator attack. If your canine sleeps this way next to you, it’s a sign that they fully trust you. Sleeping in this position is when a dog is likely to get the deepest sleep. The Superman This is another funny sleeping position that will leave you perplexed and bring a warm smile to your face. The superman position is when your dog lays sprawled out on the ground with their belly pressed to the floor, their front legs stretched forward, and their back legs behind them. What comes to your mind when you spot your dog in this position is the image of a superman. When your dog sleeps in superman position, it means that they’re tired but ready to play if the opportunity arises. Another reason that dogs adopt this sleeping position is to regulate their body temperature. With belly against the floor and limbs outstretched— your dog is trying to cool down in a warm environment. Laying on your clothes If your dog sleeps on your clothes, it means they love you. Your clothing has your scent on it and helps your dog feel closer to you. Scratching their Bed A dog’s wild ancestors scratched at piles of leaves, dirt and pine needles to create a comfortable mound of bedding to rest. By scratching or digging the floor or their bed, your pup may actually be trying to create a snug nest to sleep. On the Back or Crazy Legs In the opposite way curling in a ball conserves body heat, sleeping with an exposed belly helps a dog cool off. Since the fur is thinner around the belly and the paws hold the sweat glands, exposing these areas is a great way to beat the heat. Dogs who prefer this kind of sleeping position are viewed as independent with a calm nature. Turning in circles before lying down It’s a normal behavior for dogs to circle their sleeping area before lying down for sleep. In the wild, the circling would flatten grasses or snow and would drive out any snakes or large insects. Doggy beds and pillows haven t always been around, so wild dogs had to make a comfortable bed for themselves. Back-To-Back Or Snuggled Up The tendency that many dogs need to cuddle when they sleep is a holdover from when they were puppies. This also has to do with the body heat, since puppies have difficulty regulating their body temperature. As the dogs mature, sleeping back to back becomes a sort of habit from puppyhood. The Lion’s Pose The lion’s pose sleeping position (also called ‘the sphinx’) is when your canine sleeps with their head on top of their paws. In this position, the muscles of the dog are tense and contracted and this actually prevents them from falling into a deep sleep. Therefore, this is a sleeping position adopted by a dog to relieve itself of stress and be comfortable. They get into this position when they have a considerable amount of energy and they don t feel like sleeping. They would prefer staying in a resting position where they can easily get up and play. Twitching, Wagging, Or Soft Barks You may have noticed that dogs bark, whimper, or growl in their sleep. This is because dogs dream during the REM stage of their sleep, and those vocalizations or muscle twitches are responses to whatever that is happening in their dreams. Sleeping with open eyes Yep, you heard that right. Some dogs sleep with partially open eyes. But make no mistake! When a dog sleeps with open eyes, what you are actually seeing is their third eyelid, rather than the surface of the eyeball. The Burrower If your dog prefers to sleep under blankets and pillows, you’ve got yourself a burrower dog. The desire of many dogs to crawl under the covers is an ancestral trait left over from when dogs were born in dens. Being in a den or cave-like atmosphere provides a sense of security and comfort for them. For some dogs, they only do it when they are anxious (such as during fireworks) or when they are not feeling well. Sleeping on a cold Surface Whether it’s lying face down on the kitchen floor or sprawled out on your patio, dogs tend to sleep on a cold surface when they are hot.