Can Dogs Fall Asleep Standing Up? (9 Clear Facts)

Caring for dogs through proper diet, daily activities, and overall dog health is the main task of every canine owner. One thing to pay attention to is how the dog sleeps.

Sometimes dogs do funny sleeping positions, and sometimes they look worried. Maybe you’ve seen a sleepy dog, but when standing up.

Can dogs fall asleep standing up? Dogs can sleep standing up for short periods. Dogs can sleep anywhere they want, whether walking, playing, sitting back, or standing up and watching their eyes get tired and stop moving to take a nap. Puppies and senior dogs fall asleep more often while sitting up or standing up.

Let’s read this article to the end to find out more about how dogs sleep and what causes dogs to sleep standing up.

Dog Sleeping Basics

Seeing a dog falling asleep is interesting because we can see our pet wants to sleep but doesn’t want to leave its activity. Puppies often do this because they have a lot of energy and don’t feel like wasting their time.

Now we need to learn about how much time dogs need to sleep.

Adult dogs require 10-14 hours of sleep per day combined between daytime naps and nighttime sleep. In contrast, puppies need more sleep, up to 20 hours per day. Dogs need a quiet room to sleep well. If your dog is in a crowded or active environment, they will sleep less.

Puppies sleep more often because of the many activities during the day and can fall asleep while sitting up. It will look funny when puppies want to keep playing even though their bodies are tired.

Dog Sleeping Behavior

Dogs will perform certain behaviors when a dog falls asleep standing up. Sometimes the dog will be circling and pawing at the ground before lying down. Its nesting activities are carried out by the ancestral dogs.

Dog’s wild ancestors walk in circles to flatten tall grasses as their sleeping spit and pawing ground to smooth out the nest. Even if your dog has a bed, sometimes they still do this behavior.

When dogs are dreaming they can twitch or wag their tail followed by a soft nark or whimper. Maybe the dog is dreaming of running around the house or playing with you. Do not disturb your dog, let alone wake him up, because that is one of the things that keeps the dog sleeping soundly.

Dog Sleeping Positions

There are several sleeping positions your dog can do. Sometimes some dogs only do one sleeping position, and there are also several different positions. The most common positions for dogs are the side sleeper, the lion’s pose, the donut, and Superman.

The side sleeper is sleeping on its side with legs extended. Dogs do this sleeping position when they are comfortable with their environment. The lion’s pose is head resting on top of its front paws like the lion’s position when taking a nap. This position is done when the dog wants to rest for a while.

The donut position is a circular position, like a donut to conserve body heat or when the dog is feeling anxious or vulnerable.

While the Superman position is the dog’s back legs pointing behind and front legs pointed forward like Superman in flight. Dogs do this when they are tired from the day’s activities and want to stretch their muscles.

Can Dogs Fall Asleep Standing Up?

Yes, dogs can fall asleep standing up for short periods because they rely on muscles when standing. After the dog enters a deep sleep condition, the dog’s limbs will fall, and they will move or stay in the same place and immediately do one of the sleeping positions.

Dogs can stay alert to stay awake to what they’re doing, but their bodies have other ideas for resting while still standing up. The dog falling asleep standing up is a common situation and nothing to worry about.

Ensure your dog doesn’t sleep anywhere, especially if they want to sleep on a cold floor or a wet place.

Is It Normal For My Dog To Fall Asleep Standing Up?

Sleeping in a standing position can be a sign that your dog is still not used to his new bed. Placing a new bed or object around the bed usually affects the dog’s sleep arrangements and makes them start to sleep while standing up.

Try to return your dog’s bed to its original position. If your dog can sleep comfortably without standing up, the main problem is the dog’s new sleeping area. Try to introduce dogs to their new bed before moving on and making your dog uncomfortable.

Can dogs fall asleep standing up? Yes, it’s possible. It’s one of rejection, like your dog refusing to eat when their food doesn’t suit their tastes.

Why Does My Dog Sleep Sitting Up?

If your dog is reluctant to curl up or sleep while sitting up, try to check if your dog feels pain in some parts of his body that make them uncomfortable to sleep in its usual position.

Try taking your dog to the vet to check if the dog sitting up while sleeping is a sign of a problem in the chest or lungs due to heart failure or heart conditions.

If it wasn’t for heart conditions, there are other possibilities for the dog to feel pain in the stomach or near the chest.

The pain can make the dog have to sleep leaning against something or sitting up to avoid the pain that can not go away.

Why Is My Dog Trying To Sleep Sitting Up

The dog falling asleep sitting up can sometimes be something to worry about. If your dog has broken bones or is suffering from a chest injury, they are concerned that the pain will continue to come when they lay down on the floor or bed.

Dogs choose to sleep sitting up because it feels safer and keeps the pain away. Try holding the dog’s chest, legs, or back while going to sleep.

If your dog is whining, it is a sign that your dog is suffering from an injury and wants to sleep sitting up because it avoids pressure on the sore spot.

Why Is My Dog Falling Asleep Standing Up?

In addition to a dog sleeping sitting up, there is also a condition where dogs can get asleep while still standing up.

Puppies have much more energy than adults, and they like to run around the house or do whatever they want. Sometimes puppies don’t want to look tired and want to continue their activities.

If your dog still wants to do something with you but is getting tired from the day’s activities, the dog can be getting asleep while standing up for a short period.

It’s a funny moment because dogs look like they can’t keep their body balanced with sleepy eyes and seem to want to find a mattress to sleep on.

Do Dogs Legs Ever Fall Asleep While Standing?

Yes, dogs can fall asleep while standing like us. Pay attention to the position of your dog and whether your dog lies in one position for more than a few minutes.

It will prevent the dog’s blood from reaching its limb and make dogs feel their leg falling asleep.

Can dogs fall asleep standing up? If this condition occurs repeatedly even though your dog is not leaning in a specific position, take your dog to the vet for a medical examination.

The dog sleeping standing up because of fatigue can make their legs feel less energetic and want to put them to rest.

Can Dogs Body Fall Asleep From Standing Position?

It depends on how tired your dog is at that time. Dogs after strenuous activities need rest. Sometimes dogs feel their bodies are strong enough to do anything, but their bodies say no.

Dog bodies will fall asleep in short periods even though they are standing.

Let your dog rest, and take your dog to their bed instead of having them sleep on the floor or remain in a standing position with sleepy eyes.

Can dogs fall asleep standing up? Dog falling asleep is normal, but if by sitting up or standing up, something might happen. Either the dog does not like their new environment or the dog is too tired but feels they still want to continue the activity.

Why Do Dogs Sleep Upwards?

When dogs lay directly on their back, it is a cooling-off position that can help cool off the sensitive areas in the dog’s body. The dog will chill their belly up and feel safe in their environment.

The back-sleeping is a sign your dog wants to be free in the dog’s sleeping position. There is no threat or feel secure where they are.

Is Your Senior Dog Falling Asleep Standing Up?

Older dogs need more rest time than adult dogs. Their body will get tired and get bored easily with their surroundings. Even though dogs stay awake and alert to what’s going on, their body says otherwise.

Can dogs sleep standing up? Senior dogs will often appear drowsy and may snort in a standing position. Touch your dog and direct them to the bed to sleep properly.

How To Encourage Dogs To Sleep In A Normal Position?

Dogs can sleep wherever they want. As a good owner, you must prepare a special place for your dog to sleep. But sometimes, the dog still can’t sleep in the area that has been provided. The table below is a way to get your dog to sleep in its place.

Some of the steps above are the right steps to teach your puppies to have good behavior while sleeping. If puppies are allowed to do many activities without resting, your puppies falling asleep standing up might occur.

Where Should Your Dog Sleep?

Sometimes dogs have their place to sleep and don’t want to be moved or occupied by other pets. But if you introduce a new area with a specific bed, your dog can sleep more comfortably and rest overnight.

You should provide a cozy, comfortable, and warm bed for the dog, and don’t let the dog sleep on the floor.

Are dogs fine sleeping on the floor? If the floor is a place where dogs feel safe to sleep, then it doesn’t matter if dogs have a spot of their own.

But sleeping on the floor too often can be risky for the dog’s health because the floor’s cleanliness is essential, and the cold floor temperature can make the dog sick easily and can make the dog uncomfortable.

Final Verdict – Can Dogs Fall Asleep Standing Up

Dogs can sleep standing up for short periods when they are tired but still want to continue their activities, or they want to sleep but cannot because they are uncomfortable in their new environment. Dogs have a variety of sleeping behaviors, as well as the many sleeping positions they have.

Paying attention to how well dogs sleep is the job of canine owners because dogs falling asleep while sitting up or standing up could be because the dog endures pain in the chest, belly, or specific areas that hurt when they put their body on the floor or bed.

If your dog is whining while sleeping or when you hold their chest, take him to the vet for a medical examination.

As a pet lover, make sure to learn about pet more and give your pet dog a good and comfortable life!

Rajkumar Ravichandran

Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️