Sleep Characteristics in Dogs; Effect on Caregiver-Reported Problem Behaviours

Abstract

Optimal sleep duration and quality is difficult to define. There are strong arguments for a relationship between sleep, in particular REM sleep, and emotional health and behaviour in a variety of species. This study aims to broaden the level of knowledge regarding canine sleep durations and characteristics and begin research into the relationship between behavioural responses and the duration and quality of sleep. A caregiver questionnaire was used to capture information regarding the duration and characteristics of canine sleep, how easily this cohort of dogs were disturbed from sleep, and caregiver perceptions of the severity of problem behaviours shown by this cohort (n = 1330). A quadratic relationship between canine sleep duration whilst a caregiver is in bed and severity of problem behaviour is shown, with less than 8 h sleep and more than 10 h sleep correlating with increased severity of problem behaviours in this cohort. Dogs which were more easily disturbed from sleep at times their caregiver was out of bed, showed increased reported severity of problem behaviours. Whilst it is not possible to determine an optimal canine sleep duration, sufficient evidence is presented to argue that problem behaviour should not be remedied by sleep deprivation.