how many hours...

[Artos]

Hi,

this might sound like a stupid question, but I'm wondering how many hours it's "normal" for a male pup at 5 months to be awake during the day. The reason for my question is that I feel that my pup is sleeping so much.
I have problems with his eating, he is not eating as much as he should and i suppose this might be a reason for his lack of energy. i have never had a pup before, i know that they need alot of sleep but can he sleep to much?

I do a lot of activities with him when he is awake so he has never had any energy to go and do stuff that he is not allowed. Also, it is very seldom he starts any games or stuff like that I have to start the activity because he doesn't like to play if i'm not there with him. This is a good thing I know, but he is a pup and I haven't seen any wild puppiness

I'm worried that i'm doing to much stuff with him, can that be a problem?
Usually he is awake for two hours then sleeps for two hours or more and so on during the day and then sleeps for 9 hours during the night. He is not sleeping all the time during the night but he is lying still, might chew on a bone or something for awhile and the goes back to sleep. I go to dog school 2-3 times a week and we have walks in the woods and of course playing and training at home, I do alot of "mind" training, boxes that he has to open, searching for candy ect.

so my question is really, how much should a puppy sleep? I never wake him up, when he's tired i let him sleep untill he wakes up by him self.

Linda.

[Roxibear]

I got tired just reading all the exercise he does. ;)
Seriously if he's not eating properly then maybe he should be checked out by a vet. I'll be interested in other replies as I have a 15 week old pup.

[Sharon Marples]

I agree, it sounds as if you might have him checked by a vet. A thyroid blood panel would be in order, as would a check of his heart by a certified cardiologist. Your regular vet may or may not be able to discern anything with his heart, that is why he should be checked by a certified canine cardiologist.

Please let us know what the vet(s) say.

[brunie's mom]

I would be worried about his heart or maybe his hips?
My Bruno that was PTS recently was a very quiet pup...a very good pup...too good of a pup.
He was diagnosed at 9 months with severe hip dysplasia....he also slept alot..played for short times and trained for short times...but wanted to lay down.

He may be going through a picky not eating faze....just because his body does not need it right now.
What food are you feeding right now? Have you tried some other foods, or tried adding a spoonful of yogurt or cottage cheese or some broth on top of his kibble?

If you have any concerns about your pup...take him in to see the vet.

Gina

[Rott-Wiley]

I would not be too concerned about the sleeping part, it's the apitite thing that would bother me. Pups need sleep to grow, that does consume a lot of their energy. What are you feeding him?

[Artos]

now i'm really worried!

I have tried different brands, the one that has worked the best is Royal canin, have been giving him that for one and a half months now. But he is not eating as much as he should, not even close in fact some days :( The thing is that he wont eat at all if I don't sit down with him and feed him. i have asked the vet about this, but since he is not to thin they say I don't have to worry. The only time he eats by him self is when i get a visitor and he is all exited then he can run to the food bowl and eat...

[RottiMomCT]

Originally Posted by Artos

now i'm really worried!

I have tried different brands, the one that has worked the best is Royal canin, have been giving him that for one and a half months now. But he is not eating as much as he should, not even close in fact some days :( The thing is that he wont eat at all if I don't sit down with him and feed him. i have asked the vet about this, but since he is not to thin they say I don't have to worry. The only time he eats by him self is when i get a visitor and he is all exited then he can run to the food bowl and eat...

If the vet says not to worry and you are still worried - get another vet, or at least a second opinion. ANY vet that is dismissing YOUR concerns about YOUR dog should no longer be YOUR vet.

I changed vets because I called with a serious concern about a wierd lump at the base of Ben's tail that he was chewing at and rubbing his butt on the floor (OK, where the tail should be - he's got nothing!) and they would not see me for 5 days. I was not happy about that wait time so I called the vet that cared for my Ben when he was an NERR dog. No appointment necessary and we were seen that evening. Turns out he had an infection in his anal gland and if he wasn't seen he'd have been in SURGERY.

[Artos]

i'm gonna change vet... have had a bad feeling since my firts visit there. Feels like they don't take time to really listen to you and check the things you ask for.

I'm going to call a different vet first thing tomorrow morning. I shouldn't have listen to the vet since I have been worried about this for a long time now... i'm so scared that they will find that something is wrong with my sweatheart...but better now then to late

[TrishB]

Try not to worry too much. Your best bet would be to write down your concerns and bring your notes with you. That way you won't forget anything. Be sure to tell the vet how much you feed your dog at each feeding and how many times per day.

Some pups become picky because people are constantly by their sides when they're eating. They become nervous and don't eat. Then people offer new, different food, sometimes very yummy foods. So it pays not to eat and to see if something else is offered. Without knowing it, the owner has trained their dog to be a picky eater.

Also be sure to bring a stool sample with you to the vets. They'll want to check for worms.

Please let us know how it goes! :)

[SABELLESMOM]

Good luck with your new vet, then! :) When you end up with a truly great vet, you'll be glad you made the effort. The best ones don't dismiss your concerns so automatically. They offer treatment "options" when something is wrong or needed. And they spend TIME listening, examining and explaining. Some even have time to chit chat a bit about what you actually DO with your dog.

They also know how to quietly and descretely manage a pet who is hurt or frightened. Our Rottie is wonderful. I swear you could draw blood and she'd behave. But the Cocker is a rescue and has a different slant on what may be going on. There are times he needs a muzzle or a good solid grasp. They MAKE each visit a positive experience.

[MARYDVM]

I'm not sure how much you are feeding, but if you are going by the label directions to estimate the correct amount, you need to know that most labels recommend feeding way more than the average puppy needs. Also if you are constantly begging him to eat, or hand feeding him, you will guarantee a picky appetite. At five months of age, I would put the bowl down twice a day and pick it up after 20 minutes. If you adhere to this, and don't break down and feed in between mealtimes, the pickiness will go away. If your pup is maintaining a healthy weight, and normal growth, then he is getting all the food he needs.

[carib]

Have you tried to give him some raw chicken? Roxy will just snack on the kibble but goes crazy for a nice chicken wing and eats it completely!

[sjsjh]

My 6 month male eats the whole bowl before it hits the floor. He'
s always been that way. my other two were the same way. Try a different vet. Does he have access to his food all the time? if so that would probably cause picky eating.

[Dante's Dad]

Dante is almost 10 months old and is no where close to being able to be trusted alone in the house outside of his crate, more for the harm he could cause himself then our furniture. In fact he loves his crate and will at times wonder upstairs to fall asleep in it on his own.

I know it can be tough at times but stick with the crate training!