Category Archives: sleep

Say hey. Say ho.

I’m not hippin’ and hoppin’ today (although that has been known to happen.) No, I am talking about one of my favorite things: sleep. Oh yes, snuggly, snorty, dreamy sleep. I could go on and on about it, but let’s focus on one aspect of dog sleep. Why do we sleep with our paws in the air?

There are a couple reasons why we sometimes look like a table after a bar fight. We are in an über-relaxed state, which means we are in a space that feels very safe and comfortable. When we sleep curled up in a ball, our muscles are tense and our sleep is light. A flip to the back and we are flying in our dreams.

As with most things dog, the reasons go back to our days in the wild. No self-respecting dog would sleep with its paws in the air out in nature. Too many pack dynamics and predators to totally relax in that environment. It was sleep light and survive.

The other reason is to be keep cool. We generally have less fur on our bellies, so when we expose it to the air, it cools us down. And a big bonus is a belly rub. Make sure we’re awake first though. Our deep sleep and a sudden touch may wake up our protective instincts, so rub belly only when we beg you. And you must do it every time we want you to (it’s in the Dog Rule Book.)

When you see us on our backs, paws in the air, loving our life and our sleep, that’s one way we doggies say thank you to you humans. So, next time you see your dog like that, just whisper “You’re welcome.”