Urgent warning to dog owners – this common problem makes them grumpier

DOGS can be a lot less chummy when they do not get enough sleep, a study found.

They should typically spend almost two-thirds of the day snoozing but 5.6 million in the UK only manage 12 hours at most.

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And those that get less than ten hours of kip are more likely to display confrontational behaviours.

These include growling, snapping or biting at other pets in the household (four per cent) or at dogs outside their home (six per cent).

The figures more than halve for four-legged friends that get more than 13 hours of shut-eye — suggesting a link between the amount of sleep mutts get and how they respond to stressful situations.

Lynne James, a vet at animal charity PDSA, which carried out the research, said: “Although the perfect amount of sleep will vary between dogs, what the evidence suggests might actually be surprising for many owners.

“Dogs should in fact get over 13 to 16 hours of sleep every day.

“This means your dog should ideally spend more than half of the day snoozing!

“But our findings reveal a large number of dogs aren’t getting enough sleep — in fact, 5.6 million dogs in the UK sleep for 12 hours or even less a day.

“We’re all aware of the saying ‘waking up on the wrong side of the bed’, and it’s no surprise lack of sleep plays a part in how we are feeling but it is also true for dogs.”

The poll also found a dog’s home environment has an impact on how long they doze off for.

Pets living with three or more people are more likely to get less than ten hours.

A quarter of dogs in households with kids only get eight to ten hours, with nearly one in ten getting less than eight hours.

Those in homes with just one or two people are typically getting more than 13 hours.