01/08/2024
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🥵 DOG CRATES & HOT WEATHER! 🥵
Last night this guy had me up twice. He’s not very good at communicating he needs to go out and does displacement behaviours like rolling upside down making a quacking noise, a weird burping noise or pacing up and down the hallway.
Despite having the fan on in the hall and access to a cold, hard floor in different areas, he was too hot!
Dogs often change their position and location multiple times across a sleep/rest period. This is especially the case for thick or double coated breeds or individuals who ‘run hot’.
Amigo and Kanita will stay in their beds in the bedroom all night but sometimes Kanita gets out of her bed to lie on the floor.
(Yes, they sleep in our bedroom! They have the choice to sleep elsewhere, but they want to sleep close as a group).
However, across the evening when we are all hanging in the lounge all three dogs are changing where they rest frequently. With the current heat, despite having a fan on, they are changing positions about 2-3 times each per hour!
One reason dogs change the location or position of where they sleep is to regulate their body temperature.
Another reason is that different sleeping positions may better support different phases of sleep.
Being able to stretch out fully promotes REM sleep- the phase of sleep where memory consolidation and recovery from stressors is at optimum!
Think how about your quality of sleep lying down vs when sat upright! Do you do the nodding dog? 😴 🛌
Taking this species-specific sleeping behaviour and the current hot weather into consideration, it’s important to consider whether your set up for where your dog sleeps is allowing them to regulate their temperature.
Whilst positioning a fan towards a dog who is crated is considerate to them over heating, dogs who aren’t crated can demonstrate a preference to move away after a duration of sitting in front of a fan. 🪭
It’s not uncommon for dogs to suddenly develop an aversion to their crates during hot weather. This may be due to heat, or even due to an increase in audible sounds at night due to open windows 🪟
My preference is that dogs have the freedom to regulate their temperature and stretch out fully by being given more than one option of where they can sleep rather than contained in an area with limited space.
A compromise to providing total free range- where your dog can access multiple sleeping spots in various locations and of various surfaces- may be a dog bed in a room behind a stargate, or a crate with an open door paired up with a large puppy pen. However, be mindful the only padded surface isn’t in a small, contained space or that a hard floor is the only alternative to a thick, cushioned bed! A nice rug or padded mat may provide an in between.
If your dog genuinely loves their crate and considers it to be their consistently comfy bed and safe place - they’ll go inside on their own accord and stay inside even when the door is left open.
