How Much Sleep Does an English Setter Need?

Like humans, dogs are mammals. That means that our sleep patterns are similar but not the same. Dogs sleep more than we do, and their sleep cycles differ from ours.

how much sleep does an english setter need
How Much Sleep Does an English Setter Need

It’s no cause for concern if your English Setter dog’s sleep schedule doesn’t align with yours. However, if you notice a dog’s sleeping behavior that is unusual for your pet, you should consider that it is due to illness. 

The English Setter is a beautiful dog that is characterized by having a strong, friendly, and energetic temperament. This canine of English, Welsh, and French origin belongs to one of the oldest hunting dog breeds known for having a high physical activity level. They require a lot of exercise to be healthy, happy, and fit. 

Many people who acquire this type of dog do not know all their habits. It is important that the owner of an English Setter really knows when his pet can sleep, allowing him to establish its schedules.

The amount of hours that this dog can sleep is variable and will depend on its personality and lifestyle. However, English Setters generally sleep quite a few hours as they need to regain all the energy they have lost while exercising. 

How Long Does an English Setter Usually Sleep?

The amount of hours a dog can sleep depends on certain characteristics or factors such as age, breed, size, weight, activity level, general health, diseases, lifestyle, or environment. 

Generally, an English Setter tends to sleep a lot. If it is a puppy, the most normal thing is that it sleeps around 18 hours a day. Some even sleep 20 hours. The rest of the time, it will want and need to exercise. 

It is well known that all English Setter puppies tire very easily. That is because they get very excited when they perform daily physical activities, causing them to become exhausted and require hours of rest to regain energy. 

As they grow, their needs change, and thanks to their daily routine’s physical and mental activity, they spend more time awake and are very distracted. 

On the other hand, if we talk about an adult English Setter, the situation changes slightly. An adult of this breed can sleep between 12 and 14 hours a day. It will only wake up to exercise, play, train, eat, and be with its loved ones.

It is essential to take into account that this dog does not sleep these hours in a row because they are usually distributed between the night and the rest of the day. It is also important to consider that being a large breed, your pet’s sleep time could reach 18 hours a day during its adult stage. 

They usually sleep about 10 hours at night, and throughout the day, they rest the remaining ones in nap mode. 

It should be noted that an English Setter will begin to need more sleep when it enters its aging stage. 

As a general rule, sedentary dogs tend to sleep longer, as do larger breeds. Working dogs prefer to be active and may sleep less, just like smaller dogs. If you want your canine friend to sleep well and calmly, give it a good walk and play with it. As a result, you will see that it will sleep very comfortably at night due to its fatigue. 

There are many families that have an English Setter that does not sleep much. That can also be normal since, as we have said, these canines are very active and energetic and love to spend many hours of the day exercising or playing with their owners or members of their human family. 

Because of that, its need for sleep may be less than other English Setters. As we have mentioned before, everything will depend on different factors. 

Is It Normal for My English Setter Dog to Sleep a Lot? 

There are many reasons why your dog sleeps so much, but the most important ones are: 

English Setter Age 

When English Setter dogs are adults, they spend at least half of the day sleeping, that is, approximately between 12 and 14 hours. 

When they are puppies, they can sleep up to 18 hours a day, which is essential for their health and growth. Finally, when they age, they tend to rest much more, reducing the hours of activity. 

English Setter Health Problems 

If your English Setter sleeps more hours a day than it needs (in its early or adult stage), that may be due to a symptom of a disease. If it also stops doing physical activities, then you should worry. In these cases, it is advisable to take the canine to the vet. Some diseases that cause this symptom can be: 

  • Canine depression. 
  • Diabetes. 
  • Rabies. 
  • Lyme disease. 
  • Parvovirus. 
  • Hyperthyroidism. 

Lots of Exercises for your English Setter

If your English setter dog is hyperactive, runs too much, jumps, and plays a lot, it will end up exhausted at the end of the day and take long naps. That is very healthy for the pet since it does the necessary exercise for its physical and mental health, and therefore, it relaxes.  

Now, we have some tips for you to give your dog the best possible rest: 

  • Provide a comfortable place to sleep. 
  • Feed it after exercise. Through this, it will go to bed fed and can rest comfortably. 
  • Never wake it up for any reason. 
  • Always exercise your pet in the morning or late afternoon.  
english setter dog sleep
English Setter dog sleep

When Should I Be Concerned If My English Setter Dog Sleeps a Lot? 

As we have said before, this breed of dog is characterized by being active by nature. Although they need to sleep a certain number of hours a day, it is essential to mention that they love to spend the rest of their hours playing and exercising.

Excessive sleep can represent problems ranging from emotional and bad habits instilled by us (lack of physical activity or play) to severe diseases. 

The size of these dogs plays a fundamental role at bedtime. A large dog, such as the English Setter, will have a different metabolism than those that are smaller in size. That can make them less active over time and therefore need more sleep. For that reason, we mentioned above that adult dogs of this breed could sleep up to 18 hours a day. 

If you notice that your English Setter is sleeping more than normal, then you should be concerned. In that case, take it to a vet to examine it and rule out any problems it may have. 

stuart and his dog

Family Dog Expert Author

Hi there! I’m Stuart, a devoted dog lover and family dog expert with over a decade of experience working with our furry companions. My passion for dogs drives me to share my knowledge and expertise, helping families build strong, loving bonds with their four-legged friends. When I’m not writing for SirDoggie, you’ll find me hiking, playing with my beautiful dog, or studying music.