How much do dachshunds sleep? What's normal, and when to worry

Most dogs sleep for nearly half the day, and nothing suggests dachshunds are different. We found no study of sleep in dachshunds, so the best figures come from dogs of all breeds. In Dogs Trust's Generation Pup study in the UK and Ireland, owners estimated that their dogs slept 11.2 hours a day at 16 weeks old and 10.8 hours at 12 months, with around 7 of those hours at night ¹. In a 2022 UK survey of 1,330 dogs with an average age of nearly 6, most slept 6 to 10 hours while their owners were in bed, and more than half napped for 2 to 6 hours while their owners were up ³.

Dog sleep also comes in short pieces. When researchers watched 24 pet dogs at night in their usual surroundings, the dogs averaged 23 sleep–wake episodes in 8 hours: about 16 minutes asleep, then 5 minutes awake ². So a dachshund that lifts its head at every car door isn't sleeping badly. The same study found that 9 of 14 owners disturbed their dogs' sleep without realizing it ².

Yes, mostly in daytime naps. In Generation Pup, the same dogs slept significantly longer during the day and in total at 16 weeks than at 12 months, but a little less at night ¹. The researchers think the extra sleep may reflect puppies settling into a new home and learning new skills ¹. Most 16-week-old puppies slept in a crate, and by 12 months a dog bed was the most common spot ¹. Let your puppy nap after play and training, somewhere quiet, and build up walks slowly, as our exercise guide explains.

Probably not, if the pattern is steady and they're bright and keen when awake. Long naps aren't boredom you need to fix. In the 2022 survey, dogs that slept less than about 8 hours while their owners were in bed, and dogs that woke easily, had higher problem-behavior scores ³. That's a link, not proof, and the effect was small, but the authors warn against tackling behavior problems with extra activity if it costs a dog its sleep ³.

Very long nights, over 10 hours, may also have gone with more problems, though the data were too uncertain to say. The authors note that a dog may sleep more because of illness or pain ³. So it's the change that counts: if your dachshund suddenly sleeps much more, or still seems tired after resting, see your vet.

No one has studied it, but it fits what dachshunds were bred for. The breed standard describes the dachshund as a hunting dog above and below ground, developed from dogs bred for hunting underground ⁴. A dark, snug space seems to suit many of them, and curling up is a common sleeping position anyway: owners reported it for 64% of 12-month-old dogs of all breeds ¹. If your dachshund burrows most in winter, they may simply be cold. Our coat guide covers which dachshunds feel the cold first.

That's your choice. For a dachshund, the bigger question is how they get down. Most dogs want company at night: of young dogs that could reach their people overnight, more than 86% chose to be near them, and by 12 months, 27% had slept on a person's bed in the past week ¹.

Plan for the jump. Dachshund Health UK says a fit, well-muscled adult at a healthy weight should cope with everyday activity, but sudden jolts from jumping down add stress to the spine, and puppies under 12 months and dogs over 7 are more likely to get hurt. Dogs that have had a disc problem are at higher risk of another injury if they jump off furniture ⁷. Steps or a ramp beside the bed are a simple fix for puppies, older dogs and any dachshund with a back history.

No research compares bed shapes for long backs, so choose one that fits how your dog sleeps. At 12 months, 84% of dogs slept stretched out on their side at least some of the time, and many also curled up ¹. A good bed for a dachshund is:

• Long enough to lie flat. Measure your dog's length with our measuring guide and add a few inches.
• Low to step into, with a firm, even base rather than a deep sag.
• Covered, or paired with a light blanket, if your dachshund likes to burrow.
• Somewhere warm and out of drafts, near you if your dog prefers company.

When the pattern changes, or when sleep comes with pain or wobbliness. In a study of Finnish dachshunds, reluctance to jump onto a sofa was strongly linked with back pain ⁵. In older dogs, changes in the sleep–wake cycle are one of the recognized signs of cognitive dysfunction, the dog version of dementia, along with disorientation, house-training lapses and new anxiety ⁶. Our guide to IVDD covers back pain in more depth.