Do Puppies Have Off Days? (4 Reasons + Signs + What to Do)
Do you know the sort of day where the alarm rings and your brain tells you to pull the duvet over your head and ignore the world?
Can your puppy have an off day, the sort of bad day you call a duvet day when you want to stop the world and sit around in your pajamas?
Before assuming your puppy is quiet because it is having an off day, first check that there is nothing physically wrong with your puppy.
A puppy that refuses to get out of bed, whines when you touch it, isn’t eating, or has actual symptoms of illness isn’t being lazy.
In time you will get to know what is normal for your puppy for physical health and what needs a trip to the vet.
Your puppy can have a bad day, and it is not necessarily ill.
What Are the Signs of a Bad Day?
If your puppy is having a bad day, you may notice:
- Change in usual appetite – either disinterested in food or eating far more than usual.
- Sleepiness – puppies sleep a lot, but you will spot the difference between regular napping and hiding from the world when your puppy is too tired to bother.
- Paw licking – although your puppy licks its paws to lean them if they are sore or infected, it is also a nervous habit like some children sucking their thumbs.
- Hiding – puppies don’t play hide-and-seek, so if your friendly puppy is suddenly running away and hiding, it is having a bad day.
- Lack of interest in fun activities like playing or going out for a fun walk.
Combining these signals and a lack of physical illness may mean your usually happy puppy is having an off day.
Why Is Your Puppy Having an Off Day?
Like you, your puppy has a quiet day when there is an emotional upset.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be a significant change, and it may be the sum of many small things that add up to the need for a lazy day.
1. Missing Former Home
If your puppy is a new arrival and has only had a few weeks to settle in, now the excitement is over.
Your puppy may need a lazy day or two to get familiar with your home and the new people in its life.
A quiet day when it can adjust and refresh may be all that is necessary to refresh and revive your puppy.
2. Change in Routine
Perhaps you took a couple of days off work to settle your puppy at home, and you are now back to work.
Maybe your puppy has had the benefit of a long school holiday with plenty of human company and playtime.
Or perhaps a member of your family is working away for a day or two.
Your puppy bonds with the humans in the family as an adopted pack. Changes in the pack structure are upsetting, and your puppy may simply miss you when you are not around.
3. Exhaustion
Your puppy may seem like an unending ball of energy, but your puppy is busy growing, learning, and developing.
You may think you are keeping your puppy active and happy with plenty of exercises, but you may be doing too much – you wouldn’t take a toddler out to run a marathon.
If your puppy has a few busy days, always up and moving, today may need to be a lazy day because your puppy is tired.
4. Stress
Although it is hard to see what your puppy must stress about, the world can be a scary place from a puppy’s point of view.
If you already have other pets like an older dog or cat, there may be some jostling for position in the household. Your puppy may be jealous.
Sharing space with an enthusiastic child may mean that your puppy needs a day to relax and be a quiet pup.
Alternatively, there may be building works, fireworks, or other change in the area that makes your puppy anxious and afraid.
What Should You Do?
If you have a tired and listless puppy, do you need to do something to cheer it up?
Is your puppy’s off day something you need to fix?
Keep It in Proportion
One bad day isn’t a huge problem; your puppy may simply need to recharge its batteries.
If your schedule permits, do what you would do on an off day, settle down to read a book, binge-watch Netflix, and let your puppy snuggle with you and have a lazy day.
If the lazy day spills over onto the next day and the one after that, you may need to stage an intervention.
Rule Out Illness
Your puppy can’t tell you if it has a tummy ache, an infection, or a headache.
You need to be alert to signs that your puppy’s lazy day may be a sign that your puppy is ill.
Puppies eat and chew almost anything. Your puppy may eat something that is poisonous or causes an intestinal blockage.
Think about the past day – has your puppy chewed a plant in the garden?
The leaves of many vegetables and fruit are toxic to puppies.
Your puppy may swallow a small object like a penny or the stuffing from a toy.
If your puppy is vomiting, has diarrhea, or isn’t passing stools, your puppy may have eaten something that disagrees with it.
Depending on your environment, your puppy can also catch viral and bacterial illnesses or may be suffering from a bite from an insect, wild animal, or snake.
For a young puppy, it is always best to rule out a physical cause before assuming an emotional one.
Is Your Puppy Getting Enough Rest?
Your puppy is a young, growing animal, and depending on age and breed, your puppy needs lots of healthy naps.
Ensure you know how much sleep your puppy may need, and then assess if it is getting enough nap time.
If your puppy is so tired it can’t get out of bed, then it may be time to review your routine to factor in more puppy naps.
A busy household with many children may mean that your puppy is not getting the quiet time it needs during the typical day. It’s no wonder your puppy needs a lazy day now and then.
You can help minimize your puppy’s bad days by insisting on the family respecting puppy nap time – even if you need to timetable regular breaks during the day.
Create Safe Zones
If your puppy is sharing space with other animals or stressors, it is super-important that your puppy has access to safe zones where it can go to relax without fear.
You can create a safe zone by giving your puppy access to a dog crate with a blanket covering it or by supervising interactions with other pets.
Your puppy’s emotional well-being depends on being able to eat and sleep without the fear of attack.
If your puppy may be afraid of another animal or the environment, review where your puppy can go when it needs security.
Recharge Play Time
Your puppy may simply be bored of its current toys and isn’t getting enough interaction and play.
How much time is your puppy getting to engage in healthy play with you or other family members during the day?
Puzzle toys are excellent for getting your puppy to use its brain and are a toy that your puppy can enjoy by itself.
However, puppies prefer interactive playtime with humans, chasing a ball, tug of war, finding the hidden toy, or other training games.
Bringing new toys or introducing new fun activities is an excellent way to perk up a bored puppy.
Play Puppy-Friendly Music
Your puppy enjoys music; the right soundtrack can be calming or enlivening, depending on your pup’s preferences.
You don’t need to guess your puppy’s music preferences as you can get appropriate playlists on Spotify, digital download, or on CD.
If your puppy seems sad or lonely, filling the house with music may help it feel less isolated and stressed.
Have a Routine
Your puppy does better when it has a routine with regular walks, mealtimes, training sessions, and fun time with you.
Your puppy needs to grow in confidence by knowing the rules of the house. A growing puppy (especially the toy breeds) needs regular nutrition and access to water.
If your puppy doesn’t know when to eat or get a bathroom break, it may feel unsettled and anxious.
Could Your Puppy Be Depressed?
Dogs can and do suffer from depression instead of the occasional off day, but a young puppy is unlikely to be in that position.
The rare quiet day (if your puppy isn’t ill) is more likely to be nothing more worrying than your puppy learning to adjust to changes and routines in its life.
Provided your puppy is active, eating, and keen to interact, the occasional lazy day is not a sign that you have a depressed puppy – although puppies can feel sad.
Puppies can and do have off days, but when you are happy that your puppy is not ill, you can relax knowing that tomorrow morning is a new day.
Tomorrow your puppy will be bouncy and happy and ready for new adventures.
Today is just your average duvet day.