QuestionI have a Bassett hound who is just over a year old. He sleeps all day!! We usually put him to bed around 12-1am as my partner works late, then in a morning he'll come upstairs and sleep in my room until midday. He'll run around causing chaos for 30 minutes then sleep next to me as I work in the office. Then he'll wake up for dinner at 5pm and go back to sleep till my partner gets home around 11pm, has another mad half and hour then sleeps again til morning!
He's had an operation about 6 months ago on his leg as he had a severe joint problem so we can't walk him that much unfortunately, just every couple of days and then let him run around the garden the days inbetween so he gets excercise - he just seems to fall asleep as soon as we stop playing with him!
On weekends we take him to the bar (we manage a bar but I work from home during the week) and in the bar he runs around all day and hardly sleeps so he definitely as the ability to not sleep.
AnswerLaura,
If you are home and working, what is he meant to do? Dogs usually mirror their owners' activity levels. As you've seen in the difference between his behavior in the bar and at home.
That he can't take brief daily walks but can run in the garden each day makes no sense. I'm not saying that's not what you were told, only that it doesn't make any sense. Exercise, in this case, is exercise. Walking on lead or running on his own is still working his leg joint. You may want to phone your vet again and ask them to re-evaluate their instructions.
