Does a dog's sleeping position reveal what they are feeling?

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The answer is yes. You might recognize this sleeping position belowThis sleeping position is very common, not only within dogs but many other animals too.

And there's a good reason why.

You see, the most effective way in nature for a predator to kill a sleeping animal would be to attack it on the belly as they can directly attack/injure their guts. Thus natural selection caused many animals, including dogs, to instinctively sleep in a position that hides and protects their belly & guts. It also helps them to conserve warmth, and makes it easy to get up quickly.

The best sleeping position for a dog to get the most rest while sleeping would be this one below:
The dog is sleeping on its sides with the limbs stretched out.Most dogs sleep better & more deeply like this and feel more comfortable,though their guts are unprotected.

It can have two different reasons why a dog would choose to sleep like this instead of the croissant position;

1) they're feeling comfortable and safe
or
2) they are very tired and just want sleep to the point they stopped caring

Which one it is can usually be figured out by the situation/context prior to them falling asleep.

This position also leaves their limbs free to move during sleep, so you may see more twitching and leg kicks from a dog lying on their side.

Then there's also this sleeping position, see below:Sleeping with an exposed belly helps a dog cool off. Since the fur is thinner around the belly and the paws hold the sweat glands, exposing these areas is a great way to beat the heat.

A dog sleeping on the back feels very safe and happy. A dog would never sleep on their back if they feel like there's the slightest chance for them to get attacked during their sleep, thus if a dog sleeps this way it's a sign of how much they trust you :)

Tags: dog, dog behaviour, dog psychology