+In the animal world, weird sleeping habits are almost as common as weird names. It’s no surprise, then, that dogs have their own quirky sleep routines. Some of them are so strange they almost look ridiculous. If you’ve ever seen a dog at rest with its tongue sticking out while they sleep, there’s good reason for it. Dogs do it because it helps them breathe better and stay cool during hot nights when their body temperature can spike from panting all day long. It may be funny to see your dog breathe like this, but when you remember that dogs are still animals and not just pets, it makes more sense why they do this. Let’s take a closer look at why dogs sleep with their tongues out.
Why Do Dogs Sleep With Their Tongues Out?
Lucky for us, dogs sleep with their tongues out. It is a common myth that dogs sleep with their tongues out to help keep them cool, but this isn’t true. While there is no scientific explanation as to why dogs do this and it is not known if it helps keep them cool, the reason they do this has been speculated on by many people. The most common reason is that they’re just being cute!
Why Do Dogs Sleep With Their Tummy And Back Legs Straight Out?
- It helps them to maintain their breathing patterns.
- They are relaxed and at ease.
- It helps them to keep their body temperature lower than the rest of the body.
- It helps them to keep their joints and muscles in a relaxed state.
- They are less likely to suffer from arthritis as they don’t bend much when sleeping on their backs like humans do when sleeping on their sides or stomachs.
- They have a better chance of getting cancer if they sleep on their backs as humans do because the skin is stretched over the bone more than under it and it makes it easier for cancer cells to get into the tissue and spread through it more easily than if they slept on their stomachs or sides like humans do (cancer cells don’t spread as well in warm, moist areas).
- When dogs sleep on their backs, they have a better chance of developing tumors inside of them because that’s where toxins accumulate more easily, so even though dogs may not get tumors that way, they still have a greater chance of getting tumors that way whenever they lay down because lying down puts pressure on internal organs which can cause them to develop tumors more easily than if they were standing up all day long with little or no pressure put on them (they also seem to develop cancer faster when asleep compared with when awake).
- Dogs don’t have much fat under their skin so lying down with your belly exposed makes it easier for your skin to get sunburned or to develop skin cancer, which is why dogs don’t like lying on their backs when it’s hot out because their backs are more exposed to the sun than their stomachs.
- Dogs have a greater chance of getting hip dysplasia if they sleep on their backs because the weight of the dog’s body is put more on the hip bones than it would be if they were sleeping on their stomachs (this can happen in longhaired dogs too, but not as much).
- If a dog suffers from arthritis, lying down with one or both legs straight out can help relieve some of the pain because it allows the joints and muscles to relax and stretch out so that tension in them is relieved and they feel less pain.
- Dogs are more likely to develop diabetes if they don’t get enough exercise and that’s due in part because a dog that sleeps all day long doesn’t get enough exercise and so doesn’t burn as many calories as a dog that gets at least some exercise every now and then by running around chasing squirrels or other animals (the reason why I say this is because dogs are nocturnal animals who sleep during the day and get up at night to go out hunting or just roaming around).
- They are more likely to suffer from arthritis if they lay down with one or both legs straight out like this because it puts pressure on joints that aren’t used to being bent all day long like that so when they get up, they feel sore and stiff.
How To Help A Dog That Breathes Heavy And Has His Tongue Out While Sleeping?
A dog that breathes heavily and has his tongue out while sleeping could be having a few different issues.
- They could have an overactive thyroid.
- They could be suffering from heart arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat).
- They could have diabetes mellitus or even hypothyroidism.
- They could suffer from a respiratory infection or chronic bronchitis, which is caused by chronic inflammation of the airways, which can sometimes lead to breathing problems and lower airway resistance (a measure of how effectively they’re breathing).
- It could also be a sign of an overactive adrenal gland (a gland that secretes hormones like adrenaline and cortisol). Dogs with this condition may pant heavily and have their tongues hanging out while sleeping as they try to catch their breath after an intense bout of exercise or playtime with you!
- Your dog may have had an extreme bout of stress, like after being in the car with your kids for hours on end without any breaks in between, while being driven to several different places without being properly supervised by you or your kids, or maybe during a vacation when you were gone for days at a time – all the while not being properly trained on how to behave around unfamiliar people and situations!
- Your dog may start talking when he sleeps because he’s dreaming about something he did during his day – some dogs dream about chasing cats, while others dream about chasing squirrels, digging holes, or playing with toys. Your dog could also be dreaming about you and how much you love him and how much fun he had playing with you!
Bottom Line
Dogs can be pretty weird when they sleep, but there is a reason behind it. Breathing heavily with their tongues out helps them relax, stay cool, and take in more scents. If your dog is breathing heavily and has his tongue out while sleeping, try to help him calm down. If it continues, take him to the vet to make sure everything is okay. If you ever catch your dog sleeping with his tongue sticking out, don’t laugh at him. Instead, try to appreciate and respect the fact that dogs are animals and not just “cute” house pets.