Dogs sleep a lot. Labradors practically invented napping. But depression sleep is different. It’s deep, non-responsive hibernation mode. They might sleep 14 to 18 hours a day and still look exhausted.
Look at the quality of the sleep. Are they twitching? Chasing dream rabbits? Or are they just a limp, breathing bag of fur? A depressed dog often sleeps with a “heaviness” that feels off.
And here’s the kicker: waking them up feels like a chore. You get that slow blink, a heavy sigh, and zero attempt to move. That’s not restful; that’s escapism.
