# How many hours a day should a 10-year-old Chi sleep?



## Gabey8 (May 3, 2010)

Mini is the consummate lap dog. She absolutely wants to be near me, preferably ON me, at every moment.  She's 10 years old, and she spends a lot of time sleeping on me or right next to me.

I was just wondering what a "normal" amount of time per day is for a 10-year-old Chihuahua to be sleeping, on average. I don't want to mistake a normal sleep pattern for lethargy. Or, worse, I don't want to miss an obvious symptom of trouble like lethargy, for thinking that it's a normal amount of sleep for her to have in a day.

She loves her walks, don't get me wrong. But other than walks and eating, she's perfectly content to relax. And she's EXTREMELY attached to me. Do Chis normally establish a strong bond this quickly (3 weeks since I got her), or is she just needing extra body contact with Mom because she's been uprooted twice in the past two months (once from her original family and once from her first fosterer)?

I'm just trying to make sure I'm up-to-speed so I can quickly identify what's in the realm of normal, what's normal for Mini, and what's an indicator of a problem.


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## MarieUkxx (May 19, 2009)

well Cookie is 14 and he sleeps a lot unless there's something going on. He'll do his business, eat and drink then settle back down and go to sleep. He does sleep a lot but I leave him to it. 

If he's upstairs he'll sleep on the bed while I'm reading or wattching tv. If we're downstairs he'll usually look out the window for a bit then sleep on the sofa.


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## thisbella (Feb 7, 2010)

Senior tends to sleep most of the time. If she eats/drink alright, should be okay. I know of senior dogs that sleep so deeply that their owner gotta shake them to wake them up.

For bonding, i'm not too sure, but i reckon she's extremely attached because of fear.


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## LiMarChis (Mar 29, 2010)

This all sounds pretty normal to me. Yes, they establish bonds quickly and she's doing exactly what a Chi's ever been bred to do...be a lap dog companion. They thrive to be with their people. Yes, she's probably needing some extra attention because of the upheaval in her life. Bless you for taking her in. At her age, their days are pretty much spent laying around, sleeping, and getting up for occassional trips outside, quick runs if they're able, and then back to lay in the sun or your lap. I think what you'll need to watch for is her unwillingness/inability to follow you around the house, lack of enthusiasm to go for walks (and any change in her attitude when she does go), and any change in eating/drinking. Those will be your indicators of health issues brewing. Otherwise, what you're describing is my seniors to a T....and they've been here all their lives.  Thanks for loving this old girl. Sounds like Mini is extremely lucky...and so are you to have her iin your life. Seniors rule!


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## michele (Jan 12, 2009)

thisbella said:


> Senior tends to sleep most of the time. If she eats/drink alright, should be okay. I know of senior dogs that sleep so deeply that their owner gotta shake them to wake them up.
> 
> For bonding, i'm not too sure, but i reckon she's extremely attached because of fear.


Yes my Sheltie (13) is like that,i have to shake him awake sometimes,sounds normal to me.


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## BellaLina's Mom (Mar 16, 2007)

My first chi was a 5-pound, 13 year old rescue named Cammy. It was love at first sight and we bonded from the very first day. 

Cammy lost the only family she knew and she needed extra love and reassurance that I would never leave her. She was grateful for every little thing I did for her, and followed me everywhere. She was my little shadow. She always sat on my lap or was always right by my side. I also took her everywhere with me. As a senior chi, Cammy slept alot - on and off about 8 to 10 hours during the day when I'm at work and she slept through the night with me in my bed. She was healthy and loved her life with me. After 5 short years together, she passed away at age 18, loved to the very end. 

Kudos to you for adopting Mini and giving her a loving forever home to live out the rest of her golden years.


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