It’s clouding up to be another rainy night in Phoenix and the dog has been snoozing away all afternoon.

I’m a little fascinated by how dogs sleep. My little chowhound seems to be asleep all the time yet the slightest sound from the kitchen will awaken her from her zombie-like trance.

Dog experts say the amount of time spent napping varies from dog to dog and depends on the dog’s age and personality. The bigger the dog; the longer they sleep. Newfoundlands, Saint Bernards, and mastiffs log up to sixteen or even eighteen hours a day. Most dogs sleep about fourteen hours.

The Beagle gets a lot of grief from my friends on her amount of sack time. I explain that it’s her age and that she is just storing up her energy. I am so gratified that she proves me right when she is chasing something down during our early-morning walks. Properly motivated, she can zip along and suddenly she is a puppy in an old dog’s clothes running across the field.

Some dogs do sleep too much. While uncommon, narcolepsy, a condition where sleepiness lapses into unconsciousness, does happen. The breeds most affected by this: Dobermans, Poodles, Dauschunds and Labrador Retrievers.

Next entry: Do Dogs Dream?