My 8-week-old puppy sleeps a lot. How can I encourage him to play?

At 24 days old a puppy should be sleeping and eating, urinating and defecating. That is all they do at this age. Ideally Bee should still be with his mother st this age. If he is not he needs to be bottle fed every few hours with puppy formula. If he is too lethargic to nurse he needs a veterinarian exam. But give it time he will start playing in a month or two.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Puppies this young need their sleep, so I would not wake him up when he is sleeping! He will eventually get on more of a normal schedule, but this may take some time. When he is awake, you can absolutely play with him as much as possible during the day to tire him out, but he will still need frequent naps. This is necessary and healthy for growth! I hope this is helpful!

[Puppies](https://www.petcoach.co/article/the-first-week-with-a-new-puppy-what-to-expect) do tend to sleep a lot, averaging 16 to 20 hours daily. Typically, a [puppy](https://www.petcoach.co/article/your-puppys-first-year-8-important-milestones) will play for around 15-30 minutes, then take a nap. So as long as she is behaving normally (eating, drinking, playing) between naps, there is likely no cause for concern at this point. To be safe, I'm going to recommend you take Ellie into your veterinarian for a health check. Your vet can determine if there is an underlying medical cause that requires treatment. At the very, least your [pup](https://www.petcoach.co/article/puppy-101-everything-you-need-to-consider/) will receive a clean bill of health and you will receive peace of mind.

Puppies do go through growth spurts where they can be a bit lethargic for a few days. If Cody seems well and is getting enough to eat I wouldn't worry too much, give it a few days and if he doesn't brighten up visit the vet just to check there isn't a medical reason.

Yes, it is normal for puppies this age to sleep a lot - they play hard and nap hard, just like babies :) As long as he is playful and active when he's awake, and he's eating and drinking normally with no other problems, I wouldn't be concerned.

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, sleeping frequently during the day is not uncommon for puppies less than 8 weeks old. Puppies need a lot of sleep just like human babies do and will change as Sugar gets older. As long as Sugar is normal otherwise (is eating and drinking normally, has normal stool and urine, etc), I wouldn't worry too much. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Short answer is not necessarily. Not all puppies are highly energetic and pretty much all puppies sleep a lot. It also takes some time for them to get used to their new environment. I would give him more time for him to come along especially since he is otherwise doing so well. If at any point he develops symptoms of illness such as vomiting, diarrhea or inappetence, have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Otherwise, he is likely to be just fine. Good luck!