My Dog Is Really Tired in Spanish | Say It Like A Native

“Mi perro está muy cansado” is the standard line, and “agotado” works when your dog is exhausted.

Your dog flops down, lets out a long sigh, and looks like his batteries just died. You want to say it in Spanish in a way that sounds normal, not like a word-for-word translation. This article gives you the phrases people actually use, the small grammar choices that change the meaning, and ready-to-say sentences for sitters, friends, and vet visits.

You’ll notice Spanish has more than one “tired.” The word you pick depends on intensity, timing (right now vs. a general pattern), and what caused the fatigue. Get those three right and you’ll sound natural fast.

My Dog Is Really Tired in Spanish: Phrases That Sound Natural

If you want the safest, everyday sentence, start here:

• Mi perro está muy cansado. (My dog is quite tired.)

“Está” marks a state right now. “Cansado” is the plain adjective for fatigue. The dictionary entry for cansado shows it as a standard adjective tied to tiredness and related meanings.

When “cansado” feels too mild, these are common upgrades that don’t sound dramatic:

• Mi perro está agotado. (My dog is exhausted.)
• Mi perro está rendido. (My dog is worn out, done for the day.)
• Mi perro está hecho polvo. (My dog is wiped out.)
• Mi perro está muerto de sueño. (My dog is dead sleepy.)

“Agotado” is the cleanest step up from “cansado.” The agotado entry ties it to exhaustion, which is why it fits after a long hike, a travel day, heat, or a marathon play session.

“Rendido” often carries the vibe of “finally crashed.” “Hecho polvo” is casual and chatty, great with friends. “Muerto de sueño” leans more toward sleepiness than muscle fatigue, so it’s perfect when your dog can’t keep his eyes open.

Choosing Between “Está” And “Es” When You Describe Fatigue

Spanish uses two verbs for “to be,” and tiredness is one of those spots where the choice matters. With feelings and states, estar is the normal pick. If your dog is tired right now, use está.

Mi perro está cansado means your dog is tired at the moment. Mi perro es cansado can land oddly. It can sound like you’re labeling your dog as “a tiring dog,” or like low energy is a defining trait, not a temporary state.

If you want the grammar behind that contrast, the Instituto Cervantes discusses how Spanish separates states from more stable descriptions in its material on the topic. See: Usos de «ser» y «estar».

In plain terms, keep this in your pocket:

• Está cansado / está agotado = what’s happening now.
• Es tranquilo = what your dog is like in general (calm temperament).

Small Tweaks That Make The Sentence Feel Native

Once you’ve got the base phrase, Spanish speakers often add one small detail: what caused it, how long it’s been going on, or what the dog is doing right now. You don’t need a long explanation. One clean add-on usually does the job.

Say What Triggered The Tiredness

• Después del paseo, mi perro está cansado. (After the walk, my dog is tired.)
• Jugó mucho y ahora está agotado. (He played a lot and now he’s exhausted.)
• Hoy ha corrido bastante; está rendido. (He ran quite a bit today; he’s worn out.)
• Con este calor, está agotado. (With this heat, he’s exhausted.)

Putting the cause up front helps the listener read the situation. “Tired after activity” often sounds normal. “Tired with no clear reason” sounds different, so those details matter.

Show Timing And Duration

• Desde esta mañana está más cansado. (Since this morning he’s been more tired.)
• Lleva todo el día durmiendo. (He’s been sleeping all day.)
• Se quedó dormido enseguida. (He fell asleep right away.)
• Está cansado desde ayer. (He’s been tired since yesterday.)

“Llevar + time + gerund” is a handy structure for ongoing actions. It’s a clean way to say your dog has been doing something for a while without sounding stiff.

Pick A Tone: Casual, Neutral, Or Clinical

The same idea can sound casual or more formal depending on the words you pick.

• Casual: Mi perro está hecho polvo.
• Neutral: Mi perro está muy cansado.
• More formal: Mi perro está fatigado.

“Fatigado” is understood, though it’s more common in writing and medical-style speech than in everyday chat.

Avoid This Common Trap: “Tired Of”

English “tired” can also mean “tired of” (fed up). Spanish uses a different structure:

• Está cansado. (He’s tired.)
• Está cansado de… (He’s tired of…)

So Estoy cansado de esperar means “I’m tired of waiting.” That’s not what you want when you’re describing your dog’s energy level, so stick with está cansado plus a cause like después del paseo.

Quick Reference Table For Tiredness Phrases

This table groups common options by intensity and when they fit.

Spanish Phrase	English Meaning	When It Fits
Mi perro está cansado.	My dog is tired.	Everyday fatigue after normal activity.
Mi perro está muy cansado.	My dog is quite tired.	Stronger tiredness, still ordinary.
Mi perro está agotado.	My dog is exhausted.	After long exercise, heat, travel, or a busy day.
Mi perro está rendido.	My dog is worn out.	When your dog has crashed and wants rest.
Mi perro está hecho polvo.	My dog is wiped out.	Friendly, casual talk with people you know.
Mi perro tiene sueño.	My dog is sleepy.	When it’s more about sleep than exercise fatigue.
Lleva horas durmiendo.	He’s been sleeping for hours.	When you want to describe an ongoing nap streak.
No quiere levantarse.	He doesn’t want to get up.	Adds a behavior detail people grasp fast.

Pronunciation Notes That Stop Awkward Misunderstandings

You don’t need a perfect accent, yet a couple of stress patterns make your Spanish clearer right away. “Cansado” has stress on sa: can-SA-do. “Agotado” has stress on ta: a-go-TA-do. Spanish spelling is consistent, so once you learn stress placement, you can read new words with confidence.

If you ever want a trusted place to double-check standard spellings and usage notes, the Diccionario panhispánico de dudas is a solid reference for common questions.

When “Tired” Might Mean Something Else

Dog owners often use “tired” as shorthand for a few different states. Spanish gives you clean ways to separate them, which helps when you’re explaining things to a sitter or describing symptoms at a clinic.

Sleepy Vs. Physically Worn Out

• Tiene sueño. (He’s sleepy.)
• Está somnoliento. (He’s drowsy.)
• Está cansado. (He’s tired.)

“Tiene sueño” is great when your dog is nodding off and everything else feels normal. If your dog is tired after activity, “está cansado” stays the default.

Low Energy Or Not Himself

• Está sin ganas. (He’s not up for it.)
• Está decaído. (He’s a bit down, low-energy.)
• Está apagado. (He seems flat, not his usual self.)

These aren’t direct copies of “tired.” They describe what you’re seeing without guessing the cause, which is useful when you’re trying to be clear.

Hungry, Thirsty, Or Just Done With The Day

• Está sin apetito. (He has no appetite.)
• Tiene sed. (He’s thirsty.)
• Ya no quiere jugar. (He doesn’t want to play anymore.)

These lines pair well with “está cansado” when you’re painting a fuller picture in a single message.

Table Of Add-On Details You Can Mix In

Use these add-ons to build a fuller picture in one or two extra words.

Detail You Want To Add	Spanish Add-On	Sample Sentence
After a walk	Después del paseo	Después del paseo, mi perro está cansado.
After play	Después de jugar	Después de jugar, está rendido.
Since this morning	Desde esta mañana	Desde esta mañana está más cansado.
All day	Todo el día	Ha estado durmiendo todo el día.
Doesn’t want to eat	No quiere comer	Está decaído y no quiere comer.
Moves slowly	Camina despacio	Camina despacio y se tumba enseguida.
Heat day	Con este calor	Con este calor, está agotado.

Useful Full Sentences For Sitters, Friends, And Vets

These lines are ready to copy into a text message. They stay plain, clear, and easy to repeat.

For A Friend Or Sitter

• Hoy ha tenido un día largo; está agotado. (He’s had a long day; he’s exhausted.)
• Si se duerme pronto, es normal; jugó mucho. (If he falls asleep early, it’s normal; he played a lot.)
• Déjalo descansar un rato. (Let him rest for a bit.)
• Si no quiere jugar, déjalo tranquilo. (If he doesn’t want to play, let him be.)

For A Clinic Visit

• Desde ayer está más cansado y duerme más. (Since yesterday he’s more tired and sleeps more.)
• No quiere levantarse como siempre. (He doesn’t want to get up like usual.)
• No tiene el mismo ánimo. (He doesn’t have the same pep.)
• Está decaído y no quiere comer. (He’s low-energy and doesn’t want to eat.)

If fatigue comes with serious signs like trouble breathing, repeated vomiting, sudden weakness, or collapse, treat it as urgent and contact a veterinarian right away.

Common Mistakes English Speakers Make With This Phrase

Most mix-ups come from translating word by word and keeping English patterns.

Using “Ser” For A Temporary State

Incorrect: Mi perro es cansado.

Better: Mi perro está cansado.

The “ser” version can sound like you’re labeling your dog as a trait. With fatigue right now, “estar” is what Spanish speakers expect to hear.

Stacking Too Many Intensifiers

English often piles on “so,” “super,” and “really.” Spanish can do that, yet the cleanest way is usually one modifier plus the right adjective. “Muy cansado” or “agotado” is often enough. If you need more punch, switch the adjective rather than stacking extra words.

Forgetting Gender Agreement

Adjectives match your dog’s grammatical gender. A male dog is cansado; a female dog is cansada. If you’re talking about multiple dogs, use plural: mis perros están cansados.

Mini Practice So The Words Stick

Try these quick swaps. Say them out loud twice.

• Mi perro está cansado → Mi perra está cansada.
• Mi perro está cansado → Mi perro está agotado.
• Mi perro está cansado → Después del paseo, mi perro está cansado.
• Tiene sueño → Está somnoliento.

Now you’ve got the everyday phrase, the stronger version, and the add-ons that make your Spanish sound like something a real person would say.