diff --git a/docker/README.md b/docker/README.md
index 1b1cad99..9aeaac9d 100644
--- a/docker/README.md
+++ b/docker/README.md
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ Example session:
     2024-08-26 09:04:34,938 INFO: establishing a new patroni heartbeat connection to postgres
     2024-08-26 09:04:34,992 INFO: running post_bootstrap
     2024-08-26 09:04:35,004 WARNING: User creation via "bootstrap.users" will be removed in v4.0.0
-    2024-08-26 09:04:35,009 WARNING: Could not activate Linux watchdog device: Can't open watchdog device: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/dev/watchdog'
     2024-08-26 09:04:35,189 INFO: initialized a new cluster
     2024-08-26 09:04:35,328 INFO: no action. I am (patroni1), the leader with the lock
     2024-08-26 09:04:43,824 INFO: establishing a new patroni restapi connection to postgres
@@ -172,7 +171,7 @@ Example session:
     2024-08-26 08:21:18,202 INFO: running post_bootstrap
     2024-08-26 08:21:19.048 UTC [53] LOG:  starting maintenance daemon on database 16385 user 10
     2024-08-26 08:21:19.048 UTC [53] CONTEXT:  Citus maintenance daemon for database 16385 user 10
-    2024-08-26 08:21:19,058 WARNING: Could not activate Linux watchdog device: Can't open watchdog device: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/dev/watchdog'
+    2024-08-26 08:21:19,058 DEBUG: Could not activate Linux watchdog device: Can't open watchdog device: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/dev/watchdog'
     2024-08-26 08:21:19.250 UTC [37] LOG:  checkpoint starting: immediate force wait
     2024-08-26 08:21:19,275 INFO: initialized a new cluster
     2024-08-26 08:21:22.946 UTC [37] LOG:  checkpoint starting: immediate force wait
diff --git a/patroni/watchdog/base.py b/patroni/watchdog/base.py
index ad80dfe5..b67a8ce4 100644
--- a/patroni/watchdog/base.py
+++ b/patroni/watchdog/base.py
@@ -140,7 +140,10 @@ class Watchdog(object):
             self.impl.open()
             actual_timeout = self._set_timeout()
         except WatchdogError as e:
-            logger.warning("Could not activate %s: %s", self.impl.describe(), e)
+            if self.config.mode == MODE_REQUIRED:
+                logger.warning("Could not activate %s: %s", self.impl.describe(), e)
+            else:
+                logger.debug("Could not activate %s: %s", self.impl.describe(), e)
             self.impl = NullWatchdog()
             actual_timeout = self.impl.get_timeout()