What Do Dogs Dream About?

Have you ever seen a dog sleeping and notice its twitching? Or maybe it’s whining, and you can see its eyes moving back and forth under its lids.

When you see this activity, you can be pretty sure your dog is dreaming. But what the heck is it dreaming about? Chasing squirrels? Catching a frisbee? Or maybe it’s having a nightmare!

Unfortunately, you can’t ask your dog what they’re dreaming about, so no one really knows for sure. But we can speculate.

When we notice a dog twitching about in its sleep, we usually assume that they’re dreaming. But is this really the case?

Experts say yes. In fact, researchers believe that even the simplest vertebrates, like the common fruit flies, dream.

There is proof that, like humans, dogs go through several sleep cycles including Rapid Eye Movement or REM sleep, and non-REM sleep. REM sleep is the cycle of sleep responsible for vivid dreams and forming memories.

Scientists have established evidence of REM sleep in most mammals based on their studies of rats.

The rats in the study spent all day running around in a maze. The scientists monitored their brain activity while they were running in the maze and compared it to their brain activity when they were sleeping later in the day.

They found that the brain activity when they were sleeping was very similar to the brain activity that occurred when they were running through the maze. This demonstrated that, like humans, rats dream about their day. Scientists also found that they can have complex dreams that involve the replay of long sequences of events.

Dogs are like humans and rats in that they also dream about their day. Only, their days are a little more interesting than rats. They also sleep for 12-14 hours per day giving them plenty of time to dream.

But What Exactly Do Dogs dream About?

Researchers were able to get some insight into the matter by conducting a study on dogs in which they disabled a portion of the brain stem called the pons during sleep.

The pons is responsible for keeping muscles paralyzed while sleeping. When disabled, the dogs would act out the activities they were thinking of while asleep. Researchers concluded that they were dreaming of their daily activities such as running around chasing a ball or playing with others.

The study also showed that dogs would dream differently depending on their breed. Dream patterns also changed based on dog size. Small dogs have shorter, more frequent dreams while large dogs have fewer, longer dreams.

While it is unknown exactly what dogs dream about, there are a few common themes that are likely to come into play. These include:

• Eating
• Chasing another animal
• Chasing a ball
• Playing with toys
• Dreaming of their favorite activities
• Fun times with their owner (that’s right, your dog may even be dreaming about you!)

Do Dogs Have Nightmares?

It’s sad but true, just like humans, dogs can have nightmares. If you see your dog twitching excessively or if you hear them whimpering in their sleep, you may suspect they’re having a nightmare.

So what should you do? Should you wake them up to save them from having these distressing thoughts?

Experts say no. It’s best to let them sleep. If you wake them, they may act aggressively towards you.

Furthermore, sleep is necessary for a dog’s wellbeing. That’s why it’s important to let them sleep no matter how disturbing their dreams may be.

If you’re concerned about their mental state, just be sure to give them a cuddle when they wake up.

So how can I tell what my dog is dreaming about?

If you’re watching your dog sleep, you may be wondering what they’re dreaming about right now.

REM sleep will typically start about 20 minutes into a sleep cycle and last 2-3 minutes. At this point you’ll see your dog begin twitching around which indicates they’re asleep.

Pay attention to how they’re moving. Do they look like they’re running? Or chasing after a ball?

There’s no way to tell what your dog is dreaming about for sure, but their movements during REM sleep are a strong indication, and there may be even stronger indicators. For instance, a Harvard psychologist reported in an interview that he had spoken to a dog owner whose dog didn’t like baths. Every time after the dog had a bath, he would run and hide between his owner’s legs. This was the only time he would engage in such behavior.

One time, the dog woke up and immediately ran and hid between his owner’s legs. The owner took this as a pretty sure sign that the dog had just been having a nightmare about bathing.

Do Dogs and Humans Have Similar Sleep Cycles?

Dogs and humans are similar in that they both have REM and non-Rem sleep cycles. However, there are differences in the way they sleep.

[OfficialDailyTopic]

Hi everyone, thanks for watching! Hope you found this video helpful 🙂

[Jewls]

My dog was just crying and running then growling in her sleep. Ohh noooo what are her bad dreams about? 🥺🥺

[iamBJLJ]

Could have gone w/o the videos of a dog having a seizure, just my .02c. 😉

[evYT]

Shout to sean ranklin. And big ups liquid richard.

[JasonBentleyJones]

I find it disturbing that these fools would deactivate a part of a dog's brain. I don't want to know if they dream about that bad that I want a dog to be harmed just to find out. This is ridiculous!

[angelahoffman]

Nightmares are a good thing. It's the brain's way of safely running a scenario to find a way to survive. Got chased by a bear on that hike? What if the next bear is a rage zombie? How do you survive?

[patriciabryce]

IM RIGHT NEXT OT MY DOG AND IM TRYNA WAKE IT UP BUT ITS NOT WALING UP😢😢 AND OTS JUST LIKE UMM ITS BODY IS SHAKING LIKE ITS RUNNING OR SOMETHING I HOPE ITS OKAY 😢😢😅😢😢😢