Do Dogs Dream?

  It’s fun to watch your dog sleeping, especially if they’re the kind of dog that twitches and makes noises in their sleep. It looks like they’re running or playing and you ask yourself,

Can dogs dream?

It’s impossible to know whether dogs dream in the same way that people do, in narratives complete with characters and interesting incidents. However, scientists have researched canine sleep and have found that dogs do go through rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, the sleep phase associated with dreaming in humans.

Dogs enter REM sleep approximately 20 minutes after they doze off. The phase usually lasts for two or three minutes, during which time the dog’s breathing becomes erratic. If the dog is very old or very young, the muscles may move more noticeably.

Middle-aged dogs are less likely to twitch during REM sleep. Like humans, their brains paralyze their muscles while they’re sleeping so they don’t can dream safely.

What do dogs dream about?

Some researchers have studied canine dreams by inhibiting the part of the brain that activates sleep paralysis. The affected dogs showed physical behavior similar to what their waking habits would be. Pointers point, retrievers retrieve, and terriers go after rodents.

So, yes, if your puppy looks like he’s chasing rabbits in his sleep, he very well may be doing just that.

Essentially, these dogs acted out their dreams. Some humans actually show this behavior in real life, due to a condition called REM sleep disorder.

Does every dog dream?

Again, it’s impossible to know whether all dogs dream, but scientists believe that it’s very likely they do. Small dogs tend to dream more than larger dogs, simply because their sleep cycles are shorter. Puppies dream more than adult dogs because their brains are more active, taking in new information about their world every day.

Do dogs have nightmares?

It’s unlikely that every dog’s dream will be pleasant, but don’t try waking your dog up if it seems like they’re having a bad dream. Remember that dogs dream during REM sleep just like people do and waking up during REM sleep isn’t conducive to rest.

 As a matter of fact, waking up suddenly at any time in the middle of a sleep cycle is bad for the mammal brain. For people, it can cause grogginess, mood disturbances, and even higher blood pressure. Since dogs’ sleep cycles function so similarly to humans', it’s fair to assume that they won’t like being awakened from a dream either.

It certainly won’t do you any good to wake your dog up during a bad dream. Humans remember dreams better when they wake up in the middle of one. We don’t know if dogs remember their dreams, but why take that chance?

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

As little as we know about canine dreams, other than the fact that they exist, we know that they happen as part of a natural sleep cycle. Interrupting a sleep cycle is like stopping a medical procedure before it’s done – the body just isn’t ready. 

Your dog needs complete sleep cycles to be rested, so unless you want a cranky pooch,  just let them sleep and enjoy wondering what's going through their little doggy mind.