Believe it or not, humans are not the only creatures that dream at night. Our furry pals share our same nighttime adventures. While you may dream about flying over a city or having a million dollars, your dog may have dreams just as big. Many dog owners have described their dog’s dream actions as twitching, howling/growling, or attempting to run while lying on their side. All of these can be indicators of increased mental activity while asleep.
Did you know that dogs sleep 10-12 hours per day? They wake up more often than we do but sleep a lot more. That gives them plenty of time to dream about the things that excite them most. Do you know your dog better than anybody else? What do you think his favorite dreams are?
Past Experiences
Just like us, dogs remember situations from the past. Researchers have concluded that dogs learn quite well from experiences, positive and negative. When a dog is asleep and enters REM, his brain is racing, and any experiences from the prior day can run through his mind. Maybe he’s thinking about an exciting time at the dog park. Or maybe he remembers the squirrel he almost caught in the backyard. Regardless, if you’ve ever had dreams about a particular situation or experience, you can be assured that your pal often dreams about his.
Scary Situations
We’ve all had them. Dreams that cause us fear and anxiety. Nightmares. We aren’t the only creatures to experience this phenomenon. Dogs can have scary dreams, just as we can. While we cannot tell what a dog is specifically dreaming about, we can measure his physiological response. Particular signs indicate fear in humans as well as dogs. Increased heart rate, heavy breathing or panting, and elevated perspiration indicate fear, anxiety, or stress. These have all been measured in humans as well as dogs while asleep. Humans can awake and explain that they just had a nightmare, but unfortunately, we cannot communicate as easily with our pets. Our best bet is to infer that these particular biological signals are indicators of the same emotions humans share.
Fun Times
Meeting new friends. Tasty treats. New smells. Chasing a ball. All wonderful times in a dog’s mind. These situations are all remembered vividly by dogs. Have you ever pulled your dog’s leash off the wall only to see him jump for joy? Or you pulled a Chuck It from a box, and the look on your dog’s face went from bored and sleepy to ready and alert in 2 seconds. These are examples of a dog remembering past fun times and looking forward to another positive experience.
Just as easily as dogs recall these great experiences while awake, they often recall them while asleep. For example, does your dog run freely at the beach? Or his favorite pastime is rolling on his back in a patch of grass. Either of these would make for great doggy dreams.
What Else Do Dogs Dream About?
Does your dog dream at night? What about during the day? If you’ve seen your dog twitch, howl, or rapidly move at night, you can be assured he’s dreaming. Please share your story below, and let us know what your dog dreams about the most. The best stories will be shared in a future blog post.