What do dogs dream
This is a question that probably all of us have asked ourselves. Unfortunately, we will never know the answer for sure, but can guess what’s going on in canine dreamland.
What dogs dream, how do you recognize it and is that even a good thing?
You will find out in the following guide.
What do dogs dream when they sleep?
We assume that dogs dream of these things, among other things:
- From their master or mistress
- From their favorite food or treat
- From her favorite place to sleep, which might be by your side
- From a dog lady or dog man they are in love with
- About romping around in the great outdoors and chasing rabbits, mice & co.
Good to know:
what dogs dream when they sleep we can only guess and guess. The reason is obvious. Dogs and humans do not speak the same language when communicating with each other.
How do I know if my dog is dreaming?
You can based on the following things realize that your dog is actually dreaming.
Pull out
The clearest sign that dogs are dreaming is when they twitch. This twitch shows among other things in the eyelids, the muzzle, the tail and also on the paws or legs.
Sounds
Also Soundsthat dogs emit while sleeping is an indication that they are dreaming. If you barkwhile they should be slumbering, it can be both a hunt or play with another dog or you act.
Not only barking is a sign. Also Squeaking, howling or eyelashes can tell you that your dog is dreaming. And even one Provide information about whether it is a good or a bad dream.
kicking
Twitching while dreaming is completely normal. As well as that Leg kicking. Partially this can be quite violent and your dog literally kicks around.
Already knew?
Dog sleep can be broken down into 5 phases:
- The sleep phase
- The light sleep phase
- The deep sleep phase
- The REM phase
- the waking phase
In one night, most dogs go through about 20 of these so-called sleeping circles. Enough time to dream of all sorts of things.
Is it good if my dog dreams?
Yes, it’s good if your dog dreams.
Just like with us humans, dreams serve to to process the experience. These are good experiences as well as not so good ones.
So dreams are a kind of «sleep therapy»during which your fur nose processes the previous day or things that happened further back.
Already knew?
It is very important, especially for puppies, to dream a lot. Because the little mice take lots of new impressions every day up in itself.
That means: You experience a lot, and much of it in turn is part of the puppy learning process.
Dreaming helps the mini fur noses to process these experiences and also to learn from them.
In addition, the sleep helps the puppies to break away from the world of experience, which can definitely be described as sensory overload to recover.
Can my dog have nightmares?
Also here a clear one «Yes!» Your dog can have nightmares. How can you recognize these? Your dog sometimes dreams very violently.
Maybe he dreams and runs? But he will definitely be part utter terrible and heartrending noises.
But why nightmares? Trauma is usually the triggeri.e. experiences that have negatively influenced your dog.
It can be in the worst case, abuse – for example, if you got your dog from the animal shelter and don’t know what previous history it has already experienced.
Likewise are longer stays at the vet or in an animal hospitalwhich then also take place overnight, a reason for nightmares.
Why it is like that? Here your dog did not have its usual environment, you were not there. But lots of new smells, strange animals and people.
Not to mention the illness that prevented him from being at home. These terrible experiences are also processed in the form of dreams.
Should I intervene if my dog is having very violent dreams?
Absolutely no way you should intervene if your dog is having very violent dreams. Let’s say he’s going through an absolute nightmare. So he is trapped in a situation that he finds difficult to deal with.
If you wake him up now, he is still in this situation. He probably is scared, he does not know what is happening. So he can don’t differentiate between nightmare and you.
possible aggression, but also fear of death, are still present in the waking state. That means: It may be that he snaps at you because he just doesn’t know where he is at the moment.
It is not for nothing that they say: sleeping dogs should not be awakened.
Conclusion
dogs dream like and a lot. As with us humans, it is also a way for them to process the experience and maybe even learn from it.
It’s not always good dreams. Sometimes it can also nightmares be. Both types can be recognized by Your dog twitches, kicks and makes noises.
It is important that you let him sleep and dream in peace – especially when he has a bad dream.
What experiences would you like to share with us? Has your dog ever had nightmares? And if so, what was the reason for that? Or is your dog a happy dog who slumbers peacefully?
We would be happy if you share these dream stories with us in the comments.