What Do Dogs Dream About, Actually?

Dogs are cute when they sleep. Perhaps you have watched them as they lie there, curled up on their favorite cushion, as they twitch and sometimes whimper, and asked, “do dogs dream?” Or are those jerky movements just random firings of the nervous system?

What Is Our Relationship Between Sleep and Dreams?

Human sleep involves several cycles of wakefulness, rapid eye movement (REM), and non-rapid eye movement. REM is believed to be the dream state. This is the time when we are most likely to experience our dreams, a seemingly random concoction of imagination and memory. One theory is that dreaming is how our brains process memory.

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How Can We Determine if an Animal Is Dreaming?

Research indicates that most vertebrates dream and that even animals less developed than dogs can dream. In a study on rats, MIT researchers encouraged rodents to run daily through a maze. While they ran, the scientists used equipment to record and measure brain activity. During sleep, the same areas of the rats’ brains lit up as when they ran the maze. When the REM images were compared to the images recorded during the maze runs, the scientists could match them to the locations run during the day. The assumption is that the rats dreamed about their day just as we do. The conclusion was that animals have complex dreams.

How Can Scientists Observe Whether or Not Dogs Dream?

Sleep is a big part of a dog’s life. According to the National Sleep Foundation, dogs sleep about 12 hours daily. Puppies, seniors, and large breeds sleep even more! But do they dream?

Dogs’ brains are very similar to those of humans, so it is presumed that they function in a similar way during sleep. Scientists have tested this theory with equipment similar to that used on the rats in the MIT study to monitor sleep cycles. It was determined that brain wave activity during REM and NREM sleep was very similar, which supports the belief that dogs dream.

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What Do They Dream About?

If dogs dream, then what do they dream about? To better understand this question, researchers temporarily disabled the dog’s pons, an area of the brain which regulates large motor functions during sleep cycles. This allowed dogs to move around while they slept. They could watch the dogs’ motions and compare them to their daily activities.

It was found that motions mirrored activities from the day or their past. Dogs dream about their day sometimes, just as we do. It was also determined that the activity level of the dog’s day impacts the length and frequency of dreams. After an active day, dogs spend more time in REM and NREM. Exercise impacts these stages in a similar manner. Additionally, it was determined that older dogs sleep and dream more.

Do Dogs Have Nightmares?

If dogs dream like humans, do they have nightmares? Based on observations, researchers believe so. This is probably why a dog whines in its sleep, though we can’t know for sure. When we observe this behavior, we may feel compassion for what we perceive as suffering and want to wake our pooch up. Don’t! About 60% of dog bites in children happen when a child wakes a sleeping dog, which shows the wisdom of the old adage, “let sleeping dogs lie.” Instead, just watch your dog until it wakes up and comfort it if it appears to need it.

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Does the Dog’s Breed Affect Its Dreams?

Not only does a dog’s breed affect its dreams, but a dog’s size does, too. Apparently, smaller dogs dream more frequently, but their dreams are shorter. Larger dogs have less frequent dreams, but they are longer.

As far as breeds go, the way a dog’s breed shapes its daily activity also shapes its dreams because dogs most likely dream about breed-specific activities. For example, watchdogs may dream about warning off intruders, retrievers may dream about chasing a tennis ball, herding dogs may dream about chasing sheep, and hounds may dream of hunting. This is similar to how we might dream about our jobs.

What Does My Dog Dream About?

What does your dog dream about? You might be able to make some observations of your own. Watch your dog as it dozes off. REM sleep occurs in about 20 minutes and will last about two to three minutes when whining and twitching might occur. Your dog’s eyes might appear to follow mental images. If your dog starts twitching or moving, notice similarities to its waking activities.

One researcher watched his dog sleep when it appeared to have a nightmare. At one point, it woke suddenly, jumped up, and hid behind the researcher’s legs, a behavior only ever exhibited after bathing. Knowing their greatest joys and fears can give you insight into what these nighttime motions might mean.

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Can You Improve Your Dog’s Sleep?

As loving dog owners, it’s important that we manage a dog’s sleep well. Scientists theorize that dreams are used to consolidate memory. This can be helpful with training and socializing your dog. Also, a well-rested dog is probably more patient and well-adjusted, as humans tend to be when we get enough sleep. So how do we encourage sleep that leads to the proper amount of dreaming?

• Exercise your dog and make sure that it has active days.
• Engage and interact with your dog to make it feel relaxed and loved.
• Let your dog out before bedtime.
• Have a consistent bedtime and routine.
• Reduce household activity before bedtime.
• Make sure that your pup has a quiet place of its own with a comfortable doggy bed.
• Don’t wake your dog if it’s sleeping unless absolutely necessary.

After thousands of years of growing and developing, dogs are more like us than just about any other animal, and our connection to our beloved pets is stronger than ever. Our shared capacity to dream is yet another area in which we are more alike than different.

Up Next

• Why Do Dogs Sleep on Their Backs? You May Be Surprised
• 5 Reasons Dogs ‘Smile’ and What They’re Communicating
• 3 Reasons Dogs Don’t Live as Long as Humans, and How to Extend Their Life

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Aleksey Boyko/Shutterstock.com