What does your dog dream about? Dog Facts!

Are you the one who gets ‘aww’ whenever you see your pup sleeping? It’s hard to ignore when a dog sleeps. Sometimes you will find them wiggling their tails or making low bark noises while sleeping. They look adorable doing it. But have you ever wondered why they do this? What do they dream about? Do they dream about their owners? Or do they just dream about their favourite treats? Being a dog parent, it is quite often to think about such questions while watching these little angels sleeping. 

ThePetNest understands the curiosity behind such thoughts. Hence, we decided to dig deep into this matter and let you know what does your dog dreams about. Do they dream? What kind of dreams do they get, good or bad ones? Also, how to make sure your fur friends always get the best sleep in the world? In this post, we have answered all such questions. So, let’s go one by one:  

Do dogs dream?

If we talk about this scientifically, experts say that all kinds of vertebrates including mammals, birds, reptiles, fishes, etc. can dream whenever they sleep. Well, vertebrates are animals that possess a vertebral column and/or notochord at any point in their lives. Hence, scientifically, it's proven that dogs do dream regularly. 

Like us, humans, dogs also have a dreaming cycle where they get to dream different types of dreams varying their ages. It’s the same as the mind processing various images, sounds, things, etc. in a dog’s mind as human babies. So, the next question that comes to mind is what they dream about. Right

 

What does your dog dream about?

What a dog can dream? About their dog stuff. What else? It can be anything like playing with their favourite interactive toy, chasing cats, eating treats, or even spending time with their owners. It could be anything but can’t be beyond their daily routines or wishes. 

Dog experts say that dogs are more prone to have rapid sleeping cycles which means they can go into deep sleep instantly. Hence, there are high chance they dream about the doggie things that they do in their daily routines.

For instance, you must have noticed that dogs wiggle their tails and buts while sleeping in the same manner as they do while meeting you when you come home from your office or outdoors. Or, some of the pups also move their legs like they are running in some plains or chasing something. 

You can easily analyse their dreams following their daily habits or behaviour. The way they do during the day, they dream similarly while sleeping. No wonder, sometimes a dog even barks while sleeping. That’s quite common as they love barking. Dogs are meant for barking. Jokes apart. 

We also tried to figure out whether dogs always have happy dreams in their daily routines or get bad dreams like human babies. It can be, right? If a dog can dream, it can have nightmares too. What do you think?

Do dogs get bad dreams or nightmares?

Yes, dogs have nightmares! Bad dreams or nightmares are associated with negative emotions they get during the day. Or the fear they have. 

For instance, one of our dog parents adopted a pug, Jimmy, who went through a tormented experience before adoption. Even when Jimmy got adopted and lived with a super caring family, he used to cry a lot while sleeping or used to wake up suddenly. And sometimes, even avoided sleeping. It was all a result of a bad experience he had with his previous family. The vet suggested that Jimmy is still going through that trauma in his dreams and fearing to go through the same. The vet suggested several basic changes to raise Jimmy, making sure he gets all the love and attention to get out of it. With undying love from his new dog's parents, now Jimmy is a super healthy and happy dog. 

This story states that dogs get bad dreams and these nightmares can hamper their mental state a lot. So, what to do when your dog gets nightmares, or how you can know that your dog is experiencing something bad in its dream? Well, there are a few signs you can look into to analyse whether your dog is having a bad dream or not. 

Signs:

• Loud barking or growling while sleeping
• Sweaty paws
• Whining or whimpering
• Shivering or having a sudden fever
• Fast breathing 
• Tense jaw or body looks like in a super alert position

Though twitching eyelids or moving paws is quite common when a dog sleeps, if you notice the above-mentioned signs, then your dog is having a bad dream.

What to do when your dog is having a nightmare?

Never wake them instantly. Your dog is already in some bad zone and might not be able to understand after a sudden waking tap. Or your dog can even reach aggressively due to fear or disorientation. This is also common among humans too. If they are having a bad dream, you wake them up, they might take a few seconds to analyse that they were dreaming only. 

Dogs are like lifetime toddlers, with age they tend to get more sensitive. Hence, you need to treat your pup like a toddler in this regard. 

If you feel that your dog is uncomfortable with the dream and you need to do something, then start calling its name with all the love you have for your dog. Call with the sweet alias names you use while calling them. Then, show your presence to your dog by gently touching and saying the name simultaneously. Once they wake up and recognize you, give your dog all the love and attention you can give. Say it - “I will not let anything happen to you. You are my baby.” Then, you would see how calm they get after getting all the love and care from you. They going to love you more after this. You can also take your dog for a relaxing pet grooming session. After all, who doesn't like to be pampered? 

Now, let's take you through some interesting dog facts and their sleeping habits.

Dog Sleeping Facts:

• If you have a small dog breed, then you have a dog who loves sleeping. Small breeds tend to sleep more than large breeds. Hence, they dream more. 
• Dogs spend most of their time, almost half their time, doing deep sleep. Hence, they dream a lot. No wonder, maybe more than us, humans. ROFL.
• Puppies are more likely to dream than adult dogs. Pups get to process new information daily. Life is pretty exciting for them. Hence, they tend to dream a lot, like all the time. 

Takeaway!

Dogs do dream. They dream about their favourite stuffed animal or maybe the owner. They get both good and bad dreams. You can analyse based on the body movements they do while sleeping. But make sure you won’t wake them instantly. It can turn against you, just out of fear. Otherwise, your dog always love you, more than its own life. 

As a dog parent, you must have a slight idea about their sleeping habits. How about cats? Many pet lovers have both dogs and cats, together. Have you ever wondered what cats dream about? Do they plan to murder you during their sleep or give you purr kisses? If this interests you, let us know in the comment section. We will share our opinion on the same too. 

Till then, goodnight to your fur babies. Happy Sleeping!