Can Dogs Dream? Here is a Little Insight!

Have you ever noticed your four-legged friend barking or moving their legs or paws while they are in deep sleep? You may have wondered what your dog was dreaming about! Although we don’t have all the answers, research can give us some ideas.

Several studies show that most people and animals dream regularly. One of the most important things to note is that dogs experience several sleep cycles, much like humans. Sleep periods consist of wakefulness, Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, and non-rapid-eye movement sleep.

Interestingly, the period that is most responsible for the most vivid and memorable dreams is the REM sleep stage.

Studies show that dogs can dream about pretty much anything! When you hear a dog barking while they are sleeping, it might have dreamt that it saw a squirrel or another dog. Have you noticed their legs moving while they are dreaming? If so, they could be running in their dream.

The possibilities are truly endless! Per the National Sleep Foundation, dogs spend about half their day sleeping. However, puppies, seniors, and larger breeds may spend even more time sleeping.

You can imagine how many dreams our dogs are experiencing!

To add to the topic, unfortunately, dogs can have nightmares too. We never recommend that you try to wake your dog if they are having a nightmare because certain risks are associated with this. It is common for a dog to act aggressively once awakened from a nightmare because it is in a vulnerable state of mind. So, there you have it. Yes, dogs can dream, and a little science is behind it!