My dog’s dreams
Living with a four-legged friend at my side constantly surprises me. When I think that my knowledge about dogs is already really big, I always suddenly come across a topic that is completely unknown to me. So it was recently when my doggy during sleep began to move quite extensively with his paws. Although I know that this is common and normal behaviour among dogs, I have never given this phenomenon a thought.
Then I asked myself, can my pet dream? If so, what do the dog’s dreams about?
Can the dog dream
The answer to this question is ambiguous. Although many studies have been conducted focusing on the dog’s sleep, they can only partially show what is happening in the mind of the quadruped at that time. Why?
The answer to this question is very simple. The only reliable confirmation of what the dog can see during sleep could be his reflection, which, as we know, is rather unlikely. Dogs cannot share their dreamy experiences with us.
Nevertheless, observing the dog’s behavior when he goes to sleep allows us to assume that then his mind creates the possibility of dreaming. On what basis do we claim that our pooch is dreaming?
Usually, when the dog enters a deeper phase of sleep, you can easily observe small movements and the sounds he makes. Then, while sleeping, the pooch can move his paws lightly as if he was just running. In addition, you can also hear the pet’s grunting, growling and sometimes even squeaking. Recently, I even managed to observe that my dog wrinkles his nose as if he was sniffing.
Observing how the dog runs while sleeping is very emotional for me. However, when I hear that the pooch is starting to quietly squeak, even that I know that he is fine, I am very sad.
The difference between dog sleep and man sleep
We can distinguish two main stages of sleep for both dogs and humans. The first phase called NREM begins right after we fall asleep. After some time, we enter the REM phase, in which our sleep is the deepest and allows us full rest. It is then that dreams appear in the mind of man, but also pooches.
The first difference is the length of transition from NREM to REM. For our four-legged friend, the process takes much less time than it does during our sleep. A human falls into a deep sleep after about 90 minutes. With dogs, this happens after about 20 minutes. So, as you can see, the pooch is entering the REM phase much faster than we do.
Another fairly significant difference between the sleep of a man and a dog is its duration. To be fully rested, you need about 8 hours of sleep per day.
As you have certainly noticed, your dog sleeps much longer. During the day, dogs can spend up to 15 hours sleeping. Of course, the exact length of sleep is an individual matter for each pooch, but the average is much longer than for humans.
Should you wake the dog up
Dog dreams can be different, they can be good and bad. So what should you do if, based on the reaction of your pet, you can conclude that he is in the middle of a nightmare? Should you wake him up? The answer is – better not. You probably wonder why. First of all, you are not sure if you have read the dog’s behaviour correctly during sleep. There is a chance that you get the wrong opinion on this matter.
The dog’s dreams occur when he is in the REM phase. Then his body has the opportunity for full regeneration and relaxation. If you wake the pooch in the middle of this phase, then his sleep will be less effective and his quality will decrease significantly.
Another no less important reason why you should not disturb the pooches while sleeping is the fact that the sudden interruption of sleep will make him strongly confused by the situation. Unexpectedly pulling him out of the REM phase is a very unpleasant feeling, which you certainly have once had the opportunity to experience. You can’t predict what the dog dreamed about at the moment and how he will react in the first moment after waking up. Perhaps in his mind, he was in the middle of a conflict. The first few seconds after waking can still be treated as a dream and make an uncontrolled attack.
If you really need to wake up a sleeping pooch, do it by calling. The doggy will certainly hear his name spoken by you and will wake up from a tasty dream.
How to improve your dog’s sleep quality
As you probably know, sleep plays an important role in the regeneration of the pooch’s body. It is then that your pet has a chance to fully rest and relax. So, if you have a possibility, it is worth improving the quality of your dog’s sleep. The selection of a suitable lair is a very important factor.
If you want to know how to choose the right bed for your quadruped, I encourage you to read the post fully devoted to this topic – How to choose the right dog bed.
My latest discovery is a dog sleeping bag. My doggy just loves it. His favourite is BLISS sleeping bag from Bowl&Bone Republic. Its soft and pleasant interior makes my pet fall asleep in the blink of an eye.
What do you think? What is your pooch dreaming about during the afternoon nap?