Most dog owners will agree that their dog does, indeed, dream as evidenced by the tail wagging, feet twitching, and whining during sleep.
Researchers have found that the brain wave activity of dogs during sleep is much like that of humans. They have also found that dogs are physically and emotionally more similar to humans than they are different so it may not be anthropomorphism entirely when we speculate as to what dogs dream about. Of course people can only guess because there has been no proven way to know what is going on in a sleeping dog’s mind; however, dogs have thoughts, reflexes, and memory and all of these probably factor into their dreaming process. Doggy dreams are probably made up of images from everyday life such as chasing birds, playing ball, eating, getting a bath, or watching the humans.
Dog Sleep Patterns
Dogs have sleep patterns similar to humans. Electroencephalogram testing shows their first stage of sleep is light and is called slow wave sleep or SWS. This is when the mind rests. The next stage is a deeper sleep when the body also rests and is called REM sleep because of rapid eye movements that occur during this stage. The EEG brain wave pattern is also faster. This is the stage when humans dream and also the stage when dogs show signs of dreaming such as twitching and whining.
Dogs experience these stages of sleep several times each night just as humans do and should not be interrupted since adequate sleep is necessary for good mental and physical health. A sleeping dog suddenly awakened may also be startled into snapping or biting before he realizes what he is doing.
Do All Dogs Dream the Same?
Scientists believe that small dogs may dream more than big dogs and that puppies dream more than adult dogs. If dogs dream, do they also have nightmares? It is probably a reasonable assumption to believe that dogs have nightmares too, but hopefully not often, just as in humans.
Sleep Disorders in Dogs
According to Thesleepdisordercenter.com, dogs can also suffer from sleep disorders such as narcolepsy. Hypocretin is a chemical found in the brain and its absence is related to narcolepsy. Interestingly, a study of the human gene map and the genes of dogs with narcolepsy led to the discovery of a mutual deficiency in hypocretin.
The most common sleep disorder in dogs is sleep apnea. Overweight or brachycephalic breeds seem to be more prone to sleep apnea. Dogs with this disorder should be seen by a veterinarian.
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
Dogs, just as humans, need adequate sleep for optimal health. A soft bed in a dark, quiet place of comfortable temperature will help your pup drift off into sweet dreams.
Source:
PetPlace.com, Do Dogs Dream?
Joy Butler - Writer, retired lab tech, mom, and animal lover with over 20 years' experience rescuing, kenneling, training and showing dogs.
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