While we might have a fairly decent idea about what our dogs think of different things like treats and toys sometimes we have to make guesses about what our dogs are thinking and feeling, and what they dream about.<\/p>\n
Do dogs dream? Veterinary researchers have discovered a lot about what goes on in the minds of our dogs when they are asleep!<\/p>\n
\u201cDogs enter REM [Rapid Eye Movement] sleep just like humans – and dream during that period of sleep,\u201d says Dr. Tory Waxman, a small-animal veterinarian and co-founder of human-grade dog food brand Sundays<\/a>.\u00a0 Unfortunately, because dogs can\u2019t talk to us, it\u2019s impossible for us to know exactly what they experience in their dream life.<\/p>\n \u201cIndications from studies on brain activity in dogs during different stages of sleep would suggest that dogs may dream, but we are unable to know for sure whether the dreams are similar to what humans experience,\u201d says Urshulaa Dholakia, DVM, MPH, DACLAM\u00a0 in the Anesthesiology Department at NorthStar VETS<\/a> Veterinary Emergency, Trauma, and Specialty Center.<\/p>\n What do you think this cockapoo dreams about?Photo: SolStock\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n What do you think your dog would dream about?<\/p>\n The pons area of the brain is responsible for preventing movement while dreaming and is also helping veterinary researchers understand more about the dream life of our dogs. Studies have taken place that disabled the pons region of a dog\u2019s brain which helped scientists to hypothesize about what our dogs might be dreaming about.<\/p>\n \u201cBased on their observations, they theorized that a dog\u2019s dreams depend a lot on their breed predispositions – for example, a retriever might dream of going on a hunt and a German Shepherd might dream of protecting their family,\u201d says Dr. Waxman.<\/p>\n This would explain why my Newfoundland often makes the same paddling motion in her sleep that she makes while doing her favorite activity, swimming!<\/p>\n \u201cJust like dogs come in all shapes and sizes, so do their dreams. Interestingly, It is believed that small breed dogs dream for shorter periods of time as compared to their large-breed cousins\u201d notes Dr. Waxman.<\/p>\n Does your dog cry in their sleep? Photo: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n What about dogs that cry out in their sleep? Most of us have seen a dog start to whimper or cry.\u00a0 In these instances many guardians are concerned and assume that their dogs are having a nightmare. Dr. Waxman explains that while dogs might experience nightmares<\/a>, crying or whining while asleep sleep could actually have positive meanings as well.<\/p>\n \u201cImagine if your dog is dreaming of chasing a rabbit or the moment you come home! Both of these are super happy dreams that I can imagine a dog having that would cause them to vocalize\u201d notes Dr. Waxman. That said if your dog does seem distressed while asleep, it is possible they are experiencing nightmares.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the frequency or character of a dog’s sleep changes abruptly, if the episodes of crying increase (unusually), and\/or if the dog exhibits changes in its behavior while awake, it may be worth taking the dog to a veterinarian to investigate potential neurological disease,\u201d says Dr. Dholakia.<\/p>\n The old saying \u201clet sleeping dogs lie\u201d has some useful meanings. In general, it is best whenever possible to avoid waking your dog while they are sleeping. In particular, if your dog startles easily, is deaf, or is older and losing hearing it\u2019s important to be especially careful when waking your dog.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you need to wake your pup, you can try turning on the lights in the room, making some quiet noises, calming saying their name and if they still don\u2019t wake\u201d Dr. Waxman advises.<\/p>\n If this doesn\u2019t wake your dog up, she advises that you could \u201cgently stroke your dog on their back\u201d but encourages you to avoid your dog\u2019s face as again they could be likely to nip or bite if startled awake.<\/p>\n Deep dreaming sleep is extremely important for dogs. \u201cJust like in people, dreaming is thought to be very important when it comes to creating memories and learning. Dogs can sleep up to 16 hours a day (or more!). Make sure to give your pup plenty of time to relax and sleep,\u201d explains Dr. Waxman.<\/p>\n Although many of us find ourselves very busy and sleep-deprived, it\u2019s important for your dog\u2019s physical and mental health to let them get enough sleep.<\/p>\n Featured image: Photo: gollykim\/Getty Images<\/em><\/p>\n Read Next: <\/strong>Why Do Dogs Groan When They Lie Down?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The post Do Dogs Dream?<\/a> by Sassafras Lowrey<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n The post Do Dogs Dream?<\/a> by Sassafras Lowrey<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n While we might have a fairly decent idea about what our dogs think of different things like treats and toys sometimes we have to make guesses about what our dogs are thinking and feeling, and what they dream about.<\/p>\n Do dogs dream? Veterinary researchers have discovered a lot about what goes on in the minds of our dogs when they are asleep!<\/p>\n \u201cDogs enter REM [Rapid Eye Movement] sleep just like humans – and dream during that period of sleep,\u201d says Dr. Tory Waxman, a small-animal veterinarian and co-founder of human-grade dog food brand Sundays<\/a>.\u00a0 Unfortunately, because dogs can\u2019t talk to us, it\u2019s impossible for us to know exactly what they experience in their dream life.<\/p>\n \u201cIndications from studies on brain activity in dogs during different stages of sleep would suggest that dogs may dream, but we are unable to know for sure whether the dreams are similar to what humans experience,\u201d says Urshulaa Dholakia, DVM, MPH, DACLAM\u00a0 in the Anesthesiology Department at NorthStar VETS<\/a> Veterinary Emergency, Trauma, and Specialty Center.<\/p>\n What do you think this cockapoo dreams about?Photo: SolStock\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n What do you think your dog would dream about?<\/p>\n The pons area of the brain is responsible for preventing movement while dreaming and is also helping veterinary researchers understand more about the dream life of our dogs. Studies have taken place that disabled the pons region of a dog\u2019s brain which helped scientists to hypothesize about what our dogs might be dreaming about.<\/p>\n \u201cBased on their observations, they theorized that a dog\u2019s dreams depend a lot on their breed predispositions – for example, a retriever might dream of going on a hunt and a German Shepherd might dream of protecting their family,\u201d says Dr. Waxman.<\/p>\n This would explain why my Newfoundland often makes the same paddling motion in her sleep that she makes while doing her favorite activity, swimming!<\/p>\n \u201cJust like dogs come in all shapes and sizes, so do their dreams. Interestingly, It is believed that small breed dogs dream for shorter periods of time as compared to their large-breed cousins\u201d notes Dr. Waxman.<\/p>\n Does your dog cry in their sleep? Photo: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n What about dogs that cry out in their sleep? Most of us have seen a dog start to whimper or cry.\u00a0 In these instances many guardians are concerned and assume that their dogs are having a nightmare. Dr. Waxman explains that while dogs might experience nightmares<\/a>, crying or whining while asleep sleep could actually have positive meanings as well.<\/p>\n \u201cImagine if your dog is dreaming of chasing a rabbit or the moment you come home! Both of these are super happy dreams that I can imagine a dog having that would cause them to vocalize\u201d notes Dr. Waxman. That said if your dog does seem distressed while asleep, it is possible they are experiencing nightmares.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the frequency or character of a dog’s sleep changes abruptly, if the episodes of crying increase (unusually), and\/or if the dog exhibits changes in its behavior while awake, it may be worth taking the dog to a veterinarian to investigate potential neurological disease,\u201d says Dr. Dholakia.<\/p>\n The old saying \u201clet sleeping dogs lie\u201d has some useful meanings. In general, it is best whenever possible to avoid waking your dog while they are sleeping. In particular, if your dog startles easily, is deaf, or is older and losing hearing it\u2019s important to be especially careful when waking your dog.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you need to wake your pup, you can try turning on the lights in the room, making some quiet noises, calming saying their name and if they still don\u2019t wake\u201d Dr. Waxman advises.<\/p>\n If this doesn\u2019t wake your dog up, she advises that you could \u201cgently stroke your dog on their back\u201d but encourages you to avoid your dog\u2019s face as again they could be likely to nip or bite if startled awake.<\/p>\n Deep dreaming sleep is extremely important for dogs. \u201cJust like in people, dreaming is thought to be very important when it comes to creating memories and learning. Dogs can sleep up to 16 hours a day (or more!). Make sure to give your pup plenty of time to relax and sleep,\u201d explains Dr. Waxman.<\/p>\n Although many of us find ourselves very busy and sleep-deprived, it\u2019s important for your dog\u2019s physical and mental health to let them get enough sleep.<\/p>\n Featured image: Photo: gollykim\/Getty Images<\/em><\/p>\n Read Next: <\/strong>Why Do Dogs Groan When They Lie Down?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The post Do Dogs Dream?<\/a> by Sassafras Lowrey<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7963","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"do](\"http:\/\/www.dogster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/GettyImages-958868492.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWhat do dogs dream about?\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"do](\"http:\/\/www.dogster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/GettyImages-1190407139.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWhy do dogs cry in their sleep?<\/b><\/h3>\n
Should you wake a sleeping dog?<\/b><\/h3>\n
Sleep is important\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nWhat do dogs dream about?\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nWhy do dogs cry in their sleep?<\/b><\/h3>\n
Should you wake a sleeping dog?<\/b><\/h3>\n
Sleep is important\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n