A dog's naps are usually restful and tranquil. But some nap times are punctuated by periods of “active dreaming.”
When an average-sized dog falls asleep, it enters a deep phase called rapid eye movement sleep (REM).
In this stage, your dog's breathing will become shallow and irregular, they may have muscle twitches, and their eyes will move behind closed lids.
Sleep
When dogs sleep, they experience a state of consciousness that is much like that of a human. During REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, their eyes dart behind their closed lids and they “see” images in their minds.
In this phase of sleep, people frequently report having dreams. Dogs may also experience this type of dreaming during their REM sleep, according to Stanley Coren, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of British Columbia.
As a result, dogs can have complex dreams similar to those of humans. They are likely to dream about running, eating, exploring, protecting, and playing in their daily lives.
Studies have found that dogs can remember and replay long sequences of events in their dreams, reliving experiences from the day they were born. This makes it possible for them to relive traumatic events in their dreams.
REM is also the time when they dream about their owners, and they are also likely to dream about their favorite toys and treats, as well as other pets and people. They can also dream about their own favorite activities, such as chasing squirrels and meeting their canine crushes.
Some of these dreams can be very vivid, and they are often associated with a particular person or place. This is why a dog who spends most of their day outside might dream about the beach or a hike in the mountains while a dog that stays inside all day might only have a few dreams at night.
The length and frequency of a dog's dreams are related to their age, size, and activity level during the day. For example, a puppy might have a new dream every 10 minutes, while an adult might only have one or two dreams each hour of sleep.
When a dog dreams, they will typically twitch their limbs as they move through their dreams. This is because of a process called muscle paralysis that is controlled by a part of their brain stem called the pons.
Young puppies and senior dogs have underdeveloped pons that are less efficient, which is why they tend to twitch and move more during their sleep.
Age
Age is a term used to describe an extent of time. It can be short or long, but it usually has a noticeable effect on the way people behave. It can also be used to denote a period of history characterized by some change or new undertaking: the era of chivalry; an age of steam and steel.
During sleep, your dog enters REM (rapid-eye-movement) sleep, which is the stage of sleep in which dreaming occurs. While they dream, dogs twitch and breathe irregularly. They might even wiggle their legs and jaws.
Researchers believe that dogs' dreams are based on their everyday experiences and activities. For example, if you took your dog on a walk, they might dream about chasing a squirrel, playing fetch or sniffing around the park.
While dogs’ dreams are based on their daily activities, they can also be about something they’re afraid of or have experienced in the past. This is because their brains will try to make sense of what they have learned and experienced during their day.
According to Dr Stanley Coren, small dogs have more frequent dreams, with a new one happening every ten minutes during REM sleep. Larger dogs, on the other hand, have fewer dreams throughout a sleeping cycle.
Puppies and senior dogs tend to move more in their sleep, because the part of the brain stem that paralyzes big muscles during REM sleep (called the pons) is underdeveloped or less efficient in puppies and old dogs.
This can mean that your puppy or senior dog has a lot of information to process in his dream. This may explain why they have more dreams than adult dogs.
However, there is no reason to worry about your dog’s dreams. The best thing you can do is to let them have their sleep and allow them to drift off into a peaceful night of rest.
As your dog gets older, there are many different changes that can occur. Your dog’s physical and mental capabilities may begin to decline, and they may experience other problems like joint pain and incontinentness. You may need to modify your dog’s routine or increase their exercise to keep them healthy and happy.
Size
The length and frequency of a dog's dreams is influenced by its size, according to Stanley Coren, a professor emeritus of psychology at the University of British Columbia. Smaller dogs tend to dream more frequently, but shorter, than larger breeds.
A puppy, for example, might have a new dream every 10 minutes during its sleep cycle. A medium-sized dog might have a dream every 30 minutes, and a large dog might have 5 to 10 dreams per hour during the REM sleep stage.
While the exact details of a dog's dreams are unknown, scientists believe that they are likely to involve their daytime activities and experiences. Your pup may dream about playing fetch with you, chasing squirrels, sniffing out new smells or socializing with other dogs.
But he could also dream about unpleasant or frightening experiences like thunderstorms, fights with other dogs or being alone, suggests Dr. Barrett, a veterinarian at the Animal Health Center in San Diego.
She also notes that a dog's age and size will impact their dreaming. Puppies, for example, are more likely to dream than older dogs because they have a lot of information they need to process while asleep.
For this reason, they will spend more of their time in the REM phase of sleep than an adult dog.
The REM cycle, or rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, is when our brains experience a deep and restful state of sleep that's important for memory, learning and healing. As the name implies, REM sleep isn't always restful — we often become dreamers in this phase of the sleep cycle, as we're experiencing our most vivid and creative memories.
Our brains have a lot of information to process and synthesize during our sleep, says Matt Wilson, a neuroscientist at the University of California-Santa Barbara. He and other researchers have found that dogs also have a lot of things to process during their sleep, too.
As a result, dogs will have a higher number of REM-stage dreams than other animals. They'll also have a higher percentage of their sleep time in this REM stage than humans.
Trauma
Dogs have the same sleep cycles as humans – REM (rapid eye movement) and non-rapid eye movement. They also experience the same electrical brainwaves that humans do when they dream.
Animals that suffer trauma in their lives are likely to replay those memories in their dreams, causing nightmares and other traumatic experiences. These recurrent negative feelings can affect a dog's overall health and behavior.
Nightmares in dogs can be triggered by a number of factors, including fear/anxiety, pain/discomfort and noise. If your dog suffers from any of these issues, it's important to figure out what’s triggering his bad dreams.
One way to help your dog deal with his nightmares is to keep track of what happened to him during the day. This will give you an idea of what he’s dreaming about and, hopefully, make it easier to get him back to sleep.
During the day, your dog might be thinking about a walk, playing with you or chasing a ball. They may even be thinking about the people in their lives – their owners and other familiar friends.
As for the actual content of your dog’s dreams, it’s likely that most are related to his daily activities. He might dream about his walks, playtime or dinner with you, according to Dr. Coren, an expert on human and canine dreams.
When a dog dreams, it’s believed that they’re reliving the events of their day in order to process those things and form memories.
This makes sense, as a dog’s brain is designed to process memory during sleep, and dreams can help your pup consolidate those memories.
However, as with any type of mental illness, if your dog’s dreams are recurrent and negatively impact his life, then you should consult a veterinarian to determine what is causing him to have a recurring nightmare.
Traumatic experiences can be hard to overcome, so it’s essential to provide your dog with the best possible care to help them overcome his nightmares and PTSD. Taking the time to get to know your dog’s past and identifying the triggers that may be causing his nightmares will help you formulate a compassionate plan of action for his future.
