Content
- How long do dogs sleep?
- What do dogs dream of?
- But why do dogs dream?
- Dog has nightmares?
- My dog cries in his sleep, is that normal?
- When the dog has a nightmare, is it recommended to wake him up?
Many tutors wonder if puppies have nightmares when they've watched them moan, cry, and even grunt in their sleep. You too? Like humans, dogs dream when they can reach deep sleep, the REM (Rapid Eye Movement).
Knowing this, will dog has nightmare? whenever they have spasms, cry or make noises when they sleep is it because they are having a bad dream? In this PeritoAnimal article we explain if dogs have nightmares and some other details related to canine sleep. Don't miss it!
How long do dogs sleep?
Sleeping hours are essential for a dog, as his body and mind need to rest to replenish energy and maintain a balanced metabolism. Therefore, as tutors we must ensure that our furry ones have a positive and peaceful environment where they can relax and sleep well.
Nevertheless, many tutors wonder if it's normal for their dogs to sleep a lot. Indeed, dogs usually sleep more hours than humans, but not continuously and continuously. Also, the amount of hours that each individual needs varies according to their age and some environmental factors, such as the climate or the time of year.
Puppies can sleep up to 20 hours a day during their first three or four months of life, then gradually reduce their daily sleep hours. An adult dog usually sleeps between 8 and 13 hours, depending on its age, metabolism and also the time of year, as they usually sleep more during the winter. When treating older puppies, over 8 or 10 years old, depending on the breed, the daily sleep hours increase again ranging between 15 and 18 hours.
What do dogs dream of?
Now that you know that your best friend dreams, you'll probably ask yourself what do dogs' dreams are like and the question you won't be silent: dog has nightmare? We'll start by understanding how dogs' dreams are produced.
As we mentioned in the introduction, dogs' dreams occur when the sleeping dog enters the REM dream phase (Rapid Eye Movement). As the name suggests, at this stage the dog registers fast and random eye movements, its body has a reduced muscle tone, that is, its muscles are completely relaxed.
However, it detects a high brain activity which is what allows the production of dreams. That is, while the dog dreams, its neurons keep working and, through a encephalogram, this phenomenon can be observed by the increase in the emission of brain waves in the REM dream phase.
But why do dogs dream?
The advancement of science has allowed us to know more about dogs' dreams, but there is still a lot to discover about their content and no one can define exactly what dogs dream of. However, several studies have shown that brainwave patterns of dogs during sleep are not very different from those observed in humans.
This would indicate that in dogs dreams have the same function as in humans: assimilate or fix experiences and learnings lived during their days. Therefore, it is very likely that dogs dream of things they live in their daily lives, such as their walks, the games they share with other dogs, the food they eat, etc.
So if you were wondering if the dog dreams of its owner, you can rejoice, because the answer is yes, since your tutor is your favorite human, with whom you share your routine and enjoy being in your company.
Dog has nightmares?
Returning to the main theme of our article, everything indicates that, yes, dog has nightmare. If you have a negative experience, it can settle during the dream period and its memory can trigger a nightmare, which would be nothing more than a dream with negative or unpleasant content.
Like us, dogs can go through difficult or frustrating times in their routine and this is totally normal. However, if your dog has nightmares every day, this could be an indication that his environment and routine are affecting your well-being. In addition to observing your movements in the dream period, you can also analyze your waking behavior and your dog's sleeping positions, as these often reveal a lot about how he feels around him.
If you have recently adopted a dog and notice that the nightmares are continuous, it can be an indication that your new best friend has been through difficult situations and negative contexts in your past, or that you haven't had the opportunity to socialize properly. In these cases, it is also recommended to pay attention to your waking behavior, that is, when you are awake.
If the furry is very fearful, scared or insecure when interacting with other dogs or people, the ideal is to consult an educator or canine ethologist, to verify the causes of these behaviors and define specific guidelines to help them regain their confidence and enjoy a healthy and positive life.
My dog cries in his sleep, is that normal?
if your dog cries sleeping, moans and has spasms, it is likely that he is experiencing a nightmare. When reliving a negative experience in their dreams, dogs tend to reproduce the same reaction they would have when they were awake, so they may moan, whimper and even bark during nightmares.
When the dog has a nightmare, is it recommended to wake him up?
Seeing that your sleeping dog is very agitated and appears to be having a bad experience, it is normal for many tutors to feel the urge to wake up the dog that is having a nightmare. However, it is not advisable to wake up dogs abruptly, as it can cause a start, causing high stress and even an unexpected reaction, such as a bite.
If you notice that your dog has a nightmare, it's best to watch and wait, because they don't usually last very long. But if you notice that it doesn't happen and your best friend follows very agitated or scared, you can speak in a soft tone of voice, once you are awake, cuddle gently.
If you want to prevent your dog from having nightmares, you only need to provide him with essential care to establish a positive routine, with proper physical and mental stimulation, good education and early socialization, complete and balanced nutrition and an enriched environment in which your best friend find positive avenues to channel your energy and have fun during your absence. Still, don't forget that dog has nightmare eventually and that this is totally normal.
If you want to read more articles similar to Dog has nightmares?, we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.