Dreams have been one of the great unknowns that human beings have had to solve. However, thanks to the knowledge we have today about the different functions that sleep has and what the sleep phases are like, we can explain why this phenomenon occurs.
It is not strange then that our curiosity has gone beyond knowing ourselves and we want to know if dogs dream, in addition to, if so, ask ourselves what dogs dream about. If you want to know the answer to this question, in this article on our site, we reveal what we currently know about sleep in dogs.
The dog's sleep cycle
Rest is vitally important for dogs, just as it is for us and many other species. During this state, the animal recharges its energies, discharges tensions, as well as cognitively has a very important role in memory formation.
You must, therefore, ensure that your dog enjoys quality rest periods in quiet environments, as an adult dog can sleep between 8 and 13 hoursquietly.
Several studies have focused on discovering how dogs dream, and this is how they showed that the sleep phases of a dog are not so different from those of humans.
Specifically, studying the brain waves (which measure the degree of activity) it was discovered that when your dog sleeps, it repeats a sleep cycle, in which the dog goes through two well-defined phases:
- Slow-wave sleep: phase of light sleep, in which the dog relaxes; the heart beats more slowly, his breathing becomes slow and regular, muscle tone drops, etc. At this stage, the animal can wake up if it perceives any external stimulus. It is common for the dog to be resting during the day, without reaching the next phase, as it instinctively needs to remain alert to external stimuli that could pose a threat.
- Deep sleep or REM: This stage, called REM or Rapid Eyes Movement, is characterized by the fact that the animal is in a state of total relaxation, unperturbed by external stimuli, because the brain "disconnects" the perception of external elements. It is also during this phase that both dogs and people dream.
If your dog is very nervous and cannot relax when sleeping, you may be interested in this other article about Bach Flowers for nervous dogs.
What do dogs dream?
We cannot know for sure what dogs dream, because for obvious reasons, they cannot explain it to us. But, comparing what we know about why humans dream and how dogs behave while they are sleeping, we can deduce what the content of their dreams is.
As we have mentioned, sleep plays an important role in memory formation, that is, in this phase the experiences and learningmade during the day are organized and accommodated in the mind. The explanation that science currently gives to the fact of dreaming is that while this entire cognitive process is taking place, our mind manifests this phenomenon.
For this reason, we have reason to believe that when dogs dream, the content of these are scenarios and situations of what they have experienced in their day or their habitual routines: dreams of playing, going for a walk, etc.
What do dogs dream when they cry?
Continuing the previous line, if for example you have ever wondered what dogs dream when they cry, this may be due to some experience that has made them cryand he is remembering it: if you left the house and he cried for you to come back, if he had a conflict with another dog during the walk…
At this point you may also be curious to know the following: Do dogs have nightmares?
Why does my dog have spasms when he sleeps?
It is completely natural for your dog to move while he is asleep, because during the REM phase of sleep, despite the fact that the brain for safety limits mobilityof the body, this disconnection is not always complete and, for this reason, part of the movements or states in which the dog finds itself while dreaming, manifest physically.
This can be recognized, for example, if your dog moves its legs and tail while sleeping, emits very varied sounds (moans, barks, growls…), varies its breathing, and even something that may cause concern owners: jerky movements.
Therefore, in case your dog is dreaming of chasing the ball, you could see that he moves his legs as if he were running while asleep, wagging his tail happily or emitting the occasional bark. On the contrary, if your dog does not move despite being deeply asleep, this does not mean that he is not dreaming, since not all dogs are equally movedwhen sleeping. Therefore, this may simply be due to a greater disconnection between the brain and the body or due to a peaceful sleep.
However, if your dog has spasms when he sleeps, you should not worry, as it does not imply that he is suffering from any pathology or pain, unless these spasms also occur when you are awake. In this case, you should always take him to the vet.
