We’ve all seen them do it – your dog digs in your blanket for a while before settling down. , even though they are chasing something. Maybe they’ll let out a few weak, low calls or even start to whimper (so pathetic). It’s enough to make you curious, Do dogs have nightmares?
I asked my dog but couldn’t get a straight answer, so I put the question to Erin Ray, DVM, a veterinarian and assistant professor at the Texas A&M University Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital.
Do dogs have nightmares?
After examining the research, Ray confirmed that veterinary science has no clear answer as to whether dogs dream (good or bad). That said, vets are pretty sure they do.
“We suspect that dogs and cats dream because they know their sleep cycles seem to be very similar to humans,” and because of the symptoms we might see when they’re in deep sleep: whimpering, looking like they’re trying to escape, maybe trying to Barking in his sleep,” she said.
Whether dogs have good dreams or nightmares is up for debate “because we can’t really know what’s going on in their brains or what they’re experiencing,” Ray said. “But if the symptoms that owners are seeing are a little more severe, then I think there’s some suspicion that some dogs may be having nightmares. We just don’t know for sure.”
What do dogs see in their nightmares?
Again, this is impossible because animal researchers can’t really poll a group of dogs. Basically, we can guess what’s bothering them in their sleep, but we can’t know for sure.
“I suspect that if a dog or an animal has experienced something traumatic or truly scary, they might have nightmares. But there’s not a good way to ask our patients; it’s just a hypothesis,” Ray said.
Should I wake my dog from a nightmare?
It’s easy to want to nudge your puppy awake so they don’t have any scary dreams. But waking up from a nightmare can also be scary, and when dogs are scared, they’re more likely to bite out of fear (even though they wouldn’t normally hurt a fly).
“If you think an animal is dreaming, the safest thing to do — as long as the animal is safe and can’t harm itself — is to just let them be and let them come out of their dream,” Ray said. “Just like humans, If we’re in a very, very deep sleep and someone wakes you up, it can be very uncomfortable for the animal and they could potentially bite or scratch themselves accidentally, or do something that could harm themselves or injure themselves.
Generally speaking, you don’t need to worry if your dog has nightmares. Still, Ray says some symptoms of canine seizures may look like your dog is having a nightmare. This is rare, but you should know what to look for.
“If you notice that your pet seems to be shaking or shaking, they’re peeing, or you have a gut feeling that something isn’t right about their behavior, talk to your veterinarian, because there’s always the possibility that something else is going on,” Ray says. While it can be shocking to see your pet in such a state, she adds that taking video of the incident can be very helpful for your veterinarian to determine next steps in caring for your pup.
So, while there’s no clear yes or no answer, if you think your dog is having a nightmare, they probably are. Let them get over it and wake up on their own so everyone stays safe (and totally give them some extra love when they do).
