Do Dogs Dream While Sleeping?

As a well-behaved dog, sleeping is an important part of their daily routine, in addition to eating, drinking, and playing with their owner. It is known that an adult dog can sleep for 12 to 14 hours a day. Sometimes, when the owner tries to groom the dog with a pet brush, they may find the dog fast asleep.

So, if a dog is moving a lot while sleeping, should the owner wake them up to brush their fur or play with them? Firstly, when dogs sleep, they quickly enter the non-REM (Rapid Eye Movement) phase. This means the dog’s brain begins to rest, and like humans, the brain waves slow down. However, the dog’s muscles are not fully relaxed, and they still have some awareness of their surroundings, including the owner’s presence. If the owner attempts to brush the dog at this stage, it is easy to wake them up. But if the dog has entered the REM phase, also known as deep sleep, their brain waves will become very fast, and their muscles will be fully relaxed. At this point, the dog may be dreaming, and it is best not to disturb them. Secondly, dreaming is a special privilege shared by both pets and their owners. Medium-sized dogs enter the dreaming phase about 20 minutes after falling asleep. Their breathing becomes slower and more stable, and occasionally, like humans, their legs may twitch or they might make soft noises. If you observe carefully, you may notice their eyelids trembling, indicating that they are entering their dream world. In comparison, small dogs tend to dream more frequently, but their dreams are shorter in duration. Large dogs, on the other hand, dream less often, but when they do, they stay in dreamland for a longer time. This means that to help dogs rest better, owners should help them establish a consistent and reasonable sleep schedule, avoiding erratic sleep patterns, excessive play, or long periods of inactivity. As for what dogs dream about, owners can try to guess. The saying “What you think during the day, you dream at night” applies here. A dog’s dreams are often based on daily events, and the owner might even be the star of their dreams! Of course, if the owner notices the dog suddenly twitching its legs or barking in its sleep, it is likely a result of the changes in the dream. If the owner tries to wake the dog abruptly, it may startle the dog and cause them to react aggressively. If the dog's movements during sleep are too intense, it’s better to gently call the dog’s name or allow them to calm down on their own before intervening.