Do Our Dogs Dream?

Have you ever wondered what your dog is thinking about as they are asleep on their beds, twitching their noses, snoring, or moving their feet? Are they dreaming about their day? Maybe they are thinking about digging bones out back or chasing the squirrel?

As long as your dog is sleeping, you can assume they are dreaming. We all know that sleep is an important activity as it gives the body time to recharge. During this activity, the brain is also processing certain information and experiences that happened while awake.

It can only be assumed that dogs have dreams as they go through several sleep cycles just like humans. Scientists can use specialized equipment to determine brain activity and track these sleep cycles which include wakefulness, Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, and non-rapid-eye-movement sleep. REM sleep is where it is believed that the most memorable and vivid dreams occur.

Unlike humans, dogs can't awaken and describe their dreams to someone which is why we have relied on scientists to gather important data about dog dreams through various observations. They have found that as dogs fall asleep, their breathing becomes deeper and more regular. Dreams usually begin after about 20 minutes when the dog has reached REM sleep. Their breathing will then become shallow and more irregular. This is when you may see them twitch or appear as if they are chasing squirrels in the backyard. Their eyes move as their eyelids are closed, often darting like they are looking for something.

According to the American Kennel Club, some dogs dream more than others. This may depend on the age and size of the dog. Small dogs often have more frequent dreams that are shorter in duration compared to larger dogs who have fewer dreams, longer in duration. Puppies may dream more than older dogs as they are processing a lot of new information obtained throughout the day.