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PET
POINTERS |
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Dear Pet
Pointers: Do dogs dream like us? We rescued an abused dog and he seems to have terrible
nightmares. Should
I wake him up? When
this happens, it bothers me to see him in such turmoil. What
do you think dogs dream about?

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rom
outward appearances, it does seem that dogs and especially
younger dogs dream quite often.
Just like people, their eyes move vigorously in a stage
of sleep called Rapid Eye Movement (REM) and it is in this
stage that dreams occur.
Many individuals, including some of our canine friends
will move around and will even make noise while sleeping. Some
dogs appear to be chasing something or possibly swimming.
Your dog may be remembering past experiences. Dogs have
been known to growl, whine, wag their tails or make running
movements with their paws during sleep. We can only wonder and
imagine what they are truly dreaming about.
Some dog seem to dream more actively than others while some
individuals only dream when they have been overstimulated or
are overtired. Mature animals seem to experience less active
dreams but dreaming does continue throughout their lives.
The dreaming experience may not always seem pleasant
and some animals will wake up with a start.
It is important not to attempt to wake your dog when he is
dreaming unless it is absolutely necessary.
You may be tempted to wake him up for his sake when he
is having a “nightmare” but dreaming is a natural and
normal behavior. If
his sounds and motions disturb you immensely, you can try
stopping it by crinkling a piece of paper or by clearing your
throat. The idea
is to change the pattern of the dream without actually waking
him up completely.
The best place for our canine companions to sleep is on their
own dog bed or a crate on the floor of our bedrooms. The
advantages to this arrangement benefits both dogs and their
humans. As well
as being an automatic, built in burglar and fire alarm system,
dogs are social creatures and thrive when they share our
sleeping quarters. The
closeness also enhances the canine and human bond by building
trust and confidence in a safe and secure environment.
Many animals other than humans are probably capable of
dreaming but it still remains a mystery as to why and what
animals dream. We
can only hope that most of our pets’ dreams are happy ones.
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