What Do Dogs Dream About?

What Do Dogs Dream About?

by Martin Davis

The human brain attempts to make sense of our daily lives via the medium of dreaming. Our dreams tend to be a confusing combination of the real world and a fantasy land most of us know as 'dreamland'. We reach this place during the second stage of our sleep patterns. The first is known as 'slow wave sleep' (SWS) and the second is known as 'rapid eye movement' (REM). It is during the latter that we dream and if this period is interrupted or prevented, it can leave us agitated, anxious and irritable when we are awake.

But is this the same for dogs? Do dogs dream at all? Dog owners would probably say 'yes'. Anyone who has ever had a dog can probably attest to having seen them twitch, flinch, wag their tails or 'run' in their sleep and maybe even bark, whine or whimper once or twice. Most people assume their dog is dreaming about chasing something, running or playing, but scientists have not yet proved they are seeing any images at all.

There are two main stages of sleep that we share with dogs known as SWS (slow wave sleep) and REM (rapid eye movement). During SWS, dog's muscles are prepared for use, breathing is heavy and the heart rate is slow, and during REM, breathing quickens and heart rate increases. In both dogs and in humans, during the REM stage of sleep an electroencephalogram can be used to detect rapid and erratic activity within the brain. This indicates the point at which dreaming begins and the point at which many dogs will twitch and bark.

Dogs are not the only member of the animal kingdom that dreams, however, as scientist have suggested all mammals are capable of dreaming for whatever reason. It may be a similar reason to why we dream, but it is something we may never find a definite answer for.

Interestingly, studies suggest that dogs don't suffer from nightmares. In fact, dogs that have been victims of neglect and abuse purportedly don't experience REM and therefore don't dream at all or dream very rarely. This is based on the theory that people who have been seriously abused or have faced severe trauma have a much higher chance of suffering from nightmares.

As for what dogs are likely to dream about, Dr. Erernest Hartman says more often than not our dreams are created based on our emotions. Though they do not have the extensive imagination we do and probably cannot create the nonsensical dreams we often experience, they do probably dream about their family and things they must enjoy doing and eating. Similar to children, puppies also dream far more than an adult dog. 

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