Can Dogs Dream?

Do our pups dream? They sure do! 

Have you ever noticed your doggo making happy noises while sleeping, his/her legs twitching and paws slightly moving? Chances are, your furry pal is having a great dream! 

Scientists think that when dogs dream, they are simply replaying their day back, kind of like a greatest hits real. Our dogs dream about running and playing or maybe enjoying a special treat you left for them while you were away at work.  

There really is no way to say for certain what doggies are actually dreaming about, but studies show that their dream patterns are a lot like us humans, and that, realistically, leads scientists to believe our pups do dream just like us.

Our pups are so sweet and loyal to us; recent studies now suggest that our pals may be dreaming of us when they sleep.  See, dogs rock even when they are asleep!

Fido and Fifi are sound asleep. Wait for it - wait for it, maybe 10 minutes or so after their siesta begins, you will notice their eyes begin to move under their lids.  

That is because they are seeing their dream images - maybe a squirrel, maybe even you or their cat or dog sister or brother. It is fun to imagine what they are dreaming about.  

Notice their legs twitching? They are probably walking around in their dream world, exploring. Some pups will even make noises - you may even hear muffled barks which may mean your pup is alert or chasing after something or someone in his/her dream.

We are all guilty of watching our little furry friends dream. It really is the cutest thing. If they begin to make louder noises, don't worry and don't wake them up. You know the saying "let sleeping dogs lie" is a saying for a reason. Us humans don't like being woken from our sleep and dreams, neither do our doggies.

Ever since pre-historic canines caught a glimpse of a pre-historic squirrel to chase or a juicy dino bone, dogs have been dreamers! Since, unfortunately, our canine companions cannot vocalize to us what they are dreaming about it, the only proof that dogs dream is in the thousands upon thousands of studies about dogs dreaming since the start of the 20th century.

Experts in every area of animal behavior have studied this fascinating subject for as long as there have been dogs. A dog sleeps at least 50 percent of the day - so that is a whole lotta dreaming! Researchers can only speculate that our dogs are dreaming about their day, their family or maybe something as simple and carefree as chasing that elusive squirrel.  

The only known animals to inform humans about the subject of their dreams were the famous signing gorillas, Koko and Michael. Until we can teach our pups to relay their dreams to us, we can only assume that since our brain waves during sleep are similar to those of the canine, our pups are in fact dreaming.  

Humans and dogs rapid eye movements (or REM cycles) during sleep are also similar; if you watch your dog's eye movements while they are sleeping, they are moving. What those eyes are seeing in the dream world would be fascinating to truly know.

Did you know a human brain and a doggy brain have very similar brainwave patterns? Structurally - they are a lot alike. Science tells us that many of the signs humans exhibit when dreaming - the moving around and sound-making - are much like that of our canine buddies.  

Scientists conclude that it is reasonable to believe that our doggies dream about normal doggy activities, such as running (legs twitching, paws moving), playing (happy noises) or activities from their day.  

The next time your pup takes a doggy nap, notice his/her behavior after about 20 minutes. That is normally when the dream center opens for business!  

You can notice his/her eyes moving beneath their eyelids because they are seeing the images they are dreaming about in their mind's eye. This is fascinating stuff here, and scientists are learning more and more about doggies' dream worlds every day!