We’ve all seen them do it — your dog digs around in your blankets for a while before settling in. Then, when they reach a deep sleep, they start moving their feet like they’re sprinting after something, even though they’re totally KO’ed. Maybe they bark a few tiny, muffled barks or even start whimpering (so pitiful). It’s enough to make you wonder, do dogs have nightmares?
I asked my dog and couldn’t get a straight answer, so instead I took the question to Erin Ray, DVM, veterinarian and assistant professor at Texas A&M University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.
Do dogs have nightmares?
After checking through the research, Ray confirmed that there’s no definitive answer in veterinary science about whether or not dogs have dreams (good or bad). That said, vets are pretty sure they do.
“We suspect that dogs and cats dream, knowing that their sleep cycle seems very similar to humans,’ and because of the symptoms that we might see when they are in a deep sleep: whimpering, looking like they’re trying to run, maybe trying to bark in their sleep,” she says.
Whether or not dogs are having good dreams or nightmares is up for debate “because we can’t really know what’s going through their brain or what experience they’re having,” says Ray. “But if the symptoms that owners are seeing are a little bit more intense, then I think there is some suspicion that some dogs might be having a nightmare. We just don’t know for sure.”
What do dogs see in their nightmares?
Again, it’s impossible to say since animal researchers can’t really poll a group of dogs about it. Basically, we can guess at what might be dogging them in their sleep, but we just can’t know for sure.
“I would suspect is that if a dog or an animal went through something traumatic or really scary, that’s something they could potentially have a nightmare about. But there’s just not a good way to ask our patients that; it’s just a presumption,” says Ray.
Should I wake my dog up from a nightmare?
It’s tempting to want to jostle your pup awake and spare them whatever scary dream they seem to be having. But being woken up from a nightmare can be scary, too, and when dogs are scared, they are more likely to bite out of fear (even if they usually would never hurt a fly).
“If you feel like an animal is having a dream, it’s safest — as long as the animal’s safe and not going to hurt themselves — to leave them be and let them kind of come out of it,” says Ray. “Just like a human, if we’re in a really, really deep sleep and someone wakes you, it can be very jarring for that animal. There is a chance they could unintentionally bite or scratch or do something that could hurt themselves or hurt their owner.”
In general, if your dog is having a nightmare, you don’t need to worry about it. That said, Ray says some symptoms of canine seizures can look like your dog is having a bad dream. It’s rare, but you should know what to look for.
“If you notice that your pet looks like they’re shaking or trembling, they’re wetting themselves, or something about their behavior just doesn’t feel right in your gut, consult a veterinarian because there’s always a chance something else could be going on,” says Ray. And while it can be alarming to see your pet in a state like this, she adds that taking a video of the event can be extremely helpful for your vet in determining the next steps to care for your pup.
So, while there’s no definitive yes or no answer, if you think your dog is having nightmares, they probably are. Just let them work through them and wake up on their own so everyone stays safe (and totally give them some extra love when they do).
