Is your dog really dreaming about chasing a rabbit?
I like to think my Labrador dreams; he will occasionally twitch, paddle with his legs and sometimes give out one or two “woofs” while asleep. Do dogs dream? Do we know? How can I be sure he is not having a fit?
Wonder what our dogs dream about?
Whether or not dogs dream isn’t known with any scientific certainty; however, it is difficult to imagine that they don’t when they demonstrate behaviours in their sleep, like those you describe, that resemble what they do when fully awake and cause us to wonder what our dogs are dreaming about.
The difference between dreams and fits
It is certainly possible to distinguish the signs associated with dreaming from those of a fit or seizure; particularly if you have ever witnessed a dog having a fit. For instance, dogs always have dreams while asleep; they commonly have a fit while awake. Their eyes will usually be partially closed while having dreams and they will look calm and relaxed. A dog’s eyes will typically be wide open during a fit.
Dogs may salivate, vomit and defecate while having a fit. This doesn’t happen during a dream. Dogs’ leg movements while asleep tend to look like they might be running, “chasing a rabbit”, while during a fit the leg movements are stiffer and more rigid and there will be more violent muscle activity, uncontrollable shaking and thrashing about. These motions while asleep are typically gentler and quite brief, whereas seizure activity lasts much longer.
Dogs are easily woken when dreaming and behave normally once awake. Seizures cannot be interrupted and the dog is usually disorientated and confused immediately afterwards.
Psychology Today says: “Also, during sleep the brain wave patterns of dogs are similar that of people, and go through the same stages of electrical activity observed in humans, all of which is consistent with the idea that dogs are dreaming.”
Takeaways from this
- Dreams and fits/seizures are quite different
- Dreaming dogs are easily woken
- After a fit a dog will be disorientated and confused
- A dog will look calm and relaxed whilst dreaming