Dogs Dream About running, eating, sniffing, and chasing. Like people, dogs enter light sleep and intense REM cycles, when dreaming occurs. If you notice your dog flinch and twitch at sleep onset, that signals light sleep and you can easily wake him. Once dogs enter a deep, REM cycle, the brain is active and their body responds accordingly. Their eyes may move back and fourth, you'll see their paws shifting, scratching, and they may wag their tails. During Rem, dogs can pant, sniff, and murmur. Despite activity taking place in the room, a dog in REM is not easily awakened.
Dreaming is vital to a dog's health. It's a time for data processing and memory storage - for mental replenishment and brain development. For this reason, puppies require a significant amount of sleep. Excited owners that keep their puppies awake for too many hours a day to play are, in essence, robbing their pups of critical development time.
Older dogs also need a great deal of sleep to repair from daily activities and restore energy for basic functions: eating, walking, socializing, and so on. Dogs may spend up to fourteen hours a day in REM sleep.
Should you wake up your dog if he is dreaming? There are two schools of thought. One says, do not wake your dog, even if he is whimpering and pawing in his sleep. If startled, he may unintentionally respond with aggression. The other camp says to gently wake up your dog by petting him softly and speaking in calm, reassuring voice.
Will your dog remember that heated chase or great big steak when he wakes? Perhaps that sad look he gave you when you put out yet another boring bowl of kibble is a sign your dog is remembering his dream.
Dog Lover's Daily Companion
Wendy Nan Rees and Kristen Hampshire
Dreaming is vital to a dog's health. It's a time for data processing and memory storage - for mental replenishment and brain development. For this reason, puppies require a significant amount of sleep. Excited owners that keep their puppies awake for too many hours a day to play are, in essence, robbing their pups of critical development time.
Older dogs also need a great deal of sleep to repair from daily activities and restore energy for basic functions: eating, walking, socializing, and so on. Dogs may spend up to fourteen hours a day in REM sleep.
Should you wake up your dog if he is dreaming? There are two schools of thought. One says, do not wake your dog, even if he is whimpering and pawing in his sleep. If startled, he may unintentionally respond with aggression. The other camp says to gently wake up your dog by petting him softly and speaking in calm, reassuring voice.
Will your dog remember that heated chase or great big steak when he wakes? Perhaps that sad look he gave you when you put out yet another boring bowl of kibble is a sign your dog is remembering his dream.
Dog Lover's Daily Companion
Wendy Nan Rees and Kristen Hampshire
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