What Do Dogs Dream Of?
Have you ever wondered what dogs dream of? Dogs’ dreams are very different from people’s. They take a few naps throughout the day, always quickly and vigilantly, so they are able to quickly get out of their sleep state if there is a voice stimulus, some food aroma or a touch.
These periods of sleep that dogs have during the day are very beneficial moments of rest for our pets, among other things because they help to maintain the shine of their fur and also for them to get some complementary energy.
When night comes, the serenity of the environment and the absence of light make it easier for the dog to enter into a kind of permanent nap. If he wakes up for any reason, he will carry out inspections throughout the house, taking the opportunity to access all prohibited corners and examine all objects.
What do dogs dream of? sleep phases
During sleep, rest reaches its fullest when the animal sleeps deeply, but this period is short, just 20 minutes. In these moments, the animal has dreams that make it move its eyes very quickly with the eyelids closed and, in their brain, there is a whole activity (the same happens with humans), which causes different reactions in the dog, such as licking , movement of joints and ears, barking or grunting according to the object of your dreams, which could be a day of hunting, believing that you are hearing a dangerous noise, finding an appetizing food, etc.
A dog sleeping in excess is not very healthy because it can be a sign of lack of energy and, in addition, this behavior can lead to overweight. The animal has to rest according to the activities it develops and the exercises it does.
In an analysis of the different races, we can find some more lazy than others ; for example, dogs of the São Bernardo breed, the Basset Hounds and the Shar Peis, these breeds have laziness as one of their main characteristics.
What do dogs dream of? Insomnia and schedules
When a dog suffers from insomnia, he may become aggressive as he cannot relax. Knowing our dog’s sleep habits is very important to maintain our pet’s well-being. Respecting his sleep time is as important as feeding him and taking him for a walk.
In an analysis of times, we can say that adult dogs sleep better between 9 pm and 4 am. During the day they sleep very lightly and are on constant watch to react when something disturbs them.
Dogs have the REM sleep phase, just like people, it is the phase in which they move their eyes very quickly, move, pant and even bark in their sleep. Dogs, like humans, dream. Experts ensure that when a dog is asleep, contrary to what might be supposed, the animal’s brain activity increases.
Although we are not sure what dogs dream, we can imagine from the gestures they make, as well as from the drawings of an encephalogram. In addition to pleasurable dreams, they can also have nightmares.
What do dogs dream of? sleep speed
As with people, the fast and slow phases of a dog’s rest blend together during sleep time. It is known, due to some studies, that when our animal sleeps throughout the night, only in the third part of the sleep time will it be in the deep sleep phase, the REM phase, the rest of the time will be in brain waves slow. At night, the dog sleeps between five and twenty minutes in a row, wakes up a few times, until it finally falls asleep and sleeps for a long time.
The dog’s bedtime ritual is a lot like that of its ancestors, the wolves. Dogs owe many of the guidelines for their behavior to them, and they have many similarities with them. Dogs are defending hunters and so they have to be on continuous alert. Their watchful instinct also prevents them from falling asleep permanently.
For these reasons, the REM phase of deep sleep lasts much less than in the case of humans. Furthermore, due to the special auditory sensitivity of these animals, they can wake up at any time, if any threat arises. If dogs and dogs that lived close to wildlife slept too deeply, it would put them in danger, and that’s the instinct they inherited.
