Creature Feature

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette dreaming dog illlustration.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette dreaming dog illlustration.

Sometimes my dog moves her paws when she's sleeping. She does a paddling motion like she's trying to run and she makes little sounds. It looks like she's dreaming. Do dogs dream? What would she dream about?

Dogs dream when sleeping much as we do, although what they dream about is cause for speculation. Perhaps they process the events of the day or dream of chasing squirrels and rabbits. Maybe even electric sheep.

Possibly they dream about things they've experienced, deal with doggy emotional issues (fear of thunderstorms, fireworks or going to the veterinarian) or even relive eating a particularly tasty treat.

Like people, dogs go through cycles in their sleep, according to livescience.com and an article in the May issue of Your Dog. They experience stages of wakefulness, drowsiness, rapid eye movement and slow-wave (non-REM) sleep.

Dreaming is most vivid during REM sleep so that's probably the state your dog is in when you witness her paw movements. My dog sometimes chuffs and woofs while sleeping and also occasionally looks like she's treading water.

For humans, the REM-stage dreams are often memorable and strange. We're most likely to wake up after dreaming in this cycle. People also dream in non-REM sleep, although those dreams may be more mundane. Whether dogs dream in the slow-wave cycle is anybody's guess.

During REM sleep, the muscles of dogs and people become so deeply relaxed that we're virtually paralyzed, according to howsleepworks.com. The brain impulses controlling muscle movement are suppressed, creating a lack of muscle tone and activity that's called atonia. When my dog falls asleep beside me in my chair, she sometimes snoozes so soundly that moving her is like shifting a sack of wet sand, plus she barely seems to notice that she's been displaced.

If a dog is in motion while dreaming, it's best to not wake him, Your Dog advises. The dog probably isn't uncomfortable and simply needs to continue the sleep cycle. If it's true that dogs dream like us, their dreams aren't always wonderful -- sometimes the squirrel gets away -- but they need to be given the chance to work through things.

Most of the time, it's best to let a sleeping dog lie even if the dog appears to be distressed, screams, growls, cries or otherwise acts frightened. Dogs do have nightmares -- the squirrel attacks, perhaps -- but seeing a bad dream through is part of the natural progression of the sleep cycles. Also, a person rudely awakening a dog might end up on the pointy end of the dog's teeth.

If your dog appears so disturbed that you feel you must wake him, do so by gently speaking the dog's name. The dog likely will slowly rouse from the sleeping state, which is better than a sudden awakening. Dogs wake at different speeds and have a variety of waking behaviors. They may stretch, snort, yawn, slowly circle in one spot and shake their heads for a few seconds before their tails begin wagging and they're ready to begin a new day.

Cats also go through sleep cycles like those of dogs and humans, according to healthypets.mercola.com. They enter the REM cycle about every 25 minutes while sleeping and are believed to dream -- maybe about mice, other cats, their owners or catnip toys. Cats sometimes wiggle their whiskers, twitch their tails, knead the air with their paws and chatter while dreaming.

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Dear Readers,

This is my final "Creature Feature," and I want to thank you for sharing your curiosity about your pets with me these many years. In my weekly search for answers to your questions, I've discovered amazing things, laughed and even shed a few tears. This has been a truly incredible journey. As I begin the next one, I'd encourage you to continue to ask questions and learn all you can about your pets. After all, curiosity doesn't really kill the cat -- or the owner.

Family on 06/28/2017

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