Dog Community

dogs and dreaming

dawn

Posted : 6/17/2006 4:35:28 PM

This is something I've wondered about for sometime, and I'm really curious what others here think on the topic.
As we all know, dogs, like humans, frequently have dreams. The difference between the species is that we as humans know about the science/physiology behind dreams i.e. we know it is brain activity and that circumstances in dreams are "not really happening". Dogs on the other hand, really have no way to know that a dream is just that - a dream. They have no way of knowing, no reason to know, that what they are dreaming is not actually happening to them. So what I often wonder when I see Whinny dream, is if when she wakes up, she thinks that what she was dreaming about actually happened. Who knows, she may be under the impression that we took a great fun walk, when in fact we didn't. On the reverse side, what if she dreamt that something really bad happened to her, and she thinks THAT really happened.
Anyway, its just something i find interesting to consider - that our dogs have all these other "experiences "in their sleep which could account for behavior patterns while they are awake. what do you all think?

marlania

Posted : 6/17/2006 8:08:11 PM

Interesting. I wonder what they do too, and if they really do have odd dreams, Grey must have had a doozey last night. Around 4 am, I woke up to some really loud rumbling. I realized it was Grey growling his butt off. He carried on for about five full minutes then I heard him wake up and yawn (he makes really loud dinosaur noises when he's awake.) I wonder what was going on in his head.

Brian Berry

Posted : 6/17/2006 10:08:16 PM

Oh man, Maggie has dreams all the time. Sometimes she just twitches a little bit, other times shes quietly barking and growling in her dreams. I wish i knew what was happening. One time she was whimpering in her dream REALLY loudly, that time i woke her because i figured it must be something bad that she is dreaming about.

dawn

Posted : 6/18/2006 5:36:49 PM

whinny actually howls in her sleep. really loud. and then she'll wake herself up.

loveukaykay

Posted : 6/18/2006 6:47:10 PM

Bailey does the cutest little growls in her sleep and of course the whimpering noises along with running motions.

I dont think it effects them when awake or that they remember that they ever had the dream, even if they woke themselves up right from it... even people dont remember they dreamt half the time... Im not one of them I always remember so Im not saying that is the norm... but a lot dont remember them.

I dont think they are aware they ever had the dream, but thats just my opinion. I love to hear it though... and ALWAYS wish I could know what they were dreaming of.

jeano

Posted : 6/18/2006 8:55:31 PM

I suspect they forget the dream within ten or fifteen seconds of waking, maybe even faster.

Sofia has woken me twice with a strange WOOOOO! Funny thing is, she didn't wake herself up when she did it! It really scared me, but it was just a dream.

Lately she's done something I've never seen another dog do and it just makes me smile so much....she'll be dreaming and just start wagging her tail, softly. Sometimes a little faster, but it's so sweet to see her having happy dreams. [

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Alice

Posted : 6/18/2006 9:23:33 PM

Jasper is always dreaming, he mostly has dreams about running as his legs run while hes sleeping. He also twitches his head alot.

agilebasenji

Posted : 6/18/2006 10:03:11 PM

My tri-ing guy will do those dream/night howls. Scares the bejeezus out of me! Eeriest thing I've ever heard.

Basenjigirl - we need pics!

Dario Medina

Posted : 6/19/2006 12:26:09 AM

Hmm, great theory. As another said, I would think they forget of them quickly, as we tend to forget a dream as time goes by. I haven't heard Panda have a good dream yet, he will just whine and cry and it makes me worry at time, but I let him be.

labcrab

Posted : 6/19/2006 3:13:30 PM

We have no ability to discern a dream from reality in the midst of a dream and only realize that it was a dream when we awake. It could be the same with dogs, they could have an innate understanding of dreams, no? And if they do not, then they likely forget the dreams as quickly as we do.

dawn

Posted : 6/19/2006 8:09:03 PM

yeah, i've been thinking about that too - like maybe they just have a built in understanding that certain experiences aren't "real" or whatever.

loveukaykay

Posted : 6/19/2006 10:47:43 PM

Actually, I have been dreaming, and knew it at the time.

Dario Medina

Posted : 6/19/2006 10:52:05 PM

Some humans have been known to be dreaming, I though never know when I am dreaming until I wake up, an exception is when I was dreaming I had to go to the bathroom, and I knew I was dreaming, I told myself to get up and so I did. >_>

loveukaykay

Posted : 6/19/2006 11:42:35 PM

Pretty often I will know Im dreaming all night and be annoyed by it and fail to get a good sleep. Very annoing. Will wake up and try not to end up doing the same thing, but will end up back the same same annoying dream and be completely aware of it. I have done studies on it, and its not so uncommon.

DH on the other hand, never remembers a thing, he even thinks he never dreams at all...

The mind is pretty cool, I think.

Dario Medina

Posted : 6/19/2006 11:44:29 PM

Actually, all people dream, always, we have about 4-8 dreams every night. Scientifically proven!... >_>
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