Did you ever wonder if your dog dreams…?   I often watch our kids sleep and I ask myself - what are they dreaming of? Sherlock often moves his legs as if running and makes the sweetest whimpering sounds. For sure he is looking for his favorite friend (daddy) to go for another hike in the forest. Cooka meanwhile just snores deeply and peacefully and I am sure all she dreams of, are new recipes and the bliss they will bring to other fur-kids. Bohemia is sleeping in the oddest positions, all four stretched to the sky and the tongue slightly looking out of her mouth. She looks so funny that I cannot even imagine what she is dreaming, besides most likely causing some more destruction in the neighborhood. And Pluto? Pluto kind of sings when he is asleep. It is the sweetest sound and touches us deeply. We believe that he remembers his family before he was lost on the streets, at least this is the dream we hope he is having…And what are you imagining your kids are dreaming…? Bones, steaks or wild rat chases? But who knows the answer - Do dogs really dream?

Dog-loving researchers have discovered a lot about what goes on in the minds of our sleeping fur-friends and this is what they found. Dogs do enter REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep just like us humans – and yes, they dream during this period of sleep. Unfortunately however, because dogs can’t really talk to us, it’s impossible to know exactly what they experience in their dream-life.

As we know, it is the pons* area of the brain, which is responsible for preventing movement while dreaming and is also helping veterinary researchers understand more about the dreams of dogs. Studies have taken place, which disabled the pons region of a dog’s brain to help scientists imagine what our dogs might be dreaming about.

* The pons is the largest part of the brainstem, located above the medulla and below the midbrain. It is a group of nerves that function as a connection between the cerebrum and cerebellum (pons is Latin for bridge).

Based on their observations, they came to the conclusion that a dog’s dream depends a lot on his/her breed predisposition – for example, a retriever might dream of going on a hunt, while a German Shepherd might dream of protecting their family and a Weimaraner, well…guess hunting for another crazy adventure. Just like dogs come in all shapes and sizes, so do their dreams. Interestingly, it is also believed that small breed dogs dream for shorter periods of time than larger breeds.

Most of us have heard our dog whimper or cry while asleep. And yes, we instantly get worried and wonder if our kids have a terrible nightmare. But scientist believe that crying is not always a bad thing and might be an expression of joy. Imagine a dog dreaming of chasing a rabbit or the moment his/her hooman comes home! Both of these are super happy dreams that might cause a doggie to ‘vocalize’. But the researchers also believe that dogs can have nightmares, just like us hoomans.

Should we wake a sleeping dog?

The old saying “let sleeping dogs lie” has a wise meaning. In general, we should not wake our sleeping dogs. Especially if the dog startles easily or is deaf or hearing-impaired – then it’s important to be extra careful when waking them. If you really need to wake your pup try to make some gentle noise, softly call their name or turn on the lights. If this doesn’t wake your dog try a gentle caress on his/her back.

Deep dreaming sleep is extremely important for dogs. Just like in hoomans dreaming is thought to be very important for creating memories and learning. Did you know that dogs can sleep up to 16 hours a day (lucky dogs!)? Make sure you give your pup plenty of time to relax and sleep, they do need it!

WOW. With so much pawback on the importance of dreaming, I will go in my basket now and dream up some new yummy recipes. Wooof nighties, your Cooka