Story and photos by Nancy Gallimore
Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump. I glance up from my long- neglected email inbox and immediately attribute the rhythmic staccato to Dash, my handsome Dalmatian. Dash was in a deep, cozy slumber, motionless beyond a twitching nose and his tail wagging excitedly against the cushion of a dog bed.
Clearly, Dash was having a happy little adventure. His ears flicked back, his tail stopped and started again with increased enthusiasm. I wondered where his mind was taking him. Was he dreaming of me fixing his dinner? Maybe, but this was Dash’s patented fast wag, a display reserved for the happiest good-boy moments. A more likely scenario was Dash greeting his other human, Jim, coming through the door at the end of a workday.
Animals of all kinds have dreams. I’ve seen tiny puppies twitching and mimicking nursing behavior during naps. I’ve seen snoozing cats purr and flex their paws in biscuit-making bliss. I’ve seen dogs paddle their paws in obvious pursuit of imaginary prey. I’ve even witnessed my horses bob their heads, ruffle their lips, and flip their ears during a sunny-day snooze in the pasture.
Animals Do Dream
Humans certainly don’t have a monopoly on dreams. So do our dogs experience dreams like humans do? According to Oklahoman Karen Dugan Holman of Three Oaks Animal Behavior Counseling, they absolutely do. In fact, she says scientists believe that most vertebrates dream on a regular basis.
Like people, dogs and other animals go through several sleep cycles. They have periods of wakefulness followed by rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. REM sleep is the period when the most memorable and vivid dreams happen, and it’s believed to be a part of how the body processes memory.
Scientists can track sleep cycles in people and other animals and the associated brain activity by using specialized equipment. One of the most famous animal-dream experiments was conducted by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Rats in the experiment spent a day exploring a maze. Scientists monitored the brain activity of the rats in the maze and then compared it to the brain activity of the rats during REM sleep.
They discovered that the same areas of the rats’ brains lit up during REM sleep as when they were running the maze, indicating that the rats were likely dreaming of the maze. This suggested to the researchers that the rats dreamed about what they did during the day, just as a human might dream about being at work or school. The scientists concluded that animals do have complex dreams about things they experience in their lives.
We have all observed our own pets vocalize and twitch while sleeping — small, muted sounds and movements. According to Holman, the “small and muted” part can be attributed to pons, the part of the brain that inhibits large muscles from moving during sleep in humans and animals alike. The pons is the reason you don’t end up acting out your more extravagant dreams. I for one am grateful that part of my brain has kept me from climbing to the top of my house to attempt to take flight.
Similarly, our dogs might whimper and bark softly, while in their minds they might be in full bay giving chase to a squirrel or the neighborhood cat. But thanks to the pons, their activity remains constrained, and we are spared the experience of our pets bolting through our homes acting out a chaotic slumber-induced script.
Beware of Nightmares
Here’s the tricky part: If you fall into the I-must-rescue-my-pet category and assume all dreams should be interrupted, you are also interrupting the pons effect. Perhaps you’re just putting a sudden stop to your dog splashing through a mud puddle or your cat pouncing after a taunting butterfly. But what if you interrupt a not-so-happy dream? “Dogs often have dreams about normal things from their lives like playtime,” said Holman. “But dogs can also have nightmares.”
Holman references a study conducted by Carlo Siracusa, professor of clinical animal welfare and behavior in the Department of Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. According to Siracusa, animals can have bad dreams or dreams associated with negative emotions. “Twitching eyelids or paws are normal in a sleeping dog, but additional signs might indicate … a nightmare.”
A dog having a stressful dream might get sweaty paws, it might growl or bark, you might hear whimpering or whining, and you might see an increase in respiration. Siracusa advises that it can be a bad idea to wake your pet if you think it is having a nightmare. Humans can become combative during the transition from nightmare to consciousness but can generally inhibit inappropriate or undesirable behaviors. Suddenly rousing a dog out of REM sleep could cause your pet to act out aggressively because of disorientation or fear.
According to the experts, nightmares aren’t generally a cause for concern unless they occur frequently. Siracusa says bad dreams can be associated with sleep disorders and recommends discussing ongoing sleep disturbances with your veterinarian, especially if your pet is displaying aggressive behavior.
The day after Dash’s joy-filled nap, I came upon my sweet girl Brooke also in dreamland. But unlike Dash, Brooke seemed very tense, stretched on her side and whining plaintively. Although her life is pretty cushy, clearly, her subconscious had dredged up a not-so-pleasant memory. Rather than try to physically wake her, I decided to ease her angst using her strongest sense — smell.
I got a piece of yummy chicken from the refrigerator and placed it on the floor just in front of Brooke’s nose. Soon, her tense expression gave way to a twitching nose, and her eyes blinked open to find a surprise treat. Whatever was chasing her in her dreams surrendered to the lure of a great-smelling snack. Maybe it wasn’t the most scientific solution, but both pons and dog seemed pleased.
If you find your pet’s twitches, whimpers, and leg jerks concerning, know that most animal dreams last only a short while, and your pet will generally quickly settle back into a peaceful state. Dreams are part of a healthy sleep cycle, so perhaps it’s truly best to let sleeping dogs — as well as cats, horses, hamsters, and other critters — lie. Here’s hoping the nightmares are few and the fast-wag dreams are plentiful.
