bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

USA TODAY

It turns out bad dreams are not just a nuisance for humans – our pets can experience them as well.
Though the sleeping patterns of dogs differ in some ways from our own, there are striking similarities, including the ability to get frightened in the night.
But dogs don’t likely dream about showing up to school naked or losing all of their teeth. Those are uniquely human fears. So, what populates their dream world?
Here’s what to know about a dog’s nightmares, what to do if your dog has a nightmare and what they might be dreaming about.
Yes, you are being manipulated by your dog – science proves it
Do dogs dream?
Yes. The American Kennel Club (AKC) reports that the sleep patterns of your dog aren’t that different from your own.
Dogs experience both slow-wave sleep, or SWS, and rapid-eye-movement sleep, or REM. Dogs spend about 10 per cent of their total sleep in the dreaming, or REM, phase.

Small dogs dream more often than larger dogs, the AKC explained, with their dreams lasting for a shorter amount of time.
Do dogs have nightmares and how do you know?
The AKC reports that dogs can have nightmares, as well as other kinds of dreams.
Indications that your dog is having a nightmare include: growling, crying, snarling, loud barking, shaking and twitching.
What causes nightmares in dogs?
Dogs are not able to dream up scary monsters the way we are, the AKC reports, so if your dog is having a nightmare, they are most likely recalling a traumatic experience.

Dog walking company Wag reports that dogs that have experienced more trauma in the past are more likely to have nightmares.
If your dog is suffering often from nightmares, it can help to make their sleeping space more relaxed and safe.
Should you wake dogs up from nightmares?
What to do if your dog is having a nightmare? Resist the urge to wake them.
The AKC reports that your dog might lash out if you wake them from a nightmare, as they may not realise they have been awoken and could be disoriented.

Again, making an environment more comfortable can be a preventive measure. Nightmares in dogs can be triggered by noises or chronic pain, Wag explains, so eliminating catalysts can help your pet get a better night’s rest.
What do dogs dreams about?
Dogs dream about their everyday activities, just like we do.
In recent studies, dogs have been shown to dream about pointing at birds or running.
Dog dreams tend to depict activities they often participate in, Wag reports, or sometimes a replay of a particularly formative experience.


Dog shoots US man in bed after ‘paw stuck in trigger’

Hong Kong’s MTR Corp, KMB considering allowing commuters to bring pets on board

My cat has bad breath, won’t eat. Feline dental problem signs to look out for, what to do

How pets gave my dementia-afflicted mother affection, as well as a sense of purpose

Pets

Do dogs dream? Yes. Do they have nightmares? Yes. Here’s how you can help

Dogs spend about 10 per cent of their total sleep in the dreaming phase. Photo: Shutterstock

Small dogs have shorter dreams than large ones. Photo: Shutterstock

Dogs may recall past traumatic experiences, like fights, in their nightmares. Photo: Shutterstock

Dogs dream about their everyday activities, like humans do. Photo: Shutterstock

How one dog helped end greyhound racing in Macau, and how he lived out his life free from the cruel sport

Charmaine Settle’s iconic picture of Brooklyn at the Canidrome in Macau that sparked a global campaign. Photo: GREY2K USA/Red Door News

Charmaine Settle’s iconic picture of Brooklyn at the Canidrome in Macau that sparked a global campaign to end greyhound racing in the Chinese special administrative region. Photo: GREY2K USA/Red Door News

As a racing dog, Brooklyn was far from remarkable. Photo: GREY2K USA/Red Door News

An investigation by Post Magazine in 2011 revealed young, healthy greyhounds at the Macau Canidrome were routinely exterminated by lethal injection. Photo: GREY2K USA/Red Door News

Dogs at the Macau Canidrome were being destroyed at a rate of around 30 a month – nearly 400 a year – to be replaced by hounds newly imported from Australia. Photo: SCMP

Macau’s notorious Canidrome dog racing track was a venue from which, for 80 years, no dog had ever come out alive. Photo: GREY2K USA/Red Door News

A volunteer with a Brooklyn poster in 2013. Photo: GREY2K USA/Red Door News

A rally in Dublin, Ireland, calling for Brooklyn to be released from the Macau Canidrome. Photo: GREY2K USA/Red Door News

Albano Martins and volunteers say goodbye to Brooklyn at the Macau Canidrome in 2019. Photo: GREY2K USA/Red Door News

Brooklyn at his home in the US. Photo: GREY2K USA/Red Door News

Some of the tributes sent after Brooklyn’s death in June. Photo: GREY2K USA/Red Door News

The missing poster for Brooklyn, featuring animal rights campaigner Charmaine Settle’s iconic photograph, was circulated in a worldwide campaign. Photo: GREY2K USA/Red Door News

Brooklyn with Christine Dorchak at his home in the US. Photo: GREY2K USA/Red Door News

The dog breed personality myth is fake, study reveals – popular stereotypes about man’s best friend aren’t supported by science, experts say

A new US study reveals that your dog’s personality may have little to do with its breed. Photo: Getty Images

Many of the stereotypes about the behaviour of dogs aren’t supported by science, according to a new study. Photo: Getty Images

While physical traits are inherited, breed is not a strong predictor of any dog’s personality. Photo: Getty Images

Researchers found some behaviours do have at least some genetic basis. But that inheritance isn’t strictly passed down along breed lines. Photo: Getty Images

Dogs became humanity’s best friend more than 14,000 years ago, as the only animal domesticated before the advent of agriculture. Photo: Getty Images

Lifestyle


Dogs dream and have nightmares like humans, with signs including growling, crying and shaking. They are most likely recalling a traumatic experience
Resist the urge to wake them – they may lash out. Making an environment more comfortable and quieter can be a preventive measure



Dogs dream and have nightmares like humans, with signs including growling and crying. They are likely recalling a traumatic experience. Making their environment more comfortable can help.


Animals

Offbeat

Do dogs dream? Yes. Do they have nightmares? Yes. Here’s how you can help

Dogs dream and have nightmares like humans, with signs including growling, crying and shaking. They are most likely recalling a traumatic experience Resist the urge to wake them – they may lash out. Making an environment more comfortable and quieter can be a preventive measure

Do dogs dream?

Dogs dream and have nightmares like humans, with signs including growling, crying and shaking. They are most likely recalling a traumatic experience

Resist the urge to wake them – they may lash out. Making an environment more comfortable and quieter can be a preventive measure