What happens when the four -legged friend dreams?
Boppard. Dogs yell, bark or twitch when they sleep. This behavior is completely normal and mostly have harmless reasons, but can indicate problems in individual cases.
They dream like humans
Dogs go through different sleep phases, similar to us humans. In the REM phase (Rapid Eye Movement), Which is also known as a dream sleep phase, dogs process the events of the day. You can make noises, twitch your paws or even to run in your sleep. It is like living out your dreams.
Possible causes of yelling and barking while sleeping
- Processing of experiences: Dogs process their experiences during sleep, both positive and negative. You can dream of a walk or an encounter with another four -legged friend.
- Instinctive behavior: Jaulen and barking while sleeping can also be a remnant from the time in which dogs still lived in the pack. It can be an expression of communication or a sign of territorial behavior.
- Health problems: In rare cases, health problems such as pain can be the reason for yell and barking in your sleep. If your dog makes noise unusually often or very intensively in your sleep, you should go to a veterinarian to exclude possible organic causes.
What to do?
- Behave: Make sure that the dog also shows unusual behavior during the day. If he looks anxious or stressed, you should find out the cause of this and, if necessary, consult a veterinarian or a dog trainer.
- Do not wake up: If the dog whines or barks while sleeping, it should not be woken up. This could be confused or frightened. Just wait until he wakes up on his own.
- Sleeping environment: The dog should have a quiet and comfortable sleeping place. A soft blanket and a quiet place can help him sleep better.
- Capacity utilization: For a healthy sleep, the dog needs good physical and mental occupancy every day.
Dogs dream like we humans while sleeping ((See ⇾ The dog's shop: phases, duration and special features). This is a normal phenomenon and mostly due to dreams or the processing of experiences. As long as the dog is otherwise healthy and fit, you don't have to worry. Only if the behavior occurs more frequently or is accompanied by other symptoms should you see a veterinarian to rule out possible health problems. (Stefan Richter)