what do dogs dream about?

March 30, 2023

today, we answer the most pressing, age-old question that’s always on every pet parent’s mind: do dogs dream?

tiny paw paddles, adorable ear twitches, softly whispered woofs — these lil’ movements our furry friends make in their sleep melt our hearts, don’t they? 💗

allow us to delight you further.

those tiny, snoozy movements are also signs that our pets do dream.

those dog dreams are real: sleep cycles in dogs

research have shown that dogs and cats, like their hooman pawrents, go through sleep cycles, including the rapid eye movement (REM) phase where most dreaming occurs.

researchers have used brain imaging techniques to study the brains of sleeping dogs, and they have found that the same areas of the brain are active during dog dreaming as in humans. In particular, the amygdala, which is involved in emotional processing, and the hippocampus, which is involved in memory consolidation, are active during dog dreaming.

so yeah, those dog dreams are as real as they get. 😍

before we go ahead and tell you what your floofer is actually dreaming about…

here’s what healthy sleep for dogs looks like.

to live, play, and dream well, our dogs need healthy sleep habits. the first being, the amount of time your dog spends snoozing.

for every dog, daily sleep needs vary depending on several factors, such as age, breed, size, and activity level. generally, adult dogs need between 12-14 hours of sleep per day, while puppies and senior dogs may need more. larger breeds and working dogs may also require more sleep than smaller, more sedentary breeds.

make sure your dog is getting quality sleep, which means providing a comfortable and quiet sleeping environment, as well as a comfortable bed or crate. it's also important to establish a regular sleep schedule, with consistent bedtimes and wake-up times, to help regulate your dog's sleep cycle. remember, be it training or sleeping – dogs love being on schedule!

don’t forget to actively engage your pet in daily exercise and activities, including mentally stimulating games and physical training, to adequately work and tire your pet out. it’ll give them a hard day’s worth of sweet sleep — and even sweeter dreams. :)

should your dog sleep in the same bed as you?

it’s a heart-melting moment when your pet sneaks up on its own to snuggle into bed with you. by the powers of the furry paw, you are now the chosen one. (how lucky! ❤️)

let’s be honest — who doesn’t love a chance to cuddle up with their furball in bed? and who knows… sleeping close to them may give you a closer understanding of what they’re dreaming about maybe?

as much as you enjoy it — as does your pet — there are a lot of theories on whether or not pets and parents should be sleeping in the same bed. so before letting your furry settle in with you at night, consider these pros & cons:

co-sleeping with your pet communicates affection & can be a great trust builder. it tells your pet they are welcome in your personal space & can safely be their vulnerable self around you.
letting your dog hop into bed with you could aggravate allergies, lead to a transfer of parasites (like mites or fleas), or even negatively affect the quality of your sleep.
while co-sleeping with a pet facing separation anxiety can comfort them, training them to sleep in their own bed or crate will establish a sense of space for them.
if your dog has strong resource-guarding instincts, it may begin growling or biting if you “invade” its space on your bed.
having a dog sleep beside you can actually provide effective security since the dog’s alertness will guard you against mishaps.

in the end, it all boils down to personal preference! as a pawrent, you have to take a call on what you think will work best with your pet. 💕

what do dogs dream about?

now, for the most important bit —

if you’ve seen your dog or puppy sleeping — (who are we kidding? we know you do that all the time) — you would definitely have wondered: what do those puppy dreams look like?

those dog dreams are exactly as happy, naughty, delightful, active, and playful as you probably imagined them to be.

it is thought that dogs may dream about things that they have experienced during the day, as well as more abstract concepts. dogs may also exhibit behaviors during their dreams that suggest they are reliving experiences, such as twitching or vocalizing. (want to know what your dog thinks about while sleeping? read this.)

basically, like us, our furbabies too dream about all that’s important to them — chasing tails and tennis balls, digging holes, sniffing corners, knocking over vases… oh, and YOU. ❤️

(if you ever needed more proof that your furbaby loves you. 🥺)

and it goes without saying that their beautiful, bizarre dreamlands are full of food… and more food… and then some more.

in fact, some research suggests that our lil’ furry foodies even have “food dreams” where they dream about chasing down and devouring their favorite meals. 😍

don’t worry, your furry friend won’t have to chase their favorite pawfectly meals down — we’ll come to you!

fresh, customized meals delivered right to your doorstep. fulfill your furbaby’s dreams now. order pawfectly. ❤️

buy fresh pet meals for your furball today!