Do Dogs Dream?

by KYW's Nan Talleno

Research has proven that we are not the only ones who dream. Our canine friends dream just like we do. In fact, it’s been determined that dogs have similar sleep patterns to humans, as well as brain wave activity during sleep. If we watch our dogs during their relaxed slumber, we sometimes find them twitching, moving about as if trying to run, and maybe even making a light barking sound.
  
Dogs, like people, go through various cycles and levels of sleep.  First, the lighter phase where a dog can be easily awakened, followed by the REM or Rapid Eye Movement phase of sleep. This is a phase of a deeper level of sleep with irregular breathing and increased brain wave activity.  The REM is the cycle of sleep where dreaming takes place. Also like people, dogs can have involuntary body movement (like muscle twitching) as well as some vocalization. 
  
It’s interesting to note that puppies and senior dogs tend to dream more than middle aged or adult dogs.

Remember to never startle a dog out of a deep sleep.  Let sleeping dogs lie, so they can enjoy the REM dreaming phase too.