Almost every dog owner has wondered what their pet is dreaming about – especially when they let out a small sleep bark or start mimicking running in their sleep. Now, the experts at Harvard Medical School have discovered just that – releasing a study on what your four-legged friend could be dreaming about.
Clinical and evolutionary psychologist Dr Deirdre Barrett says dogs likely dream about their everyday experiences, just like humans, meaning there’s a good chance they are dreaming about their owners. Speaking to People, she said: “Humans dream about the same things they’re interested in by day, though more visually and less logically. There’s no reason to think animals are any different.
“Since dogs are generally extremely attached to their human owners, it’s likely your dog is dreaming of your face, your smell and of pleasing or annoying you.” While there’s no way to be 100% certain about what’s actually running through their heads, Dr Barrett says it is likely they are dreaming about running when their paws or legs begin to twitch, or interacting with another dog or human when they start barking.
She says most animals have similar sleep cycles to humans, going through light, deep, and REM sleep stages. It is during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep when dreams occur for humans, making this the best guess as to when other animals would also experience dreams.
In humans, REM sleep typically begins 90 minutes into a nap and lasts between five to 15 minutes, with each cycle getting longer throughout the night. Dr Barrett says owners can try to improve their dog’s dreams by exposing them to “happy daytime experiences” and providing them with a safe and comfortable environment to rest on a night.
Commenting on this revelation, one impressed TikTok user said: “I think my dogs dreams of food.” Another user added: “Imagine they dream of saving us and we then give them treats, very cool.” A third user admitted: “This makes me cry happy tears knowing this.” One more user added: “This makes my heart burst.”