# Do dogs dream? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 13, 2012, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dogs-dream/621743 "2012-05-13T01:45:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2012, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dogs-dream/621743/1 "2012-05-13T01:45:16Z")
My dachshund Nathan is lying on his back, snuggled up in an afghan on my recliner. His eyes are closed, and just now he started making little whining and yelping sounds, while his front paws waggled. Could he be dreaming? Or do dogs not dream and it’s some other kind of physical reaction in his sleep? Talk about mundane and pointless! ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2012, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dogs-dream/621743/2 "2012-05-13T01:50:16Z")
I’m sure they do. I’ve had dogs that moved their legs, flexed their paws, and yipped. I’m sure they were chasing bunny rabbits. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2012, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dogs-dream/621743/3 "2012-05-13T01:51:56Z")
They seem to dream. Mine lie on their side and start moving their legs like they are running. Start yelping and whining until they wake themselves up. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2012, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dogs-dream/621743/4 "2012-05-13T01:58:42Z")
I usually tell my dog that he’s a good dog when he’s having nightmares, and he calms down. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2012, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dogs-dream/621743/5 "2012-05-13T02:03:01Z")
For sure, dogs \*and \*cats both dream. I once observed a dog (a boxer) have a wet-dream! Many laughs were had, so much so that the poor guy was awoken by the riotous laughter and had such a pitiful look of consternation and confusion on his face. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2012, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dogs-dream/621743/6 "2012-05-13T02:13:34Z")
I have seen my dogs wag their tails in their sleep, and heard them growl in their sleep I am SURE they are dreaming. If your dog is having a nightmare, whimpering and twitching in their sleep, I usually just gently cup my hand over their nose so they can get my scent; it doesn’t wake the up but comforts them and the bad dream stops. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2012, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dogs-dream/621743/7 "2012-05-13T02:18:57Z")
My black lab and I would spend untold hours in the pool at my old house. When he would be sleeping, his paws could often be seen moving in the typical slow rhythmic pace that he used when swimming in the pool. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2012, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dogs-dream/621743/8 "2012-05-13T02:29:05Z")
All intelligent animals dream. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2012, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dogs-dream/621743/9 "2012-05-13T02:41:38Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > All intelligent animals dream. Define “intelligent”, BTW I would’ve answered the OP the same way many have already. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2012, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dogs-dream/621743/10 "2012-05-13T03:15:18Z")
Obligatory [video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2BgjH_CtIA). ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2012, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dogs-dream/621743/11 "2012-05-13T03:16:28Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Define “intelligent”, BTW I would’ve answered the OP the same way many have already. Animals that dream are intelligent; intelligent animals dream. There. I recall reading something years ago about intelligence and dreaming. I don’t know if I’ll find the source, but dreaming and intelligence are definitely paired. Dogs absolutely dream. They grunt and woof and bark and twitch and go into REM sleep. It’s funny to watch. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2012, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dogs-dream/621743/12 "2012-05-13T03:29:41Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > For sure, dogs \*and \*cats both dream. Ferrets too. My favorite, Claudia, used to have nightmares pretty often and need to be woken up so she’d stop squeaking in fear. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2012, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dogs-dream/621743/13 "2012-05-13T04:38:20Z")
Both of our dogs dream. They tend to subvocalize barks and growls, and sometimes move their feet as if running. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2012, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dogs-dream/621743/14 "2012-05-13T06:05:51Z")
Yes, dogs can dream. Science has long observed REM states in dogs. Hell, even [rats dream. (2001 MIT study)](http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2001/dreaming.html). I don’t know why so many people think that dreaming is a uniquely human trait. I would expect that any animal that sleeps will have the ability to dream in one form or another. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2012, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dogs-dream/621743/15 "2012-05-13T14:57:58Z")
I have a cat that growls a lot in his sleep. I wonder what he’s dreaming about because in real life he’s the most easy going cat you ever did see. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dogs-dream/621743/16 "2012-05-13T15:01:21Z")
I’m convinced that my dog dreams. Seem to all be happy dreams as far as I can tell. A beagle I had years ago would bark, the same way he did chasing rabbits, when he dreamed. I have not noticed any of my cats seeming to dream. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2012, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dogs-dream/621743/17 "2012-05-13T15:02:31Z")
Cats whose brain stems have been lesioned in the specific location responsible for “sleep paralysis”, will act out their dreams, stalking and pouncing on imaginary prey while they are asleep: [The Paradox of Sleep: The Story of Dreaming - Michel Jouvet - Google Books](http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=0NFJHK8XThQC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA81#v=onepage&q&f=false) There is no reason to think this would not work with dogs too (or humans, come to that). Sadly, though, the lesioned cats eventually die of exhaustion. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dogs-dream/621743/18 "2012-05-13T15:22:13Z")
Do cyber budgies dream of electric cheep? ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2012, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dogs-dream/621743/19 "2012-05-13T15:35:27Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Do cyber budgies dream of electric cheep? The re-animated corpse of Phillip K. Dick has been dispatched to your house. Prepare accordingly. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2012, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dogs-dream/621743/20 "2012-05-13T15:39:02Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > I don’t know why so many people think that dreaming is a uniquely human trait. Who thinks that? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dogs-dream/621743.md?page=2)