Can dogs have nightmares?

Have you ever watched your pooch sleeping when they occasionally let out a small bark, a growl, or startle themselves awake? Have you ever wondered what they're dreaming about and whether they dream as vividly as we do?

Science tells us that dogs do dream, in fact, they can have quite complex dreams as well as nightmares.

A dog experiencing a nightmare may be dreaming about something that they dislike or something that makes them anxious.

When a dog is having a nightmare it may howl, whine, growl and bark. They may also jerk or startle themselves awake.

If you’ve ever had the unpleasant experience of watching a dog having a nightmare, it may be tempting to wake them up to comfort them – however, this can be dangerous.

Like humans, dogs can become disorientated when being woken suddenly and can act aggressively towards the person who woke them. This is particularly dangerous for children who may not understand the dangers of waking a sleeping dog.

So what is the right approach to take?

Dreams don’t last forever, so the best thing you can do is wait for your dog to wake from their dream. Once they have taken a moment to remember where they are and who they’re with, you can comfort them with as many cuddles and pats as you like.

It's also important to educate children about not disturbing dogs while they sleep (whether they're having a good or bad dream). Hence the famous saying “let sleeping dogs lie”.