I'm sure that more than once you've watched your dog sleep. That overwhelming energy he displays when you play with him, that desire to run and jump, that joy when his food arrives, that wagging tail when you arrive after a few hours apart... all of that is quenched during sleep. But... what happens in a dog's brain while he is resting? Do dogs dream like us? What does science say about it?
Science affirms that dogs dream when they sleep.
Different studies have been done on the sleep of dogs, and they all point to the fact that, indeed, they dream like people.
The neural structure of mammals is similar, and that structure is what determines that we can dream. Dogs, just like us, go through different phases of sleep, among them the REM (rapid eyes movement) phase in which there is brain activity and dreams occur.
Research conducted by Columbia University psychology professor Stanley Coren showed that when dogs enter the REM phase they can whine, growl, prick up their ears, move their paws... even bark as they would when awake. Drawing a parallel with humans, it can be deduced that at that moment they are dreaming, probably about the activities and experiences they have had during the day.
But... why does my dog wake up at the slightest noise?
We listen to our dog's deep and quiet breathing while sleeping, sometimes even snoring and even sighing, and we get the feeling that he is sound asleep... but at the slightest noise or movement, he jumps up like a spring and gets on guard. It really helps that they have such fine hearing. But the reality is that he is in a continuous state of wakefulness, permanently on alert for anything that might happen: it is the vigilant instinct he has inherited from his ancestor the wolf.
A happy, well-cared-for dog has pleasant dreams.
Although dogs , like us, can have nightmares from time to time, it is normal for a well-cared-for and well-fed dog, who knows he is loved and enjoys a happy life, to have pleasant dreams .
The brain activity during sleep appeals to images of everyday life, and if his experiences are positive, his dreams will be positive too.
Is your dog wagging his paws in his sleep? He's probably dreaming of running; does he perk up his ears? It could be that in his sleep he is attentive or vigilant, for example, to a game; have you heard him sigh while resting? That's because he's super at ease. It is very possible that he is dreaming of you, after all, you are the center of his life and his great reference.
The environment, the atmosphere and the mattress will help to have a restful sleep.
In other words: if your dog's life is pleasant, his dreams will be too .
But if your dog sleeps in an environment that is too cold or too hot, too noisy or too bright, and his bed is not comfortable enough, his sleep will not be good enough.
Provide him with a good temperature, a certain darkness and a quality mattress.
The balukaDREAM balukaDREAM mattress is an excellent choice that will provide your dog with the comfort he needs during his sleeping hours so that his sleep is truly restful and of good quality. If he also receives the same care and attention from you, his dreams will be wonderful.
