Scientists have confirmed what many millions of dog owners have long known: dogs do indeed dream. The brain wave pattern of sleeping dogs is remarkably similar to that of people and that shouldn’t be especially surprising since the basic structures of the human and canine brains aren’t all that different. If you watch your dog go to sleep, you’ll see them start dreaming after 20 minutes or so. There might be some twitching and you might even notice their eyes moving rapidly behind their eyelids. This is the same sort of “rapid eye movement” that humans experience when they’re dreaming.
Exactly what dogs dream about isn’t known for sure, but there is reason to think that they dream about typical dog activities. Unfortunately, it seems that our canine friends can have nightmares, too.
In the video we’ve posted below, you’ll see what happens when one dog sees that another dog is having a nightmare. A golden retriever puppy was taking a nap with an older dog. The older dog began twitching and then made a whimpering noise, obviously in the throes of an intense canine nightmare. At first, the puppy was confused and had no idea what he should do. He briefly came over to the camera as if to say, “Help! What am I supposed to do?” It only took the puppy a few seconds to come up with the right answer. He went back over to the sleeping dog and curled up against its head and neck, offering love and comfort. As their human dad said, “One night I caught my new puppy comforting my older dog during a bad dream. They are quickly becoming new friends.”
If you notice your dog is having a nightmare, you should do pretty much what you’d do for a person. Wake them up slowly, use a gentle voice, and avoid touching them.
What did you think of the way this thoroughly adorable little puppy helped his friend? Let us know in the Facebook comments and be sure to like and share!