Dog Nightmares: Causes and What to Do to Stop Dog Night Terrors

The joy of owning a dog is immense. They become part of your family. You become concerned about their well-being as you do with your kids. Seeing them in distress or uncomfortable makes you concerned. Dog nightmares can get you really worried, more so because they often resemble seizures. Below we explore everything you need to know about dog nightmares.

Can Dogs Have Nightmares Really?

According to Stanley Coren, a professor emeritus in the Department of Psychology at the University of Columbia, dogs do dream and can even have nightmares (bad dreams), just like humans.

One can only guess what a dog experiences during nightmares, but as Coren says, dogs generally dream doggy things. Like humans, dog nightmares usually revolve around things that they fear. Unlike humans, however, dogs are not so good at imagination ofthe possible scenarios. In that regards, dog nightmares are more likely to be tied to their actual past experiences – memories – than a visualization of possibilities.

It could be a recent frightening experience at the vet, a fight with another dog, toenail clipping session, name it.

Whatever the event occurring in the nightmare, your dog will show it through body movements and sounds associated with distress ranging from growling to howling, whining, screaming, and barking. Even long term memories e.g. abuse, traumatic events, etc. can also cause dog nightmares.

Are Your Dealing with a Case of Dog Nightmares or Seizures?

During sleeps, dogs go through cycles: wakefulness (alertness), rapid eye movement (REM), and non-rapid eye movement (non-REM), says Coren. Dogs first fall into a light sleep characterized by easy, regular breathing.

It is only after 20 minutes of sleep or so that dogs enter the REM stage. This is the stage when vivid dreams, including nightmares, occur. Dog nightmares or dreams are believed to last longer in big dogs than in puppies.

If you observe your dog keenly, you may be able to notice irregular breathing (fast-paced chest movements) coupled with rapid eye movements. Puppies and old dogs tend to twitch during this sleep cycle.

When having a good dreams, dogs are likely to show signs such as twitching, kicking, and quiet noises. Dog nightmares on the other hand are often characterized by signs such as growling, crying, screaming, and other distress noises. The dog will also seem disturbed. Other signs of nightmare include tail wagging, thrashing, and yelping.

Signs of Seizures

Dog nightmares can be easily confused with seizures. You should suspect seizures if:

• Your dog pees or have a bowel movement after a particularly violent “nightmare”. Dogs often lose their bowel and bladder function control after seizures.
• Your dog has its eyes wide open, with a blank facial look.
• The dog exhibits stiff or rigid leg movements as opposed to smooth twitches, kicks, or paddles like one would see when a dog is running or chasing another animal. Leg movements also tend to be short-lived and intermittent for dreams or nightmares but longer-lasting for seizures.
• The dog cannot wake up no matter how progressively louder your voice gets.
• Your dog displays uncontrollable shaking or violent muscle movements. These are classic signs of seizure. Dreams and nightmares would instead be characterized by gentle more gentle twitching that is confined to the legs, lips, and feet.
• Your dog experiences difficulty walking after the perceived nightmare. This is a frequent aftereffect of seizures. A dog can also look confused or disoriented after coming to from a seizure.
• Your dog bites its tongue, drool, or foam during the “nightmare”.

My Dog Has Nightmares, What Do I Do?

Dog nightmares can get you really concerned, wondering if there is anything you should do – if anything at all – to help your pooch come back to “life”. Worse still, dog night terrors can also lose your sleep. Here is a breakdown of thing you should do when your dog is having nightmares:

Leave the Dog Alone

An old adage goes, let sleeping dogs lie”. This cannot be truer than for dog nightmares. While it sounds compelling to gently pat your canine friend out of his sleep and save his from the “ghosts” in his dreams, that is not a good idea as many experts argue.

A dog that is woken up from a night terror may snap and scratch or bite – or even attack you – mistaking you for a subject of his nightmare. You don’t want the entire length of your dog’ canine teeth ripping through your hand, do you? Then, don’t touch him.

If your dog falls asleep while lying next to your watching TV only to suddenly start screaming or yelping in a nightmare, you are safe having some distance between you. You never know. They just may wake up suddenly and lush at you violently.

Attacks aside, it is also not a good idea to disrupt your dog’s sleep cycle, if possible.

Wake Your Dog in a Hushed Tone

If your dog is screaming or growling really loud, you may consider waking him up. The same holds true for dog nightmares that last more than a few minutes. If you feel that it is really necessary to wake your canine friend up, call his name in a low voice.

If calling your name doesn’t yield results, try raising the voice progressively until your companion friend wake up. Unless, the perceived “nightmare” is actually a seizure, your dog will in most cases wake up after a few calls.

Once the dog wakes up from his nightmare, speak to him in a calm, reassuring voice to help calm him down. Playing some soothing music can also help to calm your dog after night terrors and so can leaving the TV or radio on.

Try To Unearth the Root Cause of Dog Night Terrors

It is often possible to identify the cause of constant or frequent dog nightmares if you check critically. You can then stop the nightmares by getting rid of the identified cause.

Sometimes it is something as “harmless” as a TV show or some noises in the house during the time the dog is sleeping. Some dogs can even get anxious from having certain visitors in your house or loud noises from children playing in or near your house or yard.

When to See a Vet for Dog Nightmares

Although upsetting, dog night terrors are generally not a cause for concern. Your dog will forget it happened once he wakes up and move on with normal life. If nightmares however occur every night and your dog cries a lot, it is advisable to take a trip to your veterinarian.

To stop bad dog nightmares, veterinarians normally prescribes anxiety treatment medications. This helps your dog to relax and sleep soundly through the night and naptimes.

A supplement called Composure is commonly used for this purpose. Before you use any medicine to treat dog nightmares, however, you should consult with your veterinarian.

YouTube Video of a Dog with Nightmares

This funny YouTube video of a dog that is having nightmares will shed some light how they occur. See how the dog growls, yet appears relatively composed. This would not be the case with seizures:

References

• Live Science: What Do Dogs Dream About?
• Pet Wave: Is My Dog Dreaming Or Having A Seizure?
• Psychology Today: Do Dogs Dream?
• The Nest: Do Puppies Have Nightmares?
• Vet Street: Why Does My Dog… Twitch While Sleeping?