Why does my dog have nightmares?

Dogs who have a history of abuse or neglect or have experienced a tramatic event may have nightmares. I adopted my dog Buddy when he was about 4 years old. I don't know anything about his past except he had been abused and was afraid of people. For the first 2 years Buddy had nightmares a few times a week. He would shake and wake up abruptly while snapping and growling. I would comfort him and say it's ok. I have had Buddy now for 4 years and I'm glad to say that he no longer has nightmares.

Hey there. Just because your dog is whining and kicking in their sleep doesn't necessarily mean a nightmare. Sometimes it's just them dreaming. My dog does the exact same thing, and she's only ever been an indoor dog with no previous owners or trauma (unless you count us forcing her to step on wet grass, she usually gives us a dirty look for that one). The thing to keep in mind, especially if your dog doesn't have a history of abuse is simply this --- Dogs dream too. So, when you hear them barking in their sleep, or see them trying to run while lying there with their eyes closed on the couch, they're really just having a dream. They're not in any pain, any more than you or I am when we dream. If you think they're having a nightmare, then go ahead and gently wake them, but chances are you'll get one of those sleepy, confused looks like 'Dude, what's up?' before they roll over and going back to sleep. I know my dog does. According to dog trainers and psychologists, the paw movement and barking means they're in the middle of a rem cycle and are in that 'deep sleep' stage that most of us would kill for. Also, small dogs do it more, which I can say from experience because my golden-doodle does it every time she takes a nap (so at least once a day). If you want to read more, Cesar Way has a small article about it : https://www.cesarsway.com/dog-behavior/innocuous-behaviors/do-dogs-dream (Doggy Dreams). The important thing to take away from it though, is just this. It's completely normal, and nothing to worry about. :-)

Here's a blog entry you may want to read. https://www.rover.com/blog/dog-nightm...