You may have seen your dog sleeping many times, but perhaps you have never asked yourself the question of whether or not they are dreaming. In this regard, several researchers have devoted time to the subject, and their first conclusion is that dogs are capable of dreaming.
The signs are clear: within minutes of a dog falling asleep, you can notice in its brain activity what is known as the REM phase, the time when it enters into dreams. Anyone who has a dog may have noticed that during sleep they sometimes wag their tail or paws, simulating a run. Other times a sleeping dog may whimper or bark.
What do dogs dream of?
Neuropsychologist Stanley Corey is the author of a book called The Fabulous Intelligence of Dogs. There he relates that the brains of our canine companions are similar to those of humans and that brain wave patterns are similar as well. This is particularly so during sleep, which they take as proof that dogs do indeed dream while sleeping.
Faced with this conclusion, many people ask the same question: what do dogs dream about? Although the answer lies in the realm of what at the moment and with existing technology cannot be proven, researchers also risk theorizing on the subject.
In this regard, an essay by a Harvard researcher states that dogs are most likely to dream about their owners. This is because they are pets that are very attached. Like humans, dogs would relive everyday experiences in their dreams. But, the essay points out, it is likely that in dreams dogs are not capable of creating new situations but of recreating what they have experienced during the day.
In any case, knowing that dogs and probably other animals have the ability to dream is an open door to countless debates and of course, much more research.
Image courtesy of https://www.petsonic.com, all rights reserved.
