Have you ever wondered what dogs dream about? Do they dream about chasing cats? Or going on walkies? What about mealtime?
Turns out the reason is much more adorable. Dr Deirdre Barrett, a psychologist from Harvard claims that dogs are likely dreaming about their fellow human caretakers.
She has been studying sleep behavior for years, and believes she can use this knowledge to make an accurate assumption.
Dogs, just like most mammals, have very similar sleep cycles to us humans. This means moving from light to deep sleep, then back around again to the (Rapid Eye Movement) REM stage, which is where dreams occur.
While speaking on this in an interview, Dr Barrett says “That certainly makes it the best guess that other mammals are dreaming, too.”
Now the next question was what do they dream about, again Dr Barrett looks to human studies as her guide.
“Humans dream about the same things they’re interested in by day, though more visually and less logically,” she says. “There’s no reason to think animals are any different. Since dogs are generally extremely attached to their human owners, it’s likely your dog is dreaming of your face, your smell and of pleasing or annoying you.”
Also, when a dog tries to run while in their sleep, we can confirm that they were probably dreaming.
“The best way to give ourselves or our children better dreams is to have happy daytime experiences and to get plenty of sleep in a safe and comfortable environment. It’s a good bet this is also best for pets’ dreams.”