by Sammy Stein

Created on: November 05, 2009   Last Updated: November 23, 2009

Little appears to be going on in our dog's mind. He stares at us with fixed eyes, until we glance his way and then he makes those dark brown, chocolate pools play with our hearts but other than an uncanny sense of when we are going anywhere near a tin-opener he largely does his doggy thing which is licking his privates, running after balls and chasing his own tail.

We love him and he loves us - that is enough for Sam. Loyal, largely obedient and truly faithful he is just about perfect in terms of doggy loveliness but brains is where he missed out a bit. He is the dog who runs into glass doors, puts his foot in the water bowl and falls down stair (yes,really).

However, when he is asleep, Sam seems to be more active than when awake. He growls softly, he whimpers, his legs work and he salivates as if he were getting the best treat in the world. We sometimes wonder whether he lives a far more active life in some dream world, far removed from our own.

However, dreams in animal sense are very different from our own. Dreams are a chance for our brains to put things in order, sort them out, un-mix the mixed up and generally get things together in the brain department. Forus, they provide animportant emotional sorting house and allow us to live out fantasies or put things in perspective. But for most animals, dreams allow them to re-live limited events and to sort out their muscles, movements and emotions rather than actually achieve great problem-solving in their sleep.

Like most animal behaviour, we must be careful not to anthropomorphise when it comes to dreams. Dogs are dogs and as such, their dreams are limited to what their brains can actually sort out. They rely on instinct far more than us and during their waking hours, their senses, particularly their sense of smell, is inundated with messages, subtleties and nuances which only dogs can understand. To them, the world is seen through their nose, whch is over 100 times more sensitive than our own. During sleep, their brain analyses, sorts and de-codes these smells so the dog can understand its environment.

Much in the same way as we obtain information by using our eyes, ear, emotional backlog and references,a dog's world is sorted by smells, sounds and very little in the way of emotional input. Nightmares are rare but they do happen if a dog has been through trauma.

Usually, nightmares in dogs happen when they are young and newly separated from the parent. Their puppy mind still yearns for the closeness and breathing noises and smells or a near by pack or parent dog.

Older dogs who experience nightmares are generally traumatised and careful handling is needed to avoid your dog suffering due to lack of sleep of their brain being unable to sort out their world. Talk softly to them and stroke them. Do wake them up (a dog is under stress in a nightmare and needs reassurance from their pack leader).

So, what do dogs dream about? Little in the way of emotional scenes in the way we understand them but a great deal in the way of sorting input to their senses.

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