Waking from bad dreams

[wolfsoul]

What do you think? Should dogs be woken from nightmares?

I let Solo sleep when he is having a nightmare. I think about how many times I've turned to face my own fears in dreams and conquered them. I think it can be the same for dogs.

[BC_MoM]

So you consider nightmares when the dog is shaking and making vocal sounds? Hm.. I just considered them any dream.

I either sit there, laugh and enjoy the show or go up to them and pet 'em.

[xcolbi]

I get a little concerned when Colbi dreams. She starts shaking like crazy and making weird noises, and she doesn't wake up if you shout her name. It almost looks like she's having a seizure. I just walk up to her and loudly say her name to her. She'll stop and open her eyes.
I want to know what she's dreaming about. I wonder if it could be when she was abused. :confused: Would dogs have nightmares about that?

[GreyhoundGirl]

Honestly, not that I think Jenny is stupid or anything, but I don't think she'd remember her dreams. :p She sometimes twitches her nose and lags. I figure she thinks she's running after a bunny. #1 of importance and fun in her mind.

[CathyBogart]

Jasper never looks like he's having a bad dream...he yips like crazy and his legs twitch, so I imagine he's with Jenny chasing bunnies. :)

I think I'd wake him up if he looked distressed though.

[Kalei]

When I use to have a dog, if she was dreaming and it looked like she may be scared, then I would gently rub her and say her name and she would wake up:) I do the same for my cat now when she looks like he's haveing a bad dream.

[Sophist]

Neither answer is the right one for me, really.


My two girls sometimes seem like they are having nightmares. Keisha more frequently, and seems much more upset. Cadet not so often, but still occasionally.

Whenever I hear either one whimpering a lot or crying or seeming to be distressed by their dreams, I do not rush over and wake them up. I do talk to them a bit in a very calm, low, quiet voice--- pretty much the same voice I use to soothe them when they seem unsettled or fearful when they are awake. It almost never wakes them up, but they seem much calmer even when they sleep through it.


ETA: None of mine have ever been fear-biters, but it still seems like a bad idea to head over and touch a sleeping, frightened, probably disoriented animal.

[dab_20]

Nope. Sammy used to have nightmares and would bark, cry, and shake. I used to wake him up and one time I got bit, it drew blood. So now I just talk to them in a soothing voice and it seems to help.

[Vette]

Having been stuck in many a nightmare myself,, i wouldnt want my dog suffer the same fate if i thought he was having one...

however,, i dont think hes ever had a nightmare before. hes sometimes lazily twitched his legs an has barked a few times in his sleep though.. but ive always thought he was just chasing something in his dream.

[cali]

I wake them up, crying with feet scraping the floor is annoying lol dogs being afraid of a nightmare has never even occured to me, I just remeber Shadow usd to do that at time, she would start crying anfd barking in her sleep feet scraping the floor like she was running, but she did this in the dining room, which is the room directly above my bedroom, and the spot she slept was dirctly above my head. I just remeber being woken up by that, mavhing upstairs waking her up and going back to bed lol

[Lori Jordan]

Lacy is the only one that seems to cry and shake,I wake her by petting her softly and tell her mommy is hear,She wakes up then cuddles with me,The poor baby was scared lol

[Taz_Zoee]

I know what you are talking about, but Zoee has never done that.
My brothers RB dog, Digger, use to do it all the time. When I dog sat for them, years ago, he would wake me up with his little "woofs" in his sleep.

[theterrierman]

I get a little concerned when Colbi dreams. She starts shaking like crazy and making weird noises, and she doesn't wake up if you shout her name. It almost looks like she's having a seizure. I just walk up to her and loudly say her name to her. She'll stop and open her eyes.
I want to know what she's dreaming about. I wonder if it could be when she was abused. :confused: Would dogs have nightmares about that?

I don't mean to concern you, but it may well be epilepsy. Before Stella started having grand mal seizures when she was awake, she would have petit mal seizures in her sleep. It might just be a bad dream, too, but I'd ask the vet at Colbi's next checkup.