Why Do Dogs Cry In Their Sleep?

You’re sitting on your couch with the dog sleeping and all of a sudden you hear him crying. But, do dogs cry in their sleep? Or did he wake up? You turn to him to make sure he really is asleep and yes he is. How is it possible for a dog to cry in his sleep? Here we will give you the reasons.

When does it happen and why do dogs cry in their sleep?

Dogs can cry in their sleep, as well as simulate running or eating. This almost always happens in the REM stage of sleep, that is, when our subconscious starts to function. This also occurs in humans when they are over 90 minutes of sleep, but in dogs it seems to have been proven that this phase happens much before 90 minutes.

In this phase of sleep, there are rapid eye movements, an acceleration of the heart, an increase in body pressure and an uncontrolled temperature. Also, the rest of the body freezes, due to the fact that when we are asleep, the body does not have the ability to release an amino acid called glycine. This amino acid takes care of the neurotransmitter function with the brain, when not being released, this “paralysis” takes place.

During the REM phase, the most intense and deepest dreams occur, causing involuntary movements that your dog is not aware of. Although this has not been fully proven, it appears that dogs dream the same way people do when they sleep and that they spend 20% of their time in the REM phase in each 30-minute cycle.

What do dogs dream of while they sleep?

It’s hard to know as it’s impossible for any dog ​​to tell us this. If we meditate on a dog’s daily activities, most likely his dreams are related to them. For example, a domestic dog who lives in a small apartment and goes out three times a day just to take a walk around the block, could dream of two things: what anguishes him and what he wants. What distresses him would be to feel trapped in a small place.

This type of dream could be why your dog cries in his sleep. Or whatever: spend more time on the street running and playing with other dogs. You could cry with happiness because you seem to be living what you want, or you could cry with sadness knowing it isn’t real. On the other hand, a hunting dog could dream that he cannot catch prey or that his owner is angry with him for it.

Anyway, dogs dream while they sleep and these dreams make them have unexpected and strange reactions for us, like for example; let them cry while they are deep in sleep.

Dogs cry in their sleep for what reason? 

If this isn’t the first time you’ve seen your dog cry in her sleep, don’t worry. This, as we have already seen, is nothing serious. It’s a movement of our subconscious, in this case, of your dog. Therefore, you should leave your dear dog alone and quiet, until he wakes up by himself. If you wake him up thinking that when he goes back to sleep he will rest better, you are wrong.

This could have two negative causes in your animal:

• He could bite you. How do you react when someone arrives unexpectedly and scares you? Your first reaction will most likely be to turn to the person and try to attack them in some way, until you see that you were your friend. Well then, your dog will react the same way. If you wake him up while he is dreaming, even though these dreams include crying, your pet’s first reaction will be to bite you. Yes, he will be able to bite you, because not even time to see that it is his owner or someone else he will have.
• It can generate trauma. The animal could be traumatized by being suddenly awakened while dreaming, linking deep sleep to something it should be afraid of, so it could associate the dream with this for the rest of its life, and it will never be well rested.

Dogs cry while they are sleeping is considered normal and natural. Don’t worry too much and just let it rest. Your furry four-legged will thank you for that.