# Nightmares?



## Ruin (Nov 9, 2011)

Malcolm had, what I think was, a nightmare last night. We were all dead asleep and out of no where he jumps up in his crate and starts barking wildly. It sounded like he was in pain. I checked him out, consoled him a little bit and he was fine and went back to sleep.

Have any of you seen this before? I've never heard of dogs having nightmares. It makes sense since they dream, and he does frequently. It just scared me pretty bad in the middle of the night.

Reason for concern?


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## redrover (Mar 17, 2011)

Jasper howled once in his sleep. Woke me out of a dead slumber. What's crazier is that he has never, NEVER, howled when awake. Scared me half to death, but he never woke up during all of that.

He has had bad dreams before. I can see him shaking, sometimes he cries, and occasionally he'll try to "run away" while laying down. 

Best think I've heard is that while they're in the middle of the nightmare is to try calling Malcolm's name softly, to try and wake him (might not work, since he'll be in REM sleep). Then just be there when he wakes up, talk calmly to him, and maybe soothingly stroke his back. Not too much coddling or anything, but enough for him to know you're there, he's ok, and then back to bed for both of you.

Nightmares seem to be more common in the very young and very old dogs. Unless he starts having them nearly every night, I wouldn't worry too much about them. They happen! I know my nightmares are scary--I can't imagine what a dog's are like!


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

Riley has started running and kicking me in her sleep... time for a bigger bed... :


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## Ruin (Nov 9, 2011)

Thanks guys. I'm not overly concerned right now, but it was something that woke him up and he starting going nuts. So of course he woke up my wife's Beagle and she went nuts, and she woke my wife up and she went nuts and I was just surrounded by insanity hahaha.

I did my best to calm him and let him know I was there. After some moans for a bit he was right back to sleep.


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## kristen (Oct 18, 2011)

That must have been terrifying for everyone involved!

Never had any nightmares scary enough to wake him. 
Odin has barked at a raccoon in the yard in the middle of the night from his crate (how he knew the bloody thing was there I'll never know, the house was shut up tight, and it was the dead of winter, and this dog doesn't bark.)


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

They are no different to us. They dream and have good ones and not so good ones. He probably heard a scary noise in his sleep and it was enough to wake him.

My dogs sleep with me, so I get to see lots of different sleep behaviours, from the normal running in their sleep, to barking and growling to have a good old play with an imaginary dream friend. Zsa Zsa was growling at something at about 2am this morning....sound asleep!


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

One thing I noticed that if my dog encountered a stressful experience during the day, he will most likely relive it in his dreams.

If we are aware, we can sooth him quickly. We can do that, our dog doesn't bite if we wake him up - I read it is not possible with all dogs as some may react and nip or growl.


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## pippa31 (Aug 2, 2011)

Datacan - that is so true! I just posted about us coming across a coyote on our walk the other day and that night Pippa was up at 3:45 barking like a maniac from a nightmare. Luckily, she was easily soothed...A "you're okay. Pippa go to sleep" and she was back to bed in no time...


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Willie has nightmares once in a while, but I think that mostly, his dreams are about hunting. 

Kristen, about Odin smelling that raccoon from inside a closed house... We might think that our homes are nice and airtight, well insulated, etc., etc., but really, they aren't. A little bit of air can always get in (air infiltration). We humans cannot truly comprehend the sublime ability of the dog's nose to pick up scents from the tiniest bit of airborne information!!

I've seen this many times... The closed house, the sleeping dog, and a deer walks by outside... You know the rest.


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