Those mournful wails and yips let loose by our sleeping
dogs tug on our heartstrings so hard that it can be impossible to resist waking
our dreaming pets. The same goes for when their four legs get to moving and we
wonder if they are happily bounding after squirrels or if something big and
scary might be chasing them. Even the heavy-duty doggie snoring sometimes
sounds like it can’t be a good thing. But should we wake our dogs up from a
dream?
The hardline answer is: Probably not. Dogs dream and sleep
much like humans, with similar REM patterns. Although most dogs sleep 14 to 16
hours a day, they still need some of the deep, uninterrupted sleep we do. So,
if you have a dog that seems to dream a lot, constantly waking your pup may be
unhealthy for him.
But…what if you just can’t help yourself?
No Touching
The aforementioned mournful wailing and heartstrings being
tugged upon pretty much guarantee that we’re going to awaken our pet anyway. You
may want to hug his crying away. Which is exactly what not to do, at least not
until your dog is fully awake.
No matter how loyal, well-trained and loving your pet is,
awakening them by contact can get you snarled at or even bit. Remember that you
are bringing your dog back from a dream state, where the dream is reality.
Use a Gentle Voice
Our natural instinct can be to wake our pet as quickly as
possible, even sometimes by shouting their name, as we too are distressed for
them. Taking that tone, however, can put your dog on the offensive. He will
think something is wrong upon waking and go into protection mode.
Imagine an alarm clock that goes off sounding like the
panicked voice of the person you love the most. That would be more than a
little stressful to wake to. For these reasons, use a soft and loving tone to
coax your dog out of a dream and into a safe environment.
Lay On the Love
Once your dog has successfully been retrieved from the Land
of Nod is when you can finally soothe them by touch. Give comforting hugs, rub
their head and give that favorite spot a quality petting. Talk to your dog and
let them know everything is safe – basically everything comforting you would
want after being abruptly woken up.
