Researchers have tested canine brain wave activity during sleep using an electroencephalogram (EEG). They've found that dogs are similar to humans when it comes to sleep patterns and brain wave activity. Much like us humans, dogs enter a deep sleep stage during which their breathing becomes more irregular and they have rapid eye movements (REM). At this point, your dog’s breathing will begin to sound more irregular and their eyes will start to move around more rapidly. You may even notice their eyelids begin to flicker. It is during this stage of sleep that dog dreams are most likely to happen.

Researchers also believe that not all dogs dream equally, with smaller breeds of dogs dreaming more regularly then larger breeds. Dreaming also seems to occur more frequently in puppies. This may be because they are processing huge quantities of newly acquired experiences.

However what dogs dream about is still a big mystery. We can only guess that dogs dream in a similar fashion to humans, replaying the everyday activities that make up their existence, like chasing, playing, and eating. Which gives us even more of an excuse to make sure are dogs are always happy and living their best lives.

And it goes without saying that if you have ever been tempted to wake your dog during a dream, try and resist. It's best to "let sleeping dogs lie." As just like us, dogs need uninterrupted sleep for healthy mental activity.

Main Artwork by Artist Apolline Muet