When your dog sleeps what is he/she dreaming about? The answer is mostly likely you!
Dr. Deirdre Barrett, a Clinical and Evolutionary Psychologist at Harvard Medical School, says it is likely that dogs dream about their everyday experiences, just like humans do.
Barrett has spent years studying sleep behavior in people and says that humans dream about the same things that they are interested in by day, but less logically and more visually. The same probably applies to dogs.
“There’s no reason to think animals are any different,” she told People. “Since dogs are generally extremely attached to their human owners, it’s likely your dog is dreaming of your face, your smell and of pleasing or annoying you.”
The psychologist does point out that there is no way to know exactly what dogs see when they dream, but just the chance that they may be dreaming of their loved ones is enough to have sent dog lovers into a happy tizzy.
One man tweeted a few picture of what he thought of the idea – he looks at his dog sleeping and bursts into tears!
His tweet got over 60,000 responses from equally emotional pet parents who shared their pictures of their sleeping dogs.
Barrett also offered advice to pet parents who want to make sure dogs have happy dreams. “The best way to give ourselves or our children better dreams is to have happy daytime experiences and to get plenty of sleep in a safe and comfortable environment,” she said. “It’s a good bet this is also best for pets’ dreams.”
So the next time you see a dog with their legs moving in a running motion, they’re probably dreaming of that game of fetch you played with them or about the fun they had at the dog park that day.
Share this news with your fellow dog lovers!
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