If you own a dog, you probably know that like us humans, they also dream in their sleep. We’ve all seen it happen – our sleeping dog suddenly lets out a woof and their legs begin to twitch.
We surely get a laugh out of these situations and it makes us wonder: what could they be dreaming about?
Researchers found that like humans, dogs cycle through stages of wakefulness, rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep and non-rapid-eye-movement sleep. It is during REM sleep that actual dreaming and involuntary movements take place.
Dogs may sometimes move their legs as if they are running, whine or whimper, and breathe rapidly or hold their breaths for a short period of time.
Since dog sleeping patterns are similar to ours, their dreams are also most likely related to their everyday activities such as playing, eating, and chasing.
Dreams are not always sweet for this one old Golden Retriever who was taking his nap. In a video posted on YouTube by Auriel Rudnick, his two Golden Retrievers are seen peacefully sleeping when suddenly, his older dog started moving.
The larger dog’s legs began to twitch and after a while, he was whimpering repeatedly, alerting the smaller dog who was sleeping near his belly. What the little dog did next will surely melt anyone’s heart!
The small dog who was suddenly awakened sat up and looked at his friend who was still whimpering. As if sensing that things weren’t okay, the pooch walked towards his pal’s face and began to check him.
It looked like he was worried and wondering what he can do to comfort his friend.
After a while, the pup then laid down his head on his pal’s neck and he slept – the whimpering stopped! As it turns out, a little warmth is just what the dreaming dog needed.
It definitely was a touching moment for the owner who captioned the video, “One night I caught my new puppy comforting my older dog during a bad dream. They are quickly becoming new friends.”
Watch the heartwarming short clip below.
This is only proof that dogs are capable of empathy just like us! It’s no wonder that we can’t help but love them – they just bring light and love to anyone they encounter, may it be animal or human.
Share this story with your friends and family to make them smile!