It s kind of funny, said Butler of Kansas City. She believes the dog was mistreated before she found him astray in a park last May with his tail cut off. It makes you wonder what they ve gone through in life before you got them, Butler said. Veterinary student Brett Taylor recalls a Yorkshire terrier raised in a loving environment that made all sorts of strange noises while dreaming. Owners shouldn t usually be troubled by their pets dream behavior, said Taylor, who works at the Louisiana State University Teaching Hospital in Baton Rouge.
People usually think the chasing rabbits movement is cute.
Regardless of the content of their dreams, pets sleep behavior can help scientists understand disorders such as sleep apnea and narcolepsy in humans, said Sue McDonnell, head of the equine behavior program at the veterinary school of the University of Pennsylvania. Horses and dogs are especially prone to narcolepsy, a condition in which a stimulated person or animal will fall asleep instead of becoming more active, McDonnell said. For the average owner, it s enough to know that pets are just as bothered as people are by interruptions while they re sleeping. Dogs and cats whose REM sleep is frequently interrupted by guests or household activity might not behave like their usual selves, Zawistowski said. Despite the outward signs of dreaming, what goes on during that REM sleep remains a mystery.