For dogs and even some cats, the behavior is considered normal. When people show those changes and are awakened, they usually say they were dreaming. Although there s no way to get a sneak peek at a pet s dream, animal behaviorists can make some educated guesses about what s going on in the doggy brain. Human dreams tend to include more sights and sounds because those are the primary senses people use, Zawistowski said. Thus, dogs and cats would be more likely to dream in scent, because their olfactory sense is sharp.
Younger animals tend to dream more, or at least the outward signs are clearer.
Some owners suspect their dogs dream of their lives before they were adopted. Nita Butler wonders what her dog Bear sees when she hears him dreaming. 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.