At midnight, if you hear your dog howling, it could be an indication that he wants to go out or has found a squirrel.
As a pet owner, your initial reaction may be to ensure the well-being of your dog, but upon inspection, you discover that not only is he unharmed, but he is also sound asleep.
What gives?
Why does my dog howl in his sleep?
A dog typically howls during his sleep due to the same reason he performs any action while sleeping: He is experiencing a dream.
Dogs, as well as other animals like cats, have the ability to dream during their sleep, although the content of their dreams remains a mystery to us.
- Engage in physical activity. Engaging in activities such as running or walking will give the impression that your dog is actively moving his limbs, which is a common occurrence during sleep. It is possible that your dog may be dreaming of chasing rabbits or escaping from other dogs at the park.
- If your dog is barking in his sleep, it could be a sign that he is trying to alert you or he may just be excited, but it could also indicate that he is having a bad dream.
- Howl. Your dog may howl in his sleep because he is attempting to communicate while dreaming, much like a person who talks in their sleep, and he may not even be aware of it.
- Whimper. If your dog makes whimpering sounds while sleeping, it is probable that he is having a nightmare or experiencing some form of pain, such as arthritis, which you may not be aware of. It would be best to wake him up at this point so that he can return to peaceful dreams.
- Scratching during sleep is a self-directed behavior that dogs, similar to humans, often do when they feel itchy. It is less likely to be related to dreaming and more likely due to external factors. If your dog frequently scratches, it could indicate skin irritation or flea infestation and may require attention.
Additionally, it is possible that dogs howl in their sleep because they are recalling a memory of stealing food from the dinner table, remembering a visit to the veterinarian, or even dreaming about something that never occurred.
If your dog is howling during his slumber, it’s possible that he’s remembering a moment when he howled or the dream state has convinced him to howl. It’s also plausible that he’s responding to sirens he heard previously!
Regardless, there is no need for you to worry as it is completely natural for a dog to engage in any behavior while sleeping.
During sleep, including that of animals, there is a section of the brain responsible for controlling movement which is deactivated to prevent any physical harm. However, this sector is not entirely shut down and if it’s only slightly weakened, individuals may talk in their sleep while those with a significant weakness may experience sleepwalking.
Just like humans, some dogs are naturally more active during their sleep than others. If your dog is on medication or has had a disruption to their natural sleep patterns, such as being put under for teeth cleaning at the vet, they may appear more active in their sleep due to the impact on the movement sector of their brain.
Nevertheless, it is not detrimental – at most, it can cause distress or irritation.
What to do about my dog howling in his sleep?
If your dog is howling during his slumber, the solution is straightforward: Rouse him from his sleep!
If your dog companion is howling in his sleep, it could be a sign that he’s experiencing a nightmare. Similar to humans, dogs can also have bad dreams, which may cause them to whimper, cry, bark or howl during their slumber.
Typically, softly waking your dog can be effective in ceasing the howling. It is not necessary to fully awaken them, simply give a slight push until the howling stops and they will probably resume more enjoyable dreams.
However, if your dog frequently howls or experiences bad dreams while sleeping, it is worth examining whether there could be an underlying cause for this behavior. Is it possible that something is causing your dog to have nightmares?
Similar to humans, dogs can experience anxiety. If your dog is in an unfamiliar environment or feels uneasy while sleeping, it may lead to increased agitation and more frequent nightmares. Additionally, if your dog is unwell, taking new medication, or undergoing medical treatment, they may experience more bad dreams; however, these should subside once their health improves.
Just because your dog howls in his sleep doesn’t always indicate a nightmare, but it could mean he’s having a bad dream or dreaming of being a wolf and calling to his pack. It’s impossible to know for sure. If your dog seems distressed, it’s best to wake him up, but if he habitually howls while sleeping, you may want to ignore it unless it bothers the neighbors.
It should be noted that a dog cannot consciously choose to howl in his sleep, and therefore cannot be trained to stop doing so. Additionally, he has limited control over his actions while dreaming. Therefore, attempting to correct this behavior through punishment is ineffective. Instead, providing positive reinforcement such as creating a safe den for him to sleep in may be more helpful.
Why does my dog only howl during his sleep?
Dogs howl due to various stimuli such as the sound of other dogs howling, car alarms, fire department sirens, tornado warnings, and similar sounds. The purpose of howling is to communicate with other members of their pack. This is why wolves also howl; it helps them locate each other by following the sound.
Unless your dog is in the company of other dogs or separated from his pack, there is no apparent reason for him to howl; however, you may observe that if you take one of your dogs out of the house or start howling yourself, your dog may begin to howl as well.
If your dog howls while sleeping, it’s probable that he’s only reacting to situations that would cause him to howl during his slumber. The belief that dogs howl at night or the moon is a misconception; it’s highly dependent on the circumstances. Wolves appear to do this because they typically follow their pack at night.
Despite this, it’s unlikely that you would desire your dog to howl as the sound can travel far and may result in noise complaints. Additionally, if your dog starts howling, there is a high possibility that other dogs in the vicinity will join in.
You can also check this YouTube video about this topic:
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[Wikipedia] [Encyclopedia Britannica] [National Geographic] [cdc.gov] [Purina]