The Dreaming Dog

Meet Little Miss. She is a six and a half year year old Black Lab/Blue Heeler mix. She is a sweet dog, full of love and devotion. And the energy that vibrates through her body when she is happy, it's never ending! When we are gone and come home, she is always right there to greet us, barking, whimpering, and shaking all over. You can definitely feel the love radiating off her! She is the best little dog you could hope for!

Her daily life consists of going outside to play and go potty, eating, grooming herself, loving her humans and her doggy husband, Casanova, and sleeping. Little Miss is a very vocal dog who seems to speak her mind by grumbling, growling, barking, and just by making odd noises. She does this when she is awake or asleep. If you say something to her that she doesn't like, she will grumble at you. If you play with her, she gets vocal, almost like a human talking to you. She "talks back" quite often. And if you tell her to hush, she gets louder, almost like she is saying, "No!" This little girl is quite the character! And she never ceases to make us laugh!

As I write this, Little Miss is curled up on the couch next to me, sleeping and dreaming. You may find yourself asking, "How do you know she is dreaming?"—especially if you have never owned a dog. Let me explain what it looks and sounds like when a dog is dreaming. Picture a dog, stretched out or curled up, sleeping right away. The next thing you know, that dog is making odd little barking and growling sounds, and the dogs legs start twitching and kicking. This is what I listen to Little Miss do every time she sleeps. The noises and kicking when she is sleeping is how I know she is dreaming. And it is fascinating to watch and hear!

So, what do dogs dream about, especially when their life seems so dull? All she does is eat, sleep, go potty, and play. She does not go to a dog park or socialize with other dogs besides the others in our home. So, what is she dreaming about? Her favorite outdoor activity is chasing and eating sticks. Perhaps she dreams about that. We live close to the woods. Maybe she catches the scents of wild animals when she goes outside and dreams of them when she sleeps. She hates when strange vehicles pull into our drive, and she barks at them, growling as though they are her personal enemies. Could she be dreaming about that? Who knows? Or maybe she dreams of her heritage? She does like to "herd" us and the other animals in the house. From my understanding, Blue Heelers are herding dogs. Maybe that is what she dreams of? Or maybe she just dreams of being outside on a warm summer day and an unknown dog comes into the yard. She could dream that she has to protect her humans and her domain (she likes to think she is the alpha female of the house) and that is why she growls and barks. Of course, when she is yipping, it is the same yip sound she makes when she is happy, so maybe she is just dreaming of happy things when she yips in her sleep?

I wish there was a device that could be connected to a dog's head when they sleep that would allow you to watch their dreams like a video. I can't help but think that their dreams would be fascinating to see. I know that dogs are smart, and I know that they are aware of what goes on around them. I know that they have feelings (I see this with my dogs all the time), and I know that they dream. Being able to see those dreams would be amazing, don't ya think?