Can Dogs Have Wet Dreams?

Dogs dream just like other mammals. Let’s find out can dogs have wet dreams below in this article.

Dogs are just like human beings. They play, eat, sleep and like to have fun. You can see these things physically, but what about things that you cannot see with your own eyes?

For instance, you may observe your dog suddenly making thrusting or jerking movements while sleeping and ask yourself do dogs have wet dreams? Many male dogs have wet dreams, and it’s a completely natural thing.

The article discusses dogs’ dreams in detail. Read on to know more.

Do Dogs Dream?

Many people think that dogs don’t dream. But various studies show that dogs have dreams of their own. Researchers studied dogs and their brain activities during sleep and found that their sleep patterns and brain wave activities are similar to human beings.

Dogs also have phases in their sleep where they experience irregular breathing and have Rapid Eye Movements (REM Sleep). Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep begins in dogs after about 20 minutes of going to sleep. Your dog’s breathing may become shallow, irregular, and the muscles may twitch.

REM sleep is the period responsible for memorable and vivid dreams, and scientists can track this phase and brain activity using special instruments.

Do Other Animals Dream?

Scientists first conducted dream experiments in rats. These rats spent their whole day running in a maze. The scientists monitored the brain activity of these rats and compared it with brain activity during REM(rapid eye movement) sleep. 

They found that the same areas lit up in the brain of rats when they were sleeping as when they were running in the maze. The conclusion was that rats were likely to be dreaming about running a maze.

The rats dreamed about their day just like you do when you find yourself back from your company or office in your dreams. The researchers at MIT said that animals have complex dreams and replay the long events that fall asleep.

Rat’s dream is a common indication that dreaming is common in mammals like dogs.

Dog Sleep Stages

Your dog has two different stages of sleep like human beings. These are:

#1. Slow Wave Movement

It is the first stage experienced by your dog when it first falls asleep. The mental process in your dog is quiet in this stage. The muscles are not entirely relaxed. Your dog will awaken 

by the slightest of noises or external factors in this phase.

#2. Rapid Eye Movement

During this stage, your dog’s body is completely relaxed, but the mind works rapidly, which causes their eyes to dart around. The brain waves are quiet, fast, and regular and follow the pattern of brain waves when your dog is awake. 

There will be times when your dog will be loud or active during the REM stage, which will tell you that your canine is dreaming. Dreaming is normal in dogs, and you don’t have to worry about it.

The rapid eye movement stage begins only after 20 minutes of uninterrupted sleep. However, the length of sleep and number of dreams depends on the type and size of the dog. For instance, puppies dream more than adult and senior dogs because they discover the World and find many exciting things every day.

Experts say that large dog breeds have dreamed greater in length but few in number. But small dog breeds have short and more frequent dreams in a sleep cycle.

Can Dogs Have Bed Dreams?

Yes, dogs have bed dreams just like human beings.

We can’t say what dogs dream about because they don’t talk like humans. But the MIT study on rats tells us that identical brain activity occurs when they run through mazes and fall asleep.

You also dream about your typical day in and day out activities. So you can assume that your dog will have bed dreams about normal dog stuff like chasing cats, barking at someone, playing with other dogs, the taste of kibble if he had on dinner, the sound of his favorite toy, and others.

Your dog can even have nightmares. Sometimes you can know what your dog dreams about by listening to their sounds during sleep.

For instance, when your dog suddenly barks in his sleep, it proves that he has reached somewhere in his dreams. When your dog moves his legs in sleep, it indicates that he is moving here and there in his dreams.

This, therefore, indicates that for sure, dogs must be having bed dreams as well!

Can Your Dog Have A Wet Dream?

Unfortunately, dogs cannot talk about their dreams. But some indications and gestures let us know that they dream during their sleep like human beings.

Your male dog can have wet dreams when he sexually matures, just like a teenage human boy. Male dogs want to reproduce when they reach the age of six months to one year. So, it’s common for a male dog to have wet dreams.

You may notice strange wet stains on your dog’s bedding or on the floor where he has slept, which indicates that your dog has had wet dreams. I am listing some more common signs that tell you that your dog has wet dreams during sleep.

#1. Erection

You will notice that the private part of your dog is out of the shaft and fully erect. Some dog owners say it looks like a red rocket or lipstick.

#2. Swollen Testicles

Sometimes you will notice that the testicles of your dog become larger during sleep than usual. The enlargement happens because the blood vessels and tissues in their groin start to swell up. You don’t have to worry about this; it is completely normal and goes away with time.

#3. White Discharge

A white discharge is a visible sign which indicates that your dog has wet dreams when he falls asleep. Your dog can pee during white discharge. So, it will be better to use some napkins or dog pads in the bed to make the cleaning easier.

Teenage dogs have more wet dreams than mature dogs because they are bursting with hormones.

Can Animals Have Wet Dreams?

Nocturnal emission is informally known as a wet dream. It is a spontaneous orgasm during sleep in males and includes ejaculation. Wet dreams are normal in animals like cats and dogs. But of course, their sex life, urine, and sperm are very different from human beings.

For instance, if I talk about a cat, his penis will not protrude out when he begins to sleep. But after a few minutes, you may observe that his red worm or penis goes up and squirts sperms. It indicates that cats have wet dreams, just like human beings. 

Wet dreams are normal and indicate that a male animal has sexually matured and is ready to reproduce. If you have a pet, i.e., a cat or dog, and you observe semen on their beddings, you should not worry about it. You should allow them to enjoy their dreams.

Can Dogs Cry In Their Dreams?

Yes, dogs can cry in their dreams. They cry because of loneliness, pain, anxiety, or alerting you to the noise they hear outside. There can be numerous reasons for dogs crying in their dreams. So, it’s difficult to pinpoint precisely a reason for their crying.

If you observe your dog crying in his dreams, it is mainly in the REM phase of its sleep cycles. The length of the REM sleep cycle continues for 30-45 minutes. However, it depends on the type and size of your dog. If your dog is large, he will dream every five minutes for 45 minutes of the sleeping cycle.

Can A Neutered Male Dog Have Wet Dreams?

If you have neutered your dog, he can still have wet dreams like any other dog, but his discharge will not contain any sperm. It will only have seminal fluid.

Neutered male dogs have calmer wet dreams. The only evidence you may find in a neutered dog is discharged from his private part, which will indicate to you that he had wet dreams.

When Can My Dog Have Erection?

Your dog can have an erection at some very peculiar times. For instance, he may have an erection while playing with other dogs, climbing other dogs, making friends with your family guest by humping his leg, or simply going out with you.

How Long Will My Dog’s Erection Last?

If your dog is simply excited about something and there is no sexual overtone, then the erection will disappear very soon. The best advice is to ignore your dog’s erection. Some dog owners report that their dog’s erection lasts for fifteen minutes even after their dream is over.

If you observe similar things, I will advise you not to wake up your dog just to calm his erection. It’s not a good idea to wake up your dog during the REM phase of sleep. It will make your dog confused, and he might become unnecessarily aggressive.

What Color Does My Dog’s Discharge Look Like?

Your dog will discharge from his private parts during wet dreams. Healthy sperms are pearly white. In other words, if you observe some white stuff near the private part of your dog, then it’s semen.

However, it may also be smegma, a lubricant produced by the shaft of the penis to help in intercourse. You usually find this lubricant dripping from the penis of your dog or pooling from your sleeping dog. The smegma is generally green or yellow puss. So don’t mistake semen as smegma.

If you are confused with the color of healthy sperm or have any queries, then it’s best to take your pet to a veterinary doctor. The Veterinary doctor will check your pet thoroughly, including urinary tract infections, to resolve your queries.

If your dog has urinary tract infections, he may not be able to hold and pee in his sleep.

Wrap Up

Male dogs can have wet dreams, but it’s not always possible for you to notice it. Wet dreams are natural, and it is a sign that your dog has reached sexual maturity.

Sometimes you don’t notice any signs other than a translucent white discharge, proving that your dog has ejaculated in his dreams. The only thing you can do is allow your dog to enjoy and clean his bed up after he wakes up. There is no point in scolding your dog for getting wet dreams.

I hope this article gave you all the information you needed about your dog’s dreams. Please don’t forget to share this article with other dog owners who might be looking for similar information.

If you have queries or comments, you can ask them in the comments section. We will be happy to answer all your queries.