How to Handle a Dog's Nightmares

Co-authored by Sheri Williams

Last Updated: November 19, 2019 References

Have you ever wondered what your dog dreams about, or if it dreams at all? In fact, dogs dream a lot like how humans dream. This means that, like humans, dogs can have nightmares.^{[1]
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Research source} If your dog is having a nightmare (tense body posture, crying or whining), you will need to handle the situation effectively.^{[2]
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Research source} After managing the nightmare, figure out ways to prevent your dog from having more nightmares.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Managing the Nightmare

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Decide whether to wake up your dog. When your dog is having a nightmare, your first instinct may be to wake up your dog. However, this isn’t always the best idea. Waking up your dog would disrupt its sleep cycle, causing it to feel confused and possibly lash out at you. It’s often better to let a dog continue sleeping through the nightmare.^{[3]
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- If your dog’s nightmare is lasting more than a few minutes, consider trying to gently wake up your dog.^{[4]
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Call your dog’s name to wake it up. If you decide to wake up your dog, you will need to do so carefully and safely. Call your dog’s name softly. If your dog doesn't wake up, call its name several more times, getting a little louder each time. Your goal is to wake up your dog gently without startling it.^{[5]
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- Do not lean close to or touch your dog when you call its name. In case your dog wakes up suddenly and lashes out, you do not want to be in harm’s way.^{[6]
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- Your dog should wake up after you call its name a few times. If it doesn’t, it may be having a seizure, which would require immediate veterinary care. Other signs of a seizure include uncontrollable shaking, urinating or defecating, and rigid leg movements.^{[7]
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Wait for your dog to wake up if you don’t want to disrupt its sleep. If you decide to let your dog continue sleeping, wait quietly until your dog wakes up on its own. Although hearing or seeing your dog having a nightmare can be very distressing, remember that nightmares do not last for forever.^{[8]
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Research source} Your dog’s nightmare will end, and your dog will calm down again.
- Dogs tend to forget their nightmares after waking up.^{[9]
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Soothe your dog with quiet music when it wakes up. When your dog wakes up from its nightmare, it may feel a little confused or disoriented. Turn on some soft, soothing music to help your dog calm down and feel safe again.^{[10]
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Research source} For your own safety, though, do not touch your dog just yet.
- Wait until your dog is more alert and calmed down before getting close to it.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Preventing Future Nightmares

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Determine what’s causing the nightmares. Once your dog has one nightmare, you won’t want it to have another one. Help prevent future nightmares by figuring out what's causing them. Any stressful experience, such as a loud noise or visitors in your home, could trigger a nightmare.^{[11]
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- If you can figure out what’s causing your dog’s nightmares, reduce your dog’s exposure to those situations.
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Fill your dog’s day with pleasant experiences. Dogs’ nightmares usually consist of bad experiences from earlier in the day, like a nail trim gone bad.^{[12]
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Research source} Do your best to keep your dog happy during the day so it can go to sleep happy and have good dreams. Here are some ways to make sure your dog has good days:
- Play games (fetch, hide and go seek) with your dog.
- Take your dog on a nice, long walk.
- Spend quality quiet time with your dog before bedtime.
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Turn on soft music at bedtime. Soft music, such as jazz or classical music, can put your dog at ease. Turn the music on before your dog goes to bed and keep it on as your dog sleeps.^{[13]
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Put a DAP collar on your dog. ‘DAP’ stands for ‘dog appeasing pheromone.’ A pheromone is a chemical substance that dogs release to communicate with each other. A DAP collar will release a pheromone that will relax your dog. DAP diffusers are also available.^{[14]
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- If you prefer the diffuser, plug it in near your dog’s bed.
- Look for DAP products at a pet store or online.
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Give your dog a calming supplement. Get a calming supplement formulated for dogs, such as Composure or Zylkene. These supplements help keep dogs calm by lessening anxiety.^{[15]
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Research source} Giving your dog this supplement can help your dog rest peacefully through the night without having nightmares.
- Talk to your vet before giving your dog a supplement.^{[16]
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- Follow the label instructions to administer the supplement.
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Consider giving your dog anti-anxiety medication. If your dog is having nightmares every night, it may need prescription medicine. Take your dog to your vet and discuss the need for anti-anxiety medication.^{[17]
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- Be aware that dogs can become dependent on anti-anxiety medications.^{[18]
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Expert Q&A

Question

Is it better to wake my dog up or let them sleep if I think they may be having a bad dream?

Sheri Williams
Certified Dog Trainer
Sheri Williams is a Certified Dog Trainer and Behaviorist and the Owner of sheriwilliams.com, a business that specializes in teaching veterans how to turn their dogs into service dogs or emotional support animals to assist with PTSD. Based in the Los Angeles, California metro area, Sheri has over 20 years of dog training experience and also runs a general dog training practice specializing in rehabilitating dogs through positive reinforcement training techniques. She is certified by The Animal Behavior and Training Association.

Sheri Williams

Certified Dog Trainer

Expert Answer

It's probably not going to make a huge difference in the grand scheme of things. If you want to wake them up, wake them up. If you want to let them sleep through it, let it be.

Warnings

Do not touch your dog to wake it up from a nightmare. Your touch could startle your dog, and it may attack or bite you.^{[22]
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