Why Do Dogs Bark In Their Sleep? Causes and Solutions

Why do dogs bark in their sleep? Dogs are just like every other living being. When dogs sleep, they become babies for a while. As soon as a dog falls asleep, it may start to see dreams and involve itself in dreams as time passes. They fall into a deep sleep from the start. They watch dreams about four to six times during their sleep cycle.

Dogs are in deep sleep for most of their sleep cycle. So if your dog is sleeping for about twenty minutes, from that ten minutes, it will be in deep sleep where it will dream of almost everything ten four to six times. However, every dog is different, so not every dog needs to fall into a deep sleep.

Barking can indicate that your dog is sleeping very soundly or may be due to some unknown cause. Being a dog owner, this may be one of your primary concerns because you would want your dog to sleep peacefully more than anyone.

Why is Your Dog Barking in Its Sleep?

Barking is a way to communicate with dogs, just like humans talk to communicate. For example, assume a baby is sleeping and talking while dreaming of something in his baby’s language. It’s the same for dogs.

Dogs usually bark during their sleep because they dream and try to communicate that dream by barking in different ways depending on the emotions they are going through while watching a dream.

You may know it’s barking for different things as a dog owner. However, it is possible that you cannot tell precisely what it may be dreaming, but you can tell what emotions your dog may be going through while sleeping.

Dog’s dreams do not have a limit. They are just like human beings. It is not necessary that if your dog is barking in its sleep, it may be because it is sad or in some trouble. You may be watching a dream full of joy and happiness. Barking is typically average, but if your dog has started doing this out of nowhere and is extreme, you must consult the vet about its condition more specifically.

Why Does Your Dog Bark Only While Sleeping?

During REM sleep, dogs may twitch, bark, whine, or even move around. Again, this is perfectly normal behaviour and nothing to be concerned about.

Sometimes, dogs who do not bark may bark while sleeping. One of the main reasons for this is that your dog does not feel any pressure from its surroundings and feels safe in its dream. As a result, it becomes more fearless while sleeping than in actuality. However, there is no harm in that and nothing to worry about.

What to do When Your Dog is Barking in Sleep?

According to the reasons we are discussing, there is nothing to worry about when your dog is barking in sleep. So, it is best to do nothing. However, if your dog’s barking affects your sleep, you may change its sleeping area to somewhere it can bark freely without affecting your sleep.

If you consider waking up your dog when it starts to bark, it may not be the best idea because it may be in a deep sleep and having a great dream. You will not want to be the reason for its sleep being affected.

What Does It Mean When Your Dog is Barking Along with Crying?

 It is obvious now that baring indicates that your dog is dreaming. But if you notice your dog crying and whimpering in its sleep, it is a sign that it may be having a nightmare. These sounds can also indicate discomfort.

Make sure to give your dog a peaceful place to sleep where it doesn’t find anything disturbing or uncomfortable. Being uncomfortable in your sleep spot can also make them have nightmares, even minor ones.

How do you wake your dog when the need arises?

If you feel your dog is barking because it is struggling in its sleep, it is best to wake it up. So, if your dog is crying while barking, waking up may cause extra stress and pressure. Also, if your dog is struggling with something in its sleep and you wake it up, it may harm you before getting conscious.

Avoid getting too close to your dog and touching it, as it may react impulsively and defensively. Instead, you can use your voice to wake it up by calling its name politely.

Most of the time, waking is only preferable if your dog struggles physically and not emotionally. This is because emotions directly relate to dreams, whereas physical pain indicates serious harm.

Dogs are not easy to judge, but being a dog owner makes you aware of many things about your dog. Everything you do for your dog comes with a reaction that helps you understand your dog better.

Owners are constantly working on making life better for their dogs; however, this requires extra attempts to understand the best things for your dog.

Barking in sleep may concern dog owners, but they need to understand that it is a do dog’s natural way to communicate what it is experiencing in its sleep (dreams). They are just like babies telling you stories of what is happening in their sleep through barking.

Avoid waking them up because it may harm your dog’s sleep cycle and cause them to have trouble sleeping. If you cannot sleep properly due to barking noise, you may change your dog’s sleeping area so that you both can sleep according to your needs.

However, in case of any confusion or misunderstanding, you must consult with the vet so that any underlying causes that may be harmful to your dog can be diagnosed. In addition, the veterinarian may advise you on multiple things specifically helpful for your dog’s sleep and barking issues.

The surrounding environment can also influence the dog's barking. Using a blackout barrier that hides distractions from his sight and allows him to be more calm could be helpful.

Here are some other possible reasons why your dog may be barking in its sleep:

• It is dreaming about something that makes it excited or anxious.
• It is trying to communicate with you.
• It is experiencing pain or discomfort.
• It is a nightmare.

If your dog is barking in its sleep and it is causing you concern, you can try the following:

• First, talk to your veterinarian to rule out any medical causes.
• Next, create a calm and relaxing sleep environment for your dog.
• Next, make sure your dog is getting enough exercise during the day.
• Finally, desensitize your dog to any triggers that may be causing it to bark in its sleep.

Finally, you can consult with a behaviourist if you are still concerned about your dog’s barking in its sleep.

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