Doodle Dreaming & Emotions....

[LG & Sadie]

I did a search, and it looks like it was 2008 when the topic of Doodle Dreaming was active-so I hope enough time has lapsed to bring it up? Just wondering....Sadie has always (turned 3 last week) had VERY active sleep-so I assume when all paws are moving or her tail is wagging that she is dreaming. I have also noticed that perhaps the dreams are not always happy ones~she may whimper or wake up looking afraid....do other folks notice this in their doodles? And, if so, should we be comforting her if she is whimpering even if she isn't awake? And, one more thing...do you notice your doodles can hold on to emotions? I had always been told dogs are very in the moment...but, with Sadie, if she is mad, sad, etc. she might pout a little or quasi hold a grudge for a bit before she decides to forgive and perhaps forget. I would love to know if this stuff is Sadie specific or a doodle thing....Thanks~

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Dogs do dream and they do have nightmares. If you hear your dog whimpering in her sleep, just say "It's okay, Sadie. Good girl" in a normal tone of voice. You don't have to wake her or touch her. That will usually do the trick.
I have never noticed dogs holding on to their "emotions" or holding grudges, and I have lived with dogs continuously for 52 years. I am sure that doodles are no different than poodles, labs, goldens, or any other kind of dog in this way. In fact, I often wish Jack would realize that I'm displeased with him for longer than 2 seconds. It's very hard to believe you have made a point when the dog immediately starts kissing your face, lol! So I'd have to say this particular behavior is Sadie specific.

[Ann Kendig]

I knew dogs could dream but I didn't know they could have nightmares! My two have made all kinds of noises in their sleep. Sometimes one will wake the other up while dreaming and the awake one will go over to see what is going on. Usually the one that is awake will give a quick glance to the dreaming dog and then lay down and go back to sleep.

I did see a video on youtube that showed a dog dreaming. Pretty soon the dog jumped up and ran into the wall!
I couldn't believe it! I had no idea this could happen. Poor dog looked confused when it woke up after hitting the wall. It didn't look like it was hurt thank goodness!! I would be shocked it I saw that happen.

[Joe R.]

I've noticed Gus before moving and such sometimes when he's sleeping. I've wondered if he's dreaming also. As for doodles holding grudges or staying mad I really believe it's true. If I take Gus out somewhere and leave her home, even if there's someone here with her, she'll totally ignore me for the rest of the day. Won't come when called or anything.

[Kathy Spyker]

Just yesterday , I was on the computer and kept hearing a scraching sound. Here Lilly was laying close to the door and her feet were going a mile a minute...I guess "chasing bunnies"=) I do hear from alot of people when they pick their dog up at the kennel that their dog stays mad at them for a day or so..(not that I blame the dog) but my thought is the dog is probably just tired from being out of his normal routine.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Guinness and I "cuddle" every night in my bed while I'm watching TV before DH comes upstairs. He always falls asleep right against me. At least three or four times a week he will have a nightmare...wimpering and shaking. Karen, I do just what you said, pet him lightly and tell him "it's okay" without waking him. He usually stops right away. I definitely think Guinness "lives in the moment". If he does something wrong, and I have to scold him, those feelings are gone very quickly for him and for me.

[Linda,Yankee & Finn]

Both my dogs dream too. I've seen tails wagging, twitching feet, hear whimpering but every once in a while I hear Finn growling in his sleep. I always just talk softly to them and tell them everything is fine.

I think Yankee stays mad at me sometimes. He refuses to snuggle with me and resists me when I try.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jack resists me a lot when I try to cuddle him; I figure he's just not in the mood, lol. But it doesn't seem to be related to anything I've done.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Maybe he has a headache : )

[Dan, Judi, & Timbow]

haha..Timbow resists me too, but I think sometimes I am a little bit too much in the cuddle department for him (I make him sit in my lap and sing him a good morning song every morning...I don't think he likes it as much as I do :) ). He's just so cute though!

[Frannie & Callie]

Callie seems to have very vivid dreams. She sometimes does a whole body shake or makes a small noise and I just gently call her name. She frequently wags her tail in her sleep, which I LOVE.

[Camilla and Darwin]

Darwin moves a lot in sleep as well. He shakes, twitches his paws, whimpers etc. Today while he was napping, he was growling. I've never heard that before! Darwin doesn't hold onto emotions AT ALL. It only takes a couple second before he is wagging his tail and licking my face, completely oblivious to the fact he just got scolded...

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

I had one dog years ago that I swear held onto his emotions/feelings. He had been a 6-8 week old abandoned puppy who was rescued by an older woman. At six months and still growing he was beyond her ability to keep, so she gave him to a lovely couple who had him for nearly three years. They had a baby who the doctor said was allergic to him. We had a baby the same age and took him from them. His name was Ivan and about 3 plus years old, a probable malamute/shepherd mix. Eighty pounds of wonderful dog. He came to us when we called from the moment we brought him to our house. He was completely housebroken and never ever made a "mistake". No, the "present" he left us every time we left him was deliberate and right in the middle of the living room floor even though he had full access to the backyard. It took us many tries to make our backyard escape proof, but he never went out of the backyard except when we left him alone. When we came home he would be waiting for us on the front porch.

We were young then and never traveled anywhere except back home to Michigan and our families. The first time we went to Michigan we left Ivan with a local kennel. We were lucky. The first night he let all the other dogs out of their cages, (no locks just closed outside latched gates). The next night he let them all out and into the kennel owners home to say hi. The third night and from then on he slept in the house next to the kennel owner's bed with their dogs. When we returned home and learned of Ivan's antics and his (and our) good fortune we were astonished to say the least. Even more so when they said he was welcome back anytime.

However, to get to the point of this story, when we picked Ivan up, he did not greet either of us, although he got in the car willingly. At home he would accept our hugs and pets but would turn his head away from us. Our baby Heather he still stayed by, day and night, by the two adults were quite clearly on his @#$% list. It took a week before he would look at me with his eyes and come to me for a belly rub. We took him with us to Michigan after that. It was much easier to travel by air with dogs in the early 70's, even in bad weather. Once the airline lost him for about two days. We were frantic, but he was fine. When he finally arrived in Michigan, his cage was covered with notes from everyone who had walked him. fed him, given him water. He bore us no ill will and was immediately affectionate with us.

Yes, I know this is a little crazy, but it happened. Just because they don't speak English does not mean animals do not feel or think or respond. Sometimes I think we just don't get it, in a really big way.