How to Handle a Dog's Nightmares

Managing the Nightmare

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. If your dog’s nightmare is lasting more than a few minutes, consider trying to gently wake up your dog.

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. 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. 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.

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. Your dog’s nightmare will end, and your dog will calm down again. Dogs tend to forget their nightmares after waking up.

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. 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.

Preventing Future Nightmares

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. If you can figure out what’s causing your dog’s nightmares, reduce your dog’s exposure to those situations.

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. 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.

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.

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. If you prefer the diffuser, plug it in near your dog’s bed. Look for DAP products at a pet store or online.

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. 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. Follow the label instructions to administer the supplement.

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. Be aware that dogs can become dependent on anti-anxiety medications.