dogs and their dreams

strange question.. but.. I was watching a tv programme yesterday and they said that when you go into REM sleep and have your dreams you are paralysed so you don't act them out (that's why your eyes move a lot - they can 'act' out the dream that your body can't)

So my question is.. how come dogs 'run' in their dreams??? don't they also get paralyzed like humans..?? Tigger also woofs in her dreams - which is even stranger coz she doesn't woof when she's awake... All my dogs have moved during dreams but I'd never thought it was strange until I watched the programme yesterday...

humans can move and speak in dreams too - some of us are chronic talkers apparently. I think that there are levels of dream consciousness REM being deep and disconnected from main body movement but as you get closer to waking state you regain connection. Also sometimes the disconnect may not work properly leading to sleep walking etc.
I would expect that animals that dream have similar situations - have seen cats and horses twitching in sleep but have not heard them make noises so the movement may be just muscular spasm rather than dream related.

this is my very unscientific thoughts and has no basis in actual intellectual knowledge

Foufee is right that there is normally a disconnection from movement during sleep. This Is called REM atonia or sleep paralysis, and normally affects only the large muscles. If our large muscles get active we (and dogs) could hurt ourselves, but sometimes it doesn't work properly. This can result in sleepwalking, full voiced speech, kicking or the opposite: partial waking but still being mostly immobile.
Mostly I have seen dogs dream-running only with the paws, but occasionally they get a little more active .

believe me, you are not paralised when you dream, as a chronic sleepwalker acting out my dreams, hubbie can vouch for this.

Most people are, but it sometimes doesn't happen .

Have had horses lying flat out in their boxes dream running,too.Was very funny to watch until the laughter woke her up.....

Hawkspur;418278 wrote:
Mostly I have seen dogs dream-running only with the paws, but occasionally they get a little more active .

THat was hilarious! We've noticed our dogs have more 'active' dreams when they have had a more active day, like out for a beach or river run, or out for a roll in cr*p in the paddocks. They yip & woof, and act like they're running, but NOTHING like the dog in the video above!

One of my cats growls and twitches when he dreams, he also gives his "siren" sound like when he's eye-balling another cat.