The short and simple answer would be: yes, dogs can dream. It comes naturally to them and, in fact, it’s necessary for their mental health. This is why you should try not to wake your dog up when you notice them shivering, shaking, twitching or even running in their sleep.

Plus, you have to admit that they are pretty darn cute and funny when they have their little sleeping adventures. Similar to humans, pooches also have to enter the REM (rapid-eye movement) state if they are to have dreams; they also sleep in cycles, just like we do, meaning that they will enter and leave the REM state several times during sleep.

Don’t be alarmed by the sounds and movements they make while they are sleeping – if they are running, they are probably dreaming of that perfect forest glade, and sometimes they will even growl. This could indicate that they are dreaming of the neighbor’s annoying cat or something like that.