Dogs and their sleeping habits

WheatenLover

WheatenLover

Senior Member
Location
Georgia
Now that I wake up frequently during the night, I noticed that my dog is sometimes panting, while the rest of his body is busy (maybe running in his dreams)? He never does the panting thing during the day, unless he has been especially active, which is normal. He definitely acts perfectly normal all day long. Since Wheatens follow their family members around, he is always with me or my daughter.

I don't know why, but this is worrying me. I started wondering last night if he has lung cancer or COPD or sleep apnea. There is no reason he would have these maladies. The time span for this is probably less than a minute. Last night it happened twice. I know I am a worrywart when it comes to my dog.

Do any of your dogs do this in their sleep?
 

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I've never noticed mine panting in her sleep. Sometimes when she's cuddled up with me and the blanket she pants because she's overheated and then she jumps down. Hope your furbaby is OK.
 
RadishRose said:
I've never noticed mine panting in her sleep. Sometimes when she's cuddled up with me and the blanket she pants because she's overheated and then she jumps down. Hope your furbaby is OK.
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Thanks, he probably is okay, and just dreaming. Like I said, I am a worrywart when it comes to this dog. My previous dog died of lymphoma at only 8 years old, and it makes me wary of anything happening to this dog. Also, when I registered him I found out I bought him from a so-called reputable breeder (he was not) who procured his puppies from am Amish puppy miller. Poorly bred Wheatens (and Aidan is no show dog) can have serious health problems common in the breed. Aidan may be poorly bred (he's not a show dog) but he has been healthy all his life.

I've taken him to the vet several times for things that happened in his sleep, and they were all normal dog dreaming things. He's going back in January for one of my worrywart visits since he has several bumps on his skin. They have been checked recently a few times, and are normal (not cancerous or prone to turn into cancer), but I wasn't there. This time I will be. My favorite and trusted vet is always booked for a long time, so it's hard to get an appointment with her.

The dog is sleeping right now and is doing none of that. Also, last night he was on painkillers - not heavy ones - for arthritis.

Also, I did put a summer quilt over him last night, maybe he did get hot.

Still, I am anxious about it. He's almost 11 years old, so I am watching him more closely than ever to make sure he's okay.
 

My 12 yr. old Bichon doesn't have the running episodes in his sleep. He does let out some loud noises though every once in a while.
And he is a mover .. sleeps in several different spots in the room every night.

My last dog, Boo, a yellow labrador, was always running in his sleep , with a lot of body movement that went along with the running.
No panting, just some strange noises.

I guess all dogs just have different sleeping habits, like people... @WheatenLover , you are probably worrying needlessly
 
Bonnie said:
]@WheatenLover[/USER] , you are probably worrying needlessly
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Thank you for the reassurance. I figured if anyone had a dog with the maladies I am worried about, they would tell me.

That's what I brought my dog to the vet for when he was a puppy - running and strange noises in his sleep. I thought he was dying or having a seizure. By the third sleep-related visit within a couple of months, the vet told me gently to stop wasting my money, the dog was acting like a dog.

This is not my first dog, but I didn't sleep with one of them, and another just nipped me if I even twitched in my sleep. Two others slept with me, but didn't do anything -- probably had boring dreams.

I'm only noticing this because I wake up every 2 hours. This is what happens when one drinks 10 cups of water a day, plus sweet tea and a cup of coffee. Doctor's orders -- I am not usually one to drink more than 8 cups a day.
 
I called the vet and Aidan's dog trainer. The trainer is my best friend, and she knows a lot about dogs. One of her dogs does this -- he is an older dog too, and runs and pants in his sleep sometimes. The vet said it was normal, no worries.

Thank you all for reading my post and reassuring me.
 
I think that many dogs will pant during a dream that is exciting them. Sometimes it is because they are too hot in the room or spot. Other times they may be fearful of noises like thunder or fireworks in the distance even. I wouldn't worry about your boy.
 

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