Dogs are man’s best friend, our favorite furry companions, and more like us than we know; they eat, play, seek companionship, and sometimes, dogs even have wet dreams. While we love our pets, we can only speculate about the inner workings of their minds.
Dogs experience wet dreams the same way humans do. While these sticky slumbers are primarily experienced by adolescent dogs still new to their budding sex drives, all pups experience the phenomenon. Neutered dogs, females, and even puppies can have wet dreams.
This article looks at the causes and indicators of wet dreams in dogs. We’ll discuss dogs’ sleep cycles and examine how canines generally experience dreaming.
Before you read this guide, “Do Dogs Have Wet Dreams,” check out: Can a Neutered Dog Still Mate? (2023) and Can a Dog Mate With a Cat? (2023).
Why Do Dogs Have Wet Dreams?
Male dogs experience wet dreams as a natural part of development. When they reach sexual maturity, their bodies and hormones tell them they’re ready to begin mating. This typically occurs when male dogs are between six months and one year old. The sex drive is strong and carries into their sleep.
Like humans, dogs process stimuli through their dreams. The pups carry their arousal into slumber, resulting in sexual dreams.
Puppies dream more frequently than adult dogs. The young pups have more energy than mature dogs, and they use their sleep to process their development and new knowledge.
Your dog will experience most wet dreams during their most fertile period; as they age out of mating, the dreams abate.
It’s unclear what triggers a dog’s wet dreams, and some experts speculate that anxiety and stress cause the reaction. However, it’s possible your dog remembers a female he found attractive.
How To Tell if Your Dog Is Wet Dreaming
A dog in the heat of a wet dream may hump, stroke, and thrust, mimicking the act of mounting a phantom female.
Additionally, your wet–dreaming pup may sport a visible erection and swollen testicles. However, you may not know your dog is enjoying slumber until it’s over, and some remain still during the experience.
If a mysterious wet spot appears where your dog is sleeping, do not immediately assume it is urine. If your dog is of age, the moisture may be sexual discharge.
The wet is not a given; sometimes dogs ejaculate, and sometimes they do not.
Seminal Fluids
Many wet–dreaming dogs discharge seminal fluids at the end of their erotic slumber. However, it can be easy to mistake this fluid for urine or vice versa.
Semen is a substance comprised of water, plasma, and mucus for lubrication. The fluid is a translucent shade of white.
Wet-dreaming dogs also ejaculate smegma. Smegma is a greenish-yellow discharge made up of dead skin cells, oils, and moisture used for lubrication.
Do Neutered Dogs Have Wet Dreams?
Because wet dreams are a sexual compulsion, you might assume neutered dogs can’t have them.
However, even neutered dogs have wet dreams and can ejaculate. The purpose of neutering a pup isn’t to kill the sex drive; it’s to remove the possibility of reproduction.
A dog’s testicles produce sperm. Sperm are the little swimmers that fertilize a female pup’s egg, leading to pregnancy. Without sperm, a dog cannot reproduce.
Neutered dogs have their testicles removed to eliminate sperm production. However, this doesn’t preclude these dogs from creating and discharging semen.
The ejaculate of neutered dogs is entirely semen, devoid of the sperm contained in the sexual fluids of intact dogs.
Neutered canines aren’t as active of wet dreamers as those intact. You may only know the pup experienced the steamy dream once you find a wet spot.
Do Female Dogs Have Wet Dreams?
While wet dreams are primarily the province of male dogs, females occasionally experience the phenomenon.
Female dogs have wet dreams less frequently than males. However, like lady pups sometimes dry hump, they occasionally experience amorous dreaming.
How Often Do Dogs Have Wet Dreams?
Because dogs can’t tell us what they’re dreaming, we can only speculate and use the clues our pups provide to speculate.
However, we can use the frequency of canine dreams, in general, to formulate reasonable estimates about their wet dreams.
A dog’s size dictates both the length and duration of its dreams. Smaller dogs have a larger volume of brief dreams, and little breeds experience dreams lasting about one minute every ten minutes.
Larger breeds often dream only once every 60 to 90 minutes. However, each dream lasts five to ten minutes.
Puppies dream more than adult dogs. The young pups are excitable and constantly learning. They tire themselves out with intense play during the day, then process all they’ve learned through their dreams.
More active dogs need more sleep and experience deeper REM sleep.
Dog Sleep Cycles
Dogs dream the same way we do; they enter into the process only after achieving REM sleep. A pup’s sleep cycles follow similar patterns as humans.
Dogs sleep in two phases:
- Slow Wave Sleep (SWS): SWS happens immediately after a dog falls asleep and is shallow; a dog easily rouses from this phase.
- Rapid Eye Movement (REM): This is the deepest sleep when dreaming occurs. The dog is fully relaxed, usually after 20 uninterrupted minutes of sleeping.
What To Do If Your Dog Wet Dreams
Wet dreams are a normal part of a dog’s development, and you should simply allow your pup to dream in peace — and maybe give him a bit of privacy. However, you may want to take measures to mitigate the mess.
Consider covering the areas where your dog sleeps for an easy cleanup. Layering towels, blankets, or pads on their beds and favorite spots prevents staining and allows you to remove the wet spot simply.
Additionally, if your dog is experiencing a particularly high volume of wet dreams, you probably shouldn’t let him sleep in your bed. While mature dogs can experience wet dreams, the occurrences are far less frequent than during their doggy adolescence.
What Do Dogs Dream About?
Dogs can’t tell us about their dreams, but experts agree doggy dreams likely focus on everyday occurrences, like eating, playing, and fighting. Once hormones kick in and mating becomes a driving force, pups start dreaming about partnering.
Your pup likely dreams about you, the people, and things important to him. A dog uses its dreams to process its experience, so canines likely dream about their day’s events and surroundings.
Should You Worry About Your Dog’s Wet Dreams?
Wet dreams are seldom cause for alarm, and mostly the occurrence indicates a perfectly normal hormonal reaction. However, the dreams may indicate hormonal imbalances, bladder infections, prostate problems, neurological problems, or tumors.
If your pup is wet dreaming frequently, take him to the veterinarian to ensure the behavior is normal.
How to Prevent Wet Dreams in Your Dog
Wet dreaming is perfectly normal. Unless the mess troubles you, there’s no reason to interfere with your dog’s nocturnal activities.
Some experts recommend neutering a pup to curb wet dreams. However, as we’ve discussed, this only prevents sperm from entering your dog’s ejaculate. It may stem the tide, but it won’t prevent it.
Because we don’t know precisely what causes wet dreams in dogs, it is impossible to know how to prevent them. However, removing sexual stimuli may help in preventing steamy slumbers.
Erections in Dogs
Like adolescent boys, young dogs experience erections at odd times and with little impetus. The design of the physiological reaction facilitates mating. Naturally, a sexually aroused sl experiences erections.
However, other physical stimuli can cause the reaction. Playing or tussling with other dogs can give your dog an erection. Sometimes a friendly human visitor inspires the reaction.
The duration of a dog’s erection varies; the erection can last up to 15 minutes after an aroused dog wakes from his wet dream.
Don’t wake your wet–dreaming dog from his amorous slumber. The shock of awakening will confuse your pup and may cause him to be aggressive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Let’s look at some frequently asked questions about whether dogs can have wet dreams.
Dogs are active sleepers. They often indicate they’ve transitioned into a dreaming state by twitching, writhing, breathing heavily, and snapping into the air. Older dogs and puppies often dream more actively than adult dogs.
Dogs dream about a broad assortment of things. They often experience pleasant dreams about daily activities like playing, hunting, and eating. However, pups have nightmares as well. Dogs dream about traumatic experiences, being isolated, fights with other pups, and thunderstorms.
While it’s impossible to know what your pup dreams about while he twitches, more doggy dreams focus on everyday occurrences. Many theorize that the brain sends messages to the muscles, telling them to relax, preventing a dog from jumping up to chase a dream squirrel or bunny. The muscles simply twitch instead of completing the action.
Dogs whimper to express sadness or fear. We know dogs experience fear and trauma in their dreams, and whimpering indicates their slumber is unpleasant.
Any good pet parent would want to wake a dog showing signs of distress. However, professionals suggest waking your pup is a mistake. Much like you shouldn’t wake a sleepwalker for fear of violent reprisal, rousing your sleeping dog may cause aggressive behavior.
Dogs display many behaviors that indicate they’re experiencing nightmares. If your dog is twitching, howling, whining, or whimpering, they are likely experiencing a distressing dream.
Conclusion for “Do Dogs Have Wet Dreams”
Hormones and the mating drive trigger steamy naps, and dogs of all ages and genders have wet dreams. If your male dog is sporting a visible erection and swollen testicles while sleeping, chances are his dreams are sexual. Additionally, a wet spot could indicate your pup has ejaculated.
Don’t wake your dog up mid-dream. These amorous night-time occurrences are perfectly normal. Your dog processes their daily life through dreams, including sexual urges. While we don’t know what causes wet dreams, we do know they are a normal part of a dog’s life cycle.
If you find this guide, “Do Dogs Have Wet Dreams,” helpful, check out:
Learn more by watching “What Do Dogs Dream About” down below:
Garrett loves animals and is a huge advocate for all Doodle dog breeds. He owns his own Goldendoodle named Kona. In addition, he volunteers at the Humane Society of Silicon Valley, where he fosters dogs and helps animals. Garrett enjoys writing about Doodles and believes that dogs can teach humans more about how to live than humans can teach a dog.
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