Can Dogs Have Wet Dreams?

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A Vizsla lying on a couch dreaming
Photo by 1000zen on Flickr

There he is, sleeping peacefully in his corner and all of a sudden you see your precious pooch starting to make pretty suggestive thrusting movements. Could it be…? Yes, it most certainly could and there’s no reason not to talk about such things.

In fact, many male dogs have wet dreams every now and then and it’s a completely natural thing.

In this article we’ll be examining the hush-hush issue of doggie wet dreams, whether it affects only intact dogs or neutered dogs as well, and what can you do in such a situation…. not much, to be honest!

What you will learn from this article:

  1. Do dogs dream like humans?
  2. What do dogs dream about?
  3. Do male dogs have wet dreams?
  4. What are some of the signs that your dog might be having a wet dream?
  5. Can neutered male dogs have wet dreams ?
  6. What colour is healthy sperm/ smegma? 
  7. When do male dogs get erections?
  8. How long can these erections last? 
  9. What does a healthy dog penis look like?
  10. Do female dogs have wet dreams?
  11. Can puppies have wet dreams?
  12. What other animals have wet dreams?
  13. Closing thoughts

Do dogs dream like humans?

Maybe this never crossed your mind before, but dogs do dream, just like humans. Probably other animals dream as well.

To understand this, we need to have a look at dogs’ sleeping patterns. According to experts, a dog’s sleep has two stages:

  • Slow Wave Sleep (SWS) – is the stage when the dog has just fallen asleep. His body is not fully relaxed and he can be easily awakened by any noise or sudden movement.
  • Rapid Eye Movement (REM) – is the part where they dream, just like humans do. At this stage, the dog’s body is fully relaxed and he’s far away in dreamland.

Puppies seem to dream more than adult dogs simply because they’re life is more eventful, as they’re only discovering the world and finding it full of exciting things.

At the same time, experts say that small dogs dream more often than large breeds. However, large dogs have longer dreams, lasting up to 5-10 minutes, whereas small pets have short dreams.

What do dogs dream about?

Now, it’s impossible to say what dogs dream about as they’re not in the habit of talking about a particularly weird dream over breakfast. However, experts believe they dream about everyday things like eating, playing with other dogs or their human family, chasing cats and whatever.

They can even have nightmares. Sometimes you can surmise what they’re dreaming about by watching them or listening to the sounds they make.

You may hear a dog whimpering or even barking in his sleep and it’s pretty obvious they’re reacting to a situation in their dream. When a dog moves his legs in his sleep he’s probably running around in his dream.

And this brings us to the moment when you notice that your sleeping dog has an erection and he’s even making thrusting movements. If it’s the first time you notice this you might be shocked, then it will dawn on you that your furry friend is having a wet dream.

Do male dogs have wet dreams?

Once again, dogs don’t talk about their dreams, but you can be quite certain that if they’re having an erection and look like they’re getting some action, they probably do. Such dreams tend to start when the dog is becoming sexually mature, just like teenage boys. In dog years, that should be anywhere between six months and one year. And it’s got nothing to do with watching online porn, it’s a natural instinct. A male dog is programmed to want to reproduce and he’s probably having a hot date with the bitch of his dreams.

What are some of the signs that your dog might be having a wet dream?

In many cases, dog owners only realize that their pet had a very steamy dream only after the fact, when they discover a suspicious wet stain on the dog’s bedding or on the family couch, if you’re unlucky.

If you happen to catch it early, you’re in for quite a show. Some find it embarrassing , while others find it hilarious.

One of the most obvious signs is the erection. If the penis is out of its shaft and fully erect, you can bet the dog is having a very naughty dream.

Another clear sign are the swollen testicles. Some dog owners are quite mystified about that as it sometimes looks like the dog has grown a new set of balls. He hasn’t, but the tissues and blood vessels in the groin area are swollen like never before. It’s nothing to worry about, the swelling will go away.

In some cases, the dog doesn’t move much during a wet dream, which is why many owners never realize what’s going on. However, if your dog looks like he’s trying to mount another dog he probably is, in his dream.

Finally, the whole wet dream ends in a puddle. It’s usually a clear white discharge, although some dog owners report the dog also peeing a bit at this point.

As a precaution, you might want to put some napkins or dog pads in his bed to make the cleaning part easier. Also, you’d better not allow him to sleep in your bed until he grows out of it. Mature dogs can still have wet dreams, but less often as teenagers.

Can neutered male dogs have wet dreams ?

The fact that he’s been neutered doesn’t stop a dog from getting wet dreams and also ejaculating. In this case, it’s not sperm, but seminal fluid. Maybe he can’t have any action, but he can still dream about it.

However, with neutered dogs such dreams are usually calmer and you wouldn’t suspect a thing if it weren’t for the gooey stuff coming out of his penis. It is at times like these that many pet parents if the whole neutering procedure wasn’t botched.

What colour is healthy sperm/ smegma?

When they notice a puddle near their sleeping dog many people wonder if it’s pee or, you know, sperm.

Dog sperm is pearly white, not yellow like pee. In other words if there’s some white translucent stuff near the sleeping dog that’s semen.

However, it might also be smegma, which is the lubricant produced by the penis shaft to facilitate intercourse. It’s not uncommon to see this stuff dripping from the penis or pooling near the sleeping dog. This is quite normal for a healthy dog. Smegma looks like a yellow or greenish puss, so there’s no mistaking it with semen.

If you have any reason to believe it’s not a wet dream that caused the puddle you might want to take your pet to the vet and have him checked out for urinary tract infections. When a dog has an UTI, he might not be able to hold it and so he might pee in his sleep.

When do male dogs get erections?

A dog can get an erection at the oddest times, even when you’re having your mother-in-law over for dinner… It’s not only about sexual stimulation, as a dog can get aroused in various situations. If he’s excited about going out or in the midst of a playing session, the penis might come out of the prepuce.

Also, a dog might have an erection while pretending to mount another dog, male or female, it doesn’t really matter. It’s mostly a playful situation if the other dog doesn’t happen to be a female in heat.  The dog might get an erection even if he’s trying to make friends with a family guest by humping their leg.

How long can these erections last?

If there’s no sexual overtone and the dog is simply excited about something, the offending penis might disappear from view quite soon. The best advice is to ignore it completely.

In the case of wet dreams, dog owners report that their pets still had a noticeable erection even 15 minutes after the dream apparently ended.

In any case, if you believe your dog has a wet dream don’t try to wake him up abruptly, hoping it will make the erection disappear. It might, but it’s never a good idea to wake a dog up when he’s in the REM stage of sleep. It’s not that it’s rude, but the dog might be confused if he’s brutally forced out of his dreamland and he might become aggressive.

What does a healthy dog penis look like?

Some dog owners refer to it as ‘the red rocket’ or ‘the lipstick’ and they are both quite apt metaphors. When the dog’s penis emerges from the prepuce it does look like a lady’s lipstick or perhaps a tiny rocket about to take off.

If you’re going to wonder about size matters, that obviously depends on the dog’s size primarily.

Do female dogs have wet dreams?

Just as it is “normal” for a male dog to have wet dreams, so is it normal for a female dog to have them as well.

And remember even spayed females might have wet dreams.

Although I have never seen one of my dogs (they are female) have a wet dream I have seen their behaviour in the middle of a season where they are “humping” any dog that they can get close to!

And so it follows that some of them will go on to have wet dreams.

Can puppies have wet dreams?

If wet dreams in humans are most widely associated with adolescent and teenage boys then it stands to reason that older “puppies” are also capable of having wet dreams. 

Most puppies will begin to mature sexually between the ages of six to nine months- for some of the really large breed dogs (such as Great Danes) this might not happen until they are about a year old. 

Wet dreams in male and female humans start during puberty. 

For males it is caused by an increase in testosterone.

And this increase in hormones happens in puppies too.

As they reach sexual maturity the levels of testosterone are increasing in male puppies and so it seems sensible to deduce that this is about the time that they are capable of having a wet dream. 

What other animals have wet dreams?

A quick look around seems to show that there is anecdotal evidence of quite a few species of animal that are capable of wet dreams or at least humping.

Wet dreams in humans can be caused either by erotic dreams or by contact with a bed sheet causing friction

And so even if we can’t be 100% certain that animals have erotic dreams, we do know that they move around enough whilst sleeping to create this friction- which might just be enough.

Rabbits, cats and cows have been observed having wet dreams.

And I stumbled across an interesting story about a sexy hedgehog

So no matter how big or small an animal is it seems that they are capable of “sleep orgasms”

Closing thoughts

Male dogs can have wet dreams, although their owner might not always notice that. Wet dreams are completely natural and are a sign that the dog has reached sexual maturity.

Sometimes, it’s quite obvious the dog is having a fun time in his dream as he has an obvious erection and makes humping movements.

In other cases, you won’t notice anything other than a white translucent discharge, to signify the dog ejaculated in his sleep. The only thing you can do is let him enjoy himself and clean up after him. There’s no point in scolding him as there’s no way he can control his dreams.