Sleep Startle?

[Acadianarose]

I have noticed that Payton will wake up from a sleep and bark for no reason like someone is bothering him. At first, I thought it was because he could hear the cats and thought they were near him. But last night, the cats were put in the bathroom, all of the lights were out and everyone was in bed. I heard Payton bark so I went into the living room where he was sleeping and he was sitting up on his bed with a confused look on his face.

 

I have seen him do it and he jerks awake like someone touched him and looks around himself to see who it was. It is like sleep startle but no one is there. Sometimes, it will happen several times a night. Any thoughts?

[Guest RMarie]

Maybe he was dreaming and woke himself up? James gives little baby "woofs" in his sleep, not full out barks. But, they are still loud enough to hear up in our bedroom (he sleeps downstairs).

[greysmom]

Yes, it's a form of sleep startle. Just because a human can't hear what wakes him up, doesn't mean there isn't anything. He could also be waking himself up by a foot hitting something, or he hears his own bark and wakes up.

[XTRAWLD]

Sounds like he was dreaming! I've had that happen with Kasey a few times, dead asleep, no reason to wake and a big WOOF! LOL

 

How long has Payton been with you?

[Guest shanesmom]

Elton used to do that when he was dreaming. He used to do all kinds of things when he was dreaming lol. Bark, growl, cry, run. Woke us up many times.

[Acadianarose]

He has been with us 4 months, although I just noticed it a few weeks ago. He will be curled up dead asleep when he suddenly barks. He looks totally confused! The cats are always bugging him. Maybe he is having dreams about them, poor man!

[Guest RMarie]

Yeah, no doubt he's dreaming.

 

The first night we had James he scared us to death. Not even an hour after going to bed, he starts viciously barking/growling. He was moving/thrashing in some way, but we weren't sure how b/c it was pitch black in the bedroom and we couldn't see him. DH and I were scared out of our minds. We thought he was having a seizure or possibly was getting ready to combust. After he stopped, I switched on the bedside lamp to see what he was doing. He was just hanging out on his bed, like nothing happened. Must have been a crazy dream!

 

His dreams now are a lot more mellow. He produces the sweetest sounding dream "woofs." And there are rare occasions when he'll roo.

[Guest k9soul]

Rudy used to do this a lot, as in multiple times a day. For months after I got him he'd rear up with the most startling bark/snarls that made me jump out of my skin. Sometimes he'd seem to actually escalate and be snarling in confusion and I realized he was still not completely awake. I started gently saying "shhh it's okay" when he did it. When I did that he seemed to calm quicker and come more awake. He is in his 10th month with me now, and it has almost completely ceased, but it really took months and months, and one day I just suddenly realized he had not done it in some time.

Edited December 12, 2013 by k9soul

[Guest]

Ahhh, the Greyhound dreams. The first time we ever heard Boo bark (a month after being home), he was dreaming. He startled us and himself! We all woke up, turned on the lamp, and Boo was sitting up looking very confused.

Sounds like Payton is dreaming. Enjoy it.