Why is my dog whimpering and crying in his sleep? Is it normal?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | 2 years and 2 months old | 20 lbs
Hello there Since 10 days ago my dog started to scream at nights. He seems totally normal, he eats good and still playful, but at nights, when he is sleeping, he whimpers. I was wondering if there is something wrong with him?
4 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on March 7th, 2018
HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If Vito is acting 100% normal during the day: eating, drinking, playful, not limping, jumping and not crying out and ONLY is whimpering and crying when asleep then it is normal. Dogs dream like we do. My dog, a few times a week, will wake me up at night crying in his sleep and either moving his legs or jerking his body. I hope this helps! If he otherwise not normal during the day or is awake and crying out I recommend an exam with your Vet. I wish you and Vito the very best!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
-
Published on September 1st, 2017
Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach! It is normal for some puppies to dream when they are sleeping and many vocalize during these dreams. If she is otherwise normal when she is awake and is not having these episodes when she is awake, I would just continue to monitor her for now. She may grow out of this over time. If she is crying in pain when awake as well, I would get her seen by her veterinarian to ensure nothing is wrong. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via phone or text consultation if needed. Please remember to mark this post as helpful or not. Thank you!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
-
Published on March 18th, 2018
Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If all this happened while Lucky was sleeping then it is likely normal and she was having a dream. Just be sure her breathing is normal awake. My dog does this a lot, his whole body jumps, he whimpers or cries out. When I touch him he either wakes up or stops and continues sleeping. As long as she is normal awake I wouldn't worry! I hope this helps and have a great rest of the weekend!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
-
Published on May 8th, 2018
While sleeping it is completely normal for a dog, even a puppy, to dream. This often looks m like twitching, running, and crying/yelping/barking. This is all very normal. As long as your puppy is well rested and acting normal when she is awake you should have nothing to worry about. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Is it normal for puppies to cry in there sleep?
He has been cry whimpering in his sleel this past week, he doesn't do it while awake. Is he just dreaming? I
My puppy seems to continuously twitch and makes a bit of weird noises while asleep? Could it be her dreaming or maybe she may have something in her like wormer to were I may have to get her dewormed?
She is 3 weeks old but when she is sleeping she sometimes shakes and kicks while crying.. I raised my other pup and she never done these things so it kinda worries me. Is that normal?
puppy does kind of like a whimpering/crying sound (what it sounds like) when it goes to sleep. Is tht normal? Is he sad?
Hi my name is johanna i have a yorkie she had 2 month, whe she is sleeping she cry. I want to know if that's normal or if is something wrong with her
Lucky was sleeping and all of the sudden she started breathing super heavy and she was making weird sounds I kept on saying her name but she kept on doing it then I sat up and touched her and she stopped do you think it was a dream or she has somethi
Hey so my 4-5 month doberman is shaking when she goes to sleep. So whenever she sleeps or takes naps she shakes I don't know why and sometimes not a lot she like whines or cries I'm not sure and I do t k I if it's something serious.
My dog is shaking in his sleep. It is hard to describe so We took a video but it is not able to post. It is visible that the muscles In his face are moving and his body does short little shaking. It isn’t a seizure, but it can be felt by me because h
Is it normal for a dog to cry constantly in their sleep? Diesel cries 98% of the time. Is there anything we can do to prevent this?
Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.
