You stain your dog with open eyes. It comes to caress the head, but does not react to the approach of the hand. As you lean closer, you hear that you are snoring. Yes, he is asleep, but his eye is open. How is this possible?
A cool, if not creepy, ability
Although it is not a trait that is shared with all dogs, some puppies do have the ability to sleep with their eyes open. It is something that can trap owners a little off guard if they are not aware of the ability. It is quite interesting to see if you have never seen it before, especially because you can clearly detect when the dog wakes up.
Why dogs can do this trick?
The reason dogs have this ability can be traced back to their wild heritage. Early dogs used this trick as a defense mechanism so that they were not involuntarily scarfed by the larger beasts while they slept. Even though your dog has no chance of being devoured inside your house, as the capacity has still maintained.
Usually, seeing your dog sleeping with his eyes open is no cause for alarm. However, there are exceptions to this golden rule. Eyes open during sleep could be the sign of an attack, or it could be accompanied by spasms.
Seizures Versus Contractions
The difference between seizures and spasms is a very wide gap. Seizures are neurological conditions that can be caused by inheritance or external factors such as the environment, genetics, or disease. Involuntary spasms are also neurological, but in general it is considered to be a sign that your dog is in the middle of a good sleep.
In both cases, your dog may have his eyes open. They will also have Herky-spasmodic movements that may have problems to differentiate if you are not smart enough to pick them up. So, how can you tell the difference?
It’s all in the eyes
One of the great ways you can differentiate if your dog is having a seizure or is limited to the condition is by controlling his eyes during the episode. If a dog just twitched, his eyes partially closed, giving it an appearance of peace and relaxation. During an attack, the dog will have a blank look still open passing.
Why Twitch a dog?
It has been theorized that your dog will contract when it comes to rapid eye movements or REM, the stage of its sleep phase. As in the case of humans, it is believed that a dog dreams during this particular phase. The condition is representative of your body reacts to movements congruent with the movements within the dream.
It has been observed that puppies and older dogs tend to experience more movement during sleep than adult dogs. however, there must be a specific reason why this is the case. It has also been observed that dogs that tend to stretch when they sleep are more prone to nervous behavior.
Of course, if you happen to be asleep next to a dog that goes through a phase of contraction, it is possible to know that the moment you inadvertently start with an unequal leg. If this happens, or if you get to see your dog spasming a lot, you can calmly call his name to wake him up. With that being said, it is generally advisable that you leave things as they are.
