why do healthy newborn puppies “jerk” in their sleep?
This is normal in a puppy or any age dog. A young puppy experiences “activated sleep” which helps to strengthen their legs. Two of my three dogs dream quite often and make crying sounds as if they are having bad dreams. I usually gently rub them to have it go away, as I don’t like for them to suffer. I know I am very happy when I awake from a bad dream and it is over :- It is nothing to be concerned about and is especially common in young puppies. I read that puppies grow only while they are sleeping. Interesting…..that may contribute to the twitching also. Dreaming – paws, legs, ear, and facial muscles twitch while asleep, sometimes accompanied by whimpers, barks, or cries. Dreams are normal and continue throughout life. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=1449 A tiny newborn’s legs are so weak he can barely wriggle his way to the nearby nipple and the comfort of his sibl
