Sleep startle
Like with many animals, a startle reflex is a dog’s brain and body’s way of helping protect them from potential danger. Sleep startle happens when a dog is woken up suddenly or unexpectedly, or disturbed even when half asleep. If a dog has been woken up by their brain telling them they’re in danger, it’s understandable that they may react in a fearful and potentially negative way.
This sleep startle reaction can affect dogs of any age, size or breed. It is often seen in dogs who haven’t lived around many people, or who haven’t been properly socialised during their early development. This is why it can be common in rescue dogs such as ours.
The majority of our dogs will have never lived in a home environment. They probably won’t have had much contact with humans, and for some of them, much of the contact they have experienced may well have ben been negative. Because of this, some dogs can initially find it difficult sharing a relatively small space, like a house, with people and other pets. This huge adjustment is likely to mean they experience stress when settling into a new home and will generally be low on spoons (see The Spoon Theory).
As a result, if a dog is feeling stressed, it’s understandable that they might be more likely to startle if they’re approached when they’re sleeping (a situation, in their eyes, where they are more vulnerable).
How to stop sleep startle
It’s probably not possible to stop sleep startle entirely, but you can take steps to prevent your dog being put in the position where they might be startled:
- Give your dog their own bed in a quiet location, away from areas people pass through regularly like a busy kitchen, near sofas in family spaces, or in hallways.
- All members of the family should avoid touching or approaching the dog when they are sleeping. It’s especially important to educate children on how to behave around dogs, particularly when they are resting (useful blog here) .
- If someone has to interact with the dog, they should begin talking to them from a distance and call the dog over to them once they’ve woken up
- If your dog enjoys being on the sofa, it may be helpful to keep them off it (at least when other family members – particularly children but also other pets – are on it) for a while
- Only approach your dog if you’re sure they are definitely awake and that they are aware of your presence. If not, then as the saying goes, “let sleeping dogs lie”.
It’s also possible that, as your dog becomes more relaxed and comfortable in your home, they may grow out of it.
