Why Do Dogs Suckle In Their Sleep?
Anecdotes of Labradors suckling in their sleep have come up several times on our forum over the years. Several of our other members usually chime in to tell their own stories, and swap opinions of it being cute, funny, noisy and annoying, or just plain baffling.
If your dog sleep nurses, you won’t be surprised to hear that it’s not just Labrador puppies that nurse in their sleep, adult dogs do it too!
There are lots of theories about sleep suckling, including dreaming, self soothing and even health issues. Today I’ll share what we know for sure about why dogs suckle in their sleep, and what’s still waiting to be discovered.
Why Do Dogs Suckle In Their Sleep?
What Does Sleep Nursing Look Like?
The chances are that you’ve arrived here because you already have a pretty good idea of what sleep suckling looks like, and you’ve seen your dog doing it.
But what about if your dog behaves unusually in his sleep, and you’re not sure how to describe it? If you didn’t meet him while he was nursing from mom, you might not be confident of what suckling behavior in dogs really looks like.
Here’s what to look and listen out for:
- Their tongue poking out
- Twitching around their lips and nose
- Rhythmic gulping motions under their chin or at the top of their throat – most of the muscles used in suckling are actually towards the back of the jaw!
- Their paws making a treading motion
- Slurping, slapping, or whining noises
Your dog might make suckling motions as they are drifting off to sleep, or they might make them on and off whilst apparently in a deep sleep.
Where Does Sleep Suckling Come From?
Suckling is one of the few behaviors that puppies don’t need to learn, or be taught. It is completely instinctive, and your puppy knows how to do it from the moment they are born. The reason why is very simple – they need to be able to suckle in order to nurse from their mom, and survive!
If you’d like to know more about how puppies develop from birth onwards, check out Pippa’s lovely guide to puppy growth and development.
The fact that suckling is such a deeply hardwired behavior is one reason why dogs might continue to do it long after they have weaned. Some dogs move on to sucking their blankets and toys while they are awake, whilst others only ever suckle in their sleep.
Let’s look closer now at all the possible reasons why they do it.
1. They’re Hungry
The first reason puppies may suckle in their sleep, whilst they’re still nursing from their mom, is because they’re getting hungry again. They’re likely to wake up soon, and begin rooting – search for a nipple to feed from.
2. To Self-Soothe
Suckling is such a deeply ingrained behavior that it doesn’t need conscious thought. And it has lots of positive associations – of being close to mom, of feeling safe and secure in her care, and of getting a meal!
So for some dogs, suckling in their sleep might be a self-soothing reflex.
3. They’re Dreaming About Suckling
Just like us, dogs experience dream sequences which mimic their waking lives. And whilst most of it only takes place in their head, occasionally they perform some of the sounds and movements which go with their dream. So dogs who dream about suckling might act out motions suckling whilst asleep.
This is most likely to be the case in puppies who are still nursing, or only recently weaned. Or older dogs who still like to suck their toys and blankets whilst awake.
4. It’s A Symptom Of An Underlying Condition
Occasionally suckling in their sleep might be a sign of an underlying health condition. Tonsilitis, for example, causes dogs to need to swallow more often. Which may look like a suckling motion whilst they’re asleep.
Dogs with obstructed airways might also sleep with their tongue hanging out to allow more airflow, and make similar “wet” noises to a dogs who is sleep suckling. Obstructed airways are a common problem of flat faced breeds, such as Pugs and French Bulldogs.
Finally, dogs who use sucking behaviors to self soothe might start doing them more often if they are feeling anxious about something – a new home, or a new dog in the house for example.
And this can spill over into sleep sucking too.
What To Do About A Dog Who Suckles In Their Sleep
In most cases, suckling in their sleep doesn’t do dogs any harm. If you share a bedroom and the noise is bothering you, it might be time to move them into a different room at night time, or invest in some ear plugs!
Dogs who use sucking behavior to self soothe might enjoy having some plush toys of their own to suckle at bed times. Make sure you choose ones without any small plastic parts that can come loose. If your dog has started suckling in their sleep without any history of doing it, or they start suckling much more than usual, or they have any other signs of illness, consult their vet.
(paid link)Why Do Dogs Suckle In Their Sleep – Summary
Suckling in their sleep is a fairly common behavior in dogs, and it is rarely problematic in Labs. We can use clues like a dog’s age and waking habits to guess why they might be suckling in their sleep.
But there’s always an element of guesswork, which means we can’t be 100% sure. If your dog suckles in their sleep and you’d like to hear from other people whose Labs do the same, why not visit us on our forum?
Useful Links
References
- Arteaga et al. Smell, Suck, Survive: Chemical Signals and Suckling in the Rabbit, Cat, and Dog. Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 12. Springer. 2012.
- Arteaga et al. The Pattern of Nipple Use Before Weaning Among Littermates of the Domestic Dog. Ethology. 2012.
- Moon-Fanelli et al. Blanket and flank sucking in Doberman Pinschers. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 2007.
- Development, Communication and Social Behavior in the Dog. University of Illinois. Accessed November 2020.
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