What Do Dogs Dream About?

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Have you ever wondered what your dog is dreaming about?

"I think he dreams about squirrels," Catherine Remmert said of her pet Emmet.

"Maybe her new brother, who's about a year old right now. So I think she dreams about him a lot and the food he might be dropping," Allie Norley said of her dog Hoagie.

Animal Medical Center staff neurologist Dr. J.P. McCue says dogs definitely dream, just like us, CBS2's Vanessa Murdock reports.

"They have similar sleep cycles to people, to the point that their brainwaves, their actions during sleep -- like everyone knows about REM sleep and eye movements -- all those things happen in dogs," he said.

McCue says dogs are generally more animated in their sleep and often dream about what went on during their day.

"Daytime experiences have to translate to the types of dreams that they have," he said.

Experts say dogs do dream about their owners – their faces, their smells, making them happy.

"We are central to our animals' lives, just like they are to us. I know I dream about my dog all the time, so why wouldn't she dream about me?" McCue said.

So how does that make their owners feel?

"If they are positive dreams, that would be great," one dog owner told Murdock.

"Maybe, I know she gets really excited to see me every day," another said.

"He does love me," one woman said.

"Wonderful, because I dream about him as well," another said.