A scary nightmare can make your dog whimper, kick or growl in their sleep. Though it may be tempting to comfort a distressed dog, Arce says owners should proceed with caution.

Dogs are not able to dream up scary monsters the way we are AKC reports, so if your dog is having a nightmare, they are most likely recalling a traumatic experience.

She recently conducted a study on what dogs dream about and says it's not all that different from their owners' dreams. ... Some dogs will startle, which can be scary for them." ...