Sleep Startle: It Can
Be Overcome
Sleep startling is an issue that we are seeing more and more dog owners face, both across social media and among people seeking advice within the Honest Hounds community.
It’s important to understand that the current narrative is that this behaviour can’t be changed, with sites such as Pawchores.com saying “It is very common for dogs to lunge, snap or bite when they are woken unexpectedly. This behaviour is actually known as a 'startle reflex' or 'sleep startle' and it is an instinctual behaviour seen in many animals, including the Canine ancestor, the Grey Wolf.”
It is described by Battersea Dogs & Cats Home as a reflex that “occurs when a dog is woken up suddenly or unexpectedly,” leading them to react fearfully or negatively due to a perceived threat.
The common advice is often to “let sleeping dogs lie,” avoiding any interaction while they’re resting or train a place command so they have their own uninterrupted sleep.
However, this approach doesn’t address the underlying issue. Life is unpredictable. What happens if someone accidentally trips over the dog, a toddler toddles over to the sleeping dog or if there’s an unexpected disturbance? Living in a home where you fear your dog’s reaction during sleep is overwhelming and dangerous.
🔐 Getting a Clear Plan
If you have a dog that is displaying sleep startle, we have a bigger picture we need to address. We need to determine where the stressors are coming from in their life and help them to work through them. This is going to be personal to your dog, and there is no one-size-fits-all, so getting a clear plan to move forward is the key part here. However, there are some key areas we can address.
Crate For Downtime
The best way to help your dog stand down from the need to be on edge is to provide them with a safe space that is theirs that they can turn off. This allows them to get good quality sleep while you address the bigger picture. Find our crate training guide in the Emergency Toolkit.
Utilise Muzzles During High Risk Situations
There is a time and a place for management while we work on addressing bigger issues, and the muzzle should be a must for any time your dog is sleeping out of a crate, if you have a dog that sleeps startles. Find our muzzle training guide in the Emergency Toolkit.
Conditioned Relaxation
If your dog has more generalised issues with being touched and handled by yourself or other humans, we have work to do to make them comfortable with this. Our Conditioned Relaxation Course is a great way to learn about the PNS and SNS and to work on helping your dog reconnect their mind and body.
Endorphins Up!
Endorphins counteract cortisol, making them particularly beneficial for both us and our dogs. Endorphins don’t need to be high energy and you can check out our whole month theme dedicated to Endorphins and our Endorphins Up Webinar.
We’re Doing Things Differently
At Honest Hounds, we challenge the notion that sleep startle is a trait that can’t be changed. While some sources suggest that this reflex is instinctual and cannot be trained out, we believe in addressing the root causes. Sleep startle often stems from chronic stress, where the dog remains in a constant state of fight or flight, even during rest. This state prevents true relaxation and keeps their defence mechanisms perpetually engaged.
The claim that it would be an instinctual behaviour for a group living species who would sleep as a pack also needs challenging as this would not be conducive for anyone’s safety and if attempted would likely result in the group member being ostracised from the group - so we must clearly think through these sweeping statements!
Contrast this with a well-adjusted dog like Athena (or the dogs in your home) who can be touched while sleeping without any adverse reaction - a testament to a secure and stress-free environment and proof that we don’t just have to accept this behaviour.
So, how do we address the sleep startle?
The key lies in reducing chronic stress and ensuring good safety and management in the meantime.
Changing The Narrative
Our journey underscores that change is possible and we must challenge the narrative that these behaviours can’t be changed, especially when according to Veterinary Centers of America (VCA), approximately 60% of dog bites in children occur when the child wakes or attempts to wake a sleeping dog. So often the dogs are the ones that suffer for our human mistakes.
If you’re grappling with sleep startle in your dog, know that with the right approach and support, improvement is within reach - you don’t have to accept that this is a forever thing for you or your dog.
Ps… if you are interested in this topic we cover it more during our Foundations First Webinar
Atlas - A Real Life Example
Atlas used to have severe sleep startling. Several times he hospitalised us when he had been sleeping nicely and then woken up, only to 'attack’ without thinking. In these moments, it looked like his brain was offline, and he would often ‘come back into the room’ when he had bitten, looking like he had no idea where he was or what he had done.
With Atlas, we didn’t focus on the sleep startle directly. Instead, we concentrated on improving his overall well-being and our relationship. The transformation was remarkable. Recently, while camping, he joined me in my bed in the van. In the past, this scenario would have been fraught with anxiety. This time, I gently reached out to stroke him, and he remained peacefully asleep - a clear sign of his newfound sense of security and such a great moment for me!
Inspired? Come Join Us! 💜
Have you been told sleep startles can’t be changed or helped? Perhaps you’re feeling lost on your own journey.
Sleep startle reactions are just one of the many areas we focus on helping in the community. If this or any other over-reactive action is something that interests you then come join us.
We share real-life cases, tips & tricks, webinars and courses to help you start making progress - even when it feels impossible.
We also have events across the UK, including our famous Reactivity Retreats - become a member to join us!
You can join for just £6.99 a month. Or, if you’re not quite ready yet, keep following along. We’ll be here when you are ready!
📲 Use the code SLEEPSTARTLE to get a whole month of our Education Zone for just £1
