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By Maria Azzurra Volpe
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When a dog owner from Monroe, Michigan, noticed something unusual her dogs kept doing in their sleep, she asked internet users for help figuring out what it was. So Newsweek spoke to veterinarians to understand the cause of this behavior for her.
In a viral TikTok video shared in February under the username @chelseyalana, the poster shows her two Labrador retrievers smacking their lips in their sleep, a behavior that she hadn't witnessed before and left her perplexed.
"Please explain," reads layover text in the clip. "Can someone please explain the scientific reason why dogs do this adorable munchy licky thing before bed?? Literally tried googling it," the caption adds.
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Chelsey Russell, 28, told Newsweek that every night she and her husband hear their pups (Chester, who is silver; Bruiser, black) smacking their lips while getting nestled in bed, but the couple have no idea why their pets do that.
"Me and my husband always laugh about it and mimic them. I've tried googling why dogs may do this and couldn't find any good information," Russell said.
"The comments [on TikTok] were hilarious. Seems like people either love or hate the noise. We think it's adorable."
To understand more about this behavior, we asked veterinarians what could be the reason behind it, and their answers might surprise you.
Dr. Leigh Johnston, lead veterinarian and partner at CityVet, told Newsweek that dogs most often smack their lips while sleeping because they are in a dream state, which is a normal part of their sleep cycle.
"Yes, dogs dream regularly and enjoy their deep sleep state just like we do. This is similar to humans experiencing facial twitching or other mouth movements while in the dream state of sleeping," Johnston said.
"However, if owners are noticing excessive lip smacking that is also occurring when their dog is awake, then this can be an indication of nausea, mouth pain, anxiety, or, in some cases, a neurologic abnormality, and they should visit their veterinarian."
But there could be other reasons behind, too. Dr. Anna Foster, emergency veterinarian at Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG) and a veterinary adviser to Litter-Robot, told Newsweek that lip-smacking can be a sign of oral discomfort or nausea.
Foster also said that it could be a sign of dry mouth; dehydration; or a soothing or self-comforting behavior.
"If a pet parent notices excessive lip-smacking, particularly when awake, it's worth checking for signs of nausea, dental issues, or discomfort," Foster added. "Otherwise, if it's an occasional sleep quirk, it's likely just part of their dreaming process."
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The video quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 3.8 million views and more than 274,300 likes on the platform.
One user, Firefly, commented: "I love this sound. To me it means my girl has a full belly, warm house, safety, comfort and love. It's her telling me she has everything she wants and needs. I have sound issues but not with this one."
Browneyedsoonergirl posted: "One of the most annoying sounds in the middle of the night besides them trying to clean themselves at 2am."
Drip Drop added: "I hate when people smack but I loooooove when dogs make this sound."
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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