Dreaming has confounded scientists, philosophers, psychologists, and the rest of us for centuries.

These days, we’re closer to understanding why we dream (to consolidate memories and process emotions) – as well as a little bit about how it works – but neuroscientists are still working on the reasons for dream content and the specific mechanisms that make dreaming a good thing for our brains.

But their studies don’t stop with humans. It turns out, our dogs spend a lot of time in a dream-state, too.

But any comprehensive explanations about dreams are still just theories – so don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Of course, when it comes to pets, we’re quick to believe these theories not only because we can often see them sleep, but also because the mind of an animal seems much simpler – how many thoughts and emotions could they really be processing?

Scientists generally agree on one thing – dogs do dream.

Of course, their dream content is probably limited to the visual memories they have of their day(s).

In fact, if you measure brainwaves, a dog’s sleep pattern is pretty similar to that of a human’s (both have REM and non-REM sleep).

Dogs (as well as cats) both tend to “act out” their dreams by moving their tails and paws, or through a series of facial twitches.

That’s because the part of the brain that keeps us paralyzed while we sleep – the pons – is underdeveloped, especially in puppies and older dogs.

The scientist most commonly cited when writing about what dogs dream about is Dr. Deirdre Barrett, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School’s Psychiatry Department. And while she’s not an animal expert, she’s shared her theories with multiple news outlets, and those quotes have been endlessly reprinted.

Her ideas about dog-dreaming have also been shared far and wide partly because we like what she has to say (though it’s extrapolated from research on humans, not evidence from dogs).

Dr. Barrett hypothesized that our dogs dream about us.

People immediately got all worked up. Dogs are already pretty awesome anyway, but the mere suggestion that our furry friends are dreaming about us made our hearts swell.

“Humans dream about the same things they’re interested in by day, though more visually and less logically. There’s no reason to think animals are any different. Since dogs are generally extremely attached to their human owners, it’s likely your dog is dreaming of your face, your smell and of pleasing or annoying you,” Barrett explained to PEOPLE.

It seems like a pretty safe bet that when dogs are moving their paws, they’re dreaming about running. Maybe it’s towards you if you play with your pup a lot. Or maybe it’s a squirrel.

When The New Yorker’s culture website, The Cut, published a story about dog dreams, they went to animal expert Dr. Ann Hohenhaus from NYC’s Animal Medical Center. She made an important point about what dreams really are – stories we verbalize, which dogs can’t do:

“When you look at the research into dogs and sleep, it’s hard to ask the question do they dream, because a dream is a story that we verbalize. But that doesn’t mean that dogs don’t dream.”

But she acknowledged that dogs do enter REM sleep (which is when humans dream) and that, like humans, they sleep better if they’ve exercised and are in their own beds.

But the specific content of their dreams? We’re still guessing.

“I’m not sure there’s a real way to know that the dog is dreaming about, say, chasing a rabbit vs. chasing a cat.”

But their movements and vocalizations during REM sleep suggest that they’re dreaming about typical dog stuff.

“I mean, and what do dogs do? Run, eat, and play,” Hohenhaus reasoned.

Dr. Barrett also gave the important disclaimer: “Anything about what animals dream, or even if they dream, is speculative.”

That, of course, hasn’t stopped the adorable headlines and heartwarming memes.

What dogs dream of. from r/wholesomememes

Of course, it does us no real harm to believe our precious pups dream about being pet by and playing with us. It might even give us a reason to be more compassionate towards them or – most importantly for them – give them extra treats!

In fact, when asked if we can do anything to give our dogs better dreams, Dr. Barrett gave the same advice she would for kids – making daytime more fun:

“The best way to give ourselves or our children better dreams is to have happy daytime experiences and to get plenty of sleep in a safe and comfortable environment. It’s a good bet this is also best for pets’ dreams.”

So while your dog may not be dreaming about just how much it loves you, chances are you might make an appearance in their dreams. And you can potentially make it a good one if you treat your dog well.

Scroll down for a video with a bit more information about how we think about doggie dreams.

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Source: People, The Dodo via YouTube, The Verge, Live Science, The Cut