Photo: wordpress · CC0
Yes, dogs snore, and any breed can do it. The sound is loose tissue in the nose or throat vibrating as a sleeping dog breathes. What trips owners up is that dogs make several other noises that sound similar, and only some of them are worth worrying about.
The dog noise identification guide
| Noise | When | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Snoring | Asleep | Vibrating soft tissue, rhythmic with breathing |
| Reverse sneezing | Awake, sudden | Rapid snorting inward, stops on its own |
| Stertor | Awake or asleep | Low snorting from the nose or throat, vet worthy |
| Stridor | Awake | High harsh sound on breathing in, call the vet |
| Dream noises | Asleep | Whimpers, muffled barks, paddling paws, normal |
The two questions that separate most of these are whether the dog is asleep and whether the sound is rhythmic. Snoring is both.
Which dogs are most likely to do it
- Short faced breeds. Pugs, bulldogs, boxers and their relatives, where crowded airways make noise routine.
- Heavier dogs of any breed. Extra tissue around the neck narrows the passage.
- Older dogs. Slacker tissue, less muscle tone.
- Dogs sleeping in a heap. Chin on a paw, neck bent, airway kinked.
- Dogs in a dusty or smoky house. Irritated nasal lining swells and narrows.
Breed is the strongest single predictor, and it is still not destiny in either direction. Plenty of pugs sleep quietly and plenty of collies rattle the room. The useful version of the breed question is not whether your dog ought to snore, it is whether the noise he makes tonight is the noise he made a year ago, because a change in one dog says far more than a comparison against a breed average.
How to check whether it is just position
This takes about a minute and answers most owners’ question. Listen while your dog is snoring, then gently roll or slide him so the neck straightens and the head is supported level. If the noise fades within a few breaths and only returns when he folds back up, position was the cause and there is nothing else to chase.
If the sound continues regardless of how he lies, or it is as loud on his side as on his back, position is not the explanation, and that is a more useful thing to tell a vet than a guess about breeds.
When the noise means call the vet
Speak to a vet if noisy breathing happens while your dog is awake, if snoring arrived recently and is getting louder, or if it comes with coughing, gagging, nasal discharge, or a changed bark. Contact them promptly, without waiting for a routine slot, if your dog seems to be working to breathe, tires unusually fast, or has pale, blue or gray gums.
Short faced breeds deserve a lower threshold for calling, since their airways have less margin to begin with, particularly in hot weather.
