Have you noticed that your dog always lays down in a particular position? For example, a reader asked us: “why does my dog lay behind me?”. There are reasons behind why dogs lie down in this way, and we will explore them in this article.
Table of Contents
All animals have their own choices and preferences, and your pet dog is no different. After bringing a pet into your home, you might start noticing that your pet friend always sits behind you irrespective of where you are sitting. Your little furry friend will start following you like your own shadow and will sit everywhere you sit.
And if you are wondering what the possible reasons behind this behavior of your dog are, then the likeliest explanation is that your dog might feel comfortable and safe by lying behind you.
Separation anxiety can also inspire this behavior in your dog, and we will talk about all the possible reasons in detail, along with several other topics related to this issue. So, read on and find answers to all your queries regarding your dog’s strange behavior.
Why Does My Dog Lay Behind Me?
This is usually a sign of either bashfulness or comfort-seeking behavior.
Instead of having several places to sit or lay in the house, your dog might prefer laying behind your back almost every time you sit somewhere. You might find this behavior weird, and it might also irritate you in some cases. If you want to stop your dog’s behavior, then first, you need to know all the root causes behind this issue.
Separation Anxiety
Yes, dogs can also go through separation anxiety and mental health issues related to separation anxiety, just like humans. They sit or lay behind their owner to remain close to that person. So, whenever you try to go out, they can see you.
Seeking Comfort
Every dog has its comfort spot, and studies have shown that most dogs find comfort near their owner. So, whenever your dog looks to get a little cozy, it will come and lay down behind you.
Shyness
Dog owners usually prefer to bring a puppy into their home. Puppies remain energetic and happy all the time. After bringing a puppy home, you can’t expect it to get along well with everyone in your family.
This might happen as all dog species are different from one another. In some cases, your dog may take a little time to accept you as a parent.
Due to this shyness, your dog might feel shy to lay in front of you and find it safe to lay behind you. If you choose to adopt a rescued dog, in that case, your pet can be shy because of the trauma that they have been through in the past.
Showing Affection and Being Protective
If you, as a dog owner, used to keep your dog close to you all the time when he was a puppy, then this encouragement will make your dog think you like it when he sits or lays around you.
Your dog might be trying to show how much it loves you with this close sitting position. Alongside that, from the very beginning, you and your dog will start forming an integral bond, and this bond will only get stronger with time.
As your dog deeply loves you, it will try to protect you at all costs. That is why your dog sits in close proximity simply to protect you from any possible threat.
Lack of Space
When you bring a dog into the house, you need to offer your pet space to play freely. If you live in a place where there is no room for your dog to sit, roam or play, then it will instinctively try to lay or sit wherever you will sit.
Why Does My Dog Straddle My Foot?
This is usually playful behavior.
After owning a pet dog, you might start noticing that your dog shows some strange behaviors, and in some cases, these behaviors can be adorable. Reasons behind your dog straddling on your feet are
- Your pet wants to play with you.
- If your dog is dealing with separation anxiety, then to stay close, your dog can stand on your foot.
My Dog Tells Me When to Go to Bed
It could be because the dog is too close to you and likes you to sleep with it all the time.
You need to take care of your dog just like a child. As a puppy, you need to decide when to take your dog to the bed. When your dog grows up, it may start deciding when to go to bed.
This might be because of separation anxiety, due to which your dog never wants to leave you alone. Other than that, your dog might simply prefer to stay and sleep in your bedroom instead of any other place in the house.
Why Does My Dog Stand Over Me When I Sleep?
It is dominant behavior. You can train it out of your dog through regular effort.
Dogs might try to stand over your body, and dogs especially do that whenever you sleep. Your pet dog might be trying to show how dominant it can be. Alongside that, it can simply do that to wake you up, and this dominating behavior can also come out whenever your pet feels hungry.
Why does my dog sit on me?
Dogs love when you move your hands all over their body. When a dog sits on your lap, it is simply trying to show the affection that they have for you and seek comfort from your touch.
Why Does My Dog Keep Sitting Down Suddenly?
It can be because of ticks and fleas, or else it could also mean that he has trouble standing up.
Dogs usually love to roam around the room happily, and if you notice that all of a sudden your dog sits down, then it can be highly alarming, and you need to take your pet dog to a veterinary clinic.
Constantly wanting to sit down usually means that the dog is feeling pain in the leg or spine which could be because of several reasons such as a strain or a sprain.
Before that, you need to know the reasons for this strange behavioral change in your dog.
- Whenever any unnecessary or foreign object sticks to the rear end of your dog’s body, it will sit down.
- When your dog gets infected by allergies or fleas, your dog will keep getting irritated, and to get rid of the irritation, your dog will keep sitting down from time to time.
Why Does My Dog Like Others More Than Me?
Try to spend more time with your dog and play with it, you will see its behavior-changing towards you pretty quickly.
Dog parenting is a difficult task, and you require proper skills to do this duty properly. No matter how much effort you put in, your dog might like the other parent more, and in some cases, it has also been seen that a pet dog prefers to spend more time with some other person who is not even their parent. Possible reasons are
- Your dog is feeling more emotionally attached to the other person.
- Dog’s try to identify everything around them by smelling them, and whenever a new person comes into the home, if your dog likes the smell coming from that person, the pet dog will start playing with them.
Why Does My Dog Stare in the Mirror?
They don’t immediately know that it is their own image.
What reaction your dog will give after watching them in the mirror primarily depends on the species of the dog. Dogs often get concerned after seeing themselves in the mirror as they feel their reflection is their competition.
Why Does My Dog Always Face Away From Me?
It probably just needs a bit of space.
While sleeping, the pet dog can sleep while facing away from you. There are several possibilities why your dog might be sleeping in that position. The most likely reasons are
- Your dog wants a peaceful sleep, and it is sleeping facing away from you so that nothing can bother them while sleeping.
- Like humans, dogs also prefer to sleep in one particular position simply because of the comfort they get by sleeping on that particular spot.
- A few dogs can be overprotective, and to protect you from any possible threat, dogs can sleep while facing the door instead of facing you.
Why Does My Dog Turn Her Back to Me?
It means that he trusts you.
At this point of the article, you surely know that dogs turning their back on you is nothing new, and you may not need to worry about it. A dog turning its back on you means that it trusts you, or there is also another possibility, and that is the pet dog does not want to be bothered.
Why does my dog face away from me when she sits?
They are trying not to be scary.
Dogs larger in size can be a little scary because of their teeth, and they can also protect you from possible threats. Your dog might be sitting while facing away from you to make you feel protected from his jaws and also to protect you while sitting facing the door.
Why is my dog always behind me?
It feels safer behind you.
A dog will always stay behind you no matter wherever you go, as your dog feels safe when they are around you.
Why do dogs always have to be touching you when they sit?
Dogs form a potent bond with their owners. Whenever you sit somewhere, your dog will start touching you with its paws and tongue to show its affection for you.
A Few Final Words
Now, as we have reached the end of this article, we hope that you have answered the question you are looking for. You need to look for the reasons, and only then can you help your dog.
After determining the cause, you need to inspect the extent of the behavior. If it is not excessive, then no rapid action is required. On the other hand, if you feel that your dog requires medical help, seek professional help.
Thank you for reading the article, we hope we answered most of your questions. You might also like to read: Why Does My Dog Nurse On My Arm? And Why Does My Dog Lick The Couch After Drinking Water