Why Does My Dog Sit on Me All The Time?
Our canine buddies always have their own ways to amuse us. Sometimes they can decide to be very annoying. Other times they can be very cute. One very common thing our pooches do is to sit on our laps. You can't help but wonder at times why they do this when you know there is plenty of sitting space on the couch.
So, why does my dog sit on me all the time?
Well, there is a perfect explanation for this. Dogs, like human beings, have brains. I know this is obvious, but what's the point being made? It's quite simple, also like us is the fact that they can make rational decisions. What this means is that they can make a conscious decision to do particular actions to produce a desired outcome. Sounds familiar, right?
The point being put across here is the plain fact that dogs have the capability to have a motive. What we are going to narrow down to is their motive behind sitting on our laps, or even our feet. So let's cut right to the chase and explore some of the motives that our dogs may have up their sleeves.
An obvious reason that should actually go without say is that it's their way of showing affection. Dogs can't talk, so they use non-verbal cues most of the time to communicate with us. You might notice that after a long day at work, the moment you walk into the house they jump all over you. If you have a closer relationship with your pooch, they will even give you countless wet kisses all over your face. Next thing, the moment you sit down, they will be very close to you, at your feet, right beside you and soon enough they will get to their best spot--your lap!
Our usual response to such actions by our dogs is to cuddle up with them and stroke their furry coats. This is something they really enjoy considering how soon they fall asleep on your lap. I know we all love petting our dogs and having them close to us but one thing to take keen note of is the reason of all this. If you look at this deeper, you will notice that most of the time (if not all) it's our dogs that always come closer to us. Well, we can't blame them for this. The fact is they get to realize that whenever they are closer to us they have a greater chance of cuddling up to us. This is as a result of us stroking their fur whenever they come closer. Hence explaining why they will always want to be on our laps.
Sometimes our dogs may get into situations which they may not be quite familiar with.
When this happens, they feel a sense of insecurity. So their immediate response would be to stick close to us. Usually they would choose to be really close to you, and your lap is usually the perfect spot. This usually happens when they are in a new environment such as close to new dogs or new people.
Being closer to you gives them a sense of security and assurance that they are safe. But, there is a downside to reinforcing this kind of behavior. It is better to allow your dog to find an alternative way to deal with such situations by itself. By so doing, you will be encouraging him/her to have more confidence and be more outgoing.
On the flip side, your pooch may also decide to cuddle up to you so as a way to rub off some of its scent on you. This often goes unnoticed to many dog owners since all we care about is getting rid of the fur they left on our clothes.
Well, fact is, other dogs pick up on this scent and their usual immediate response is to back off.
This action is classified as a part dominant, part protective as it's a means by which your dogs claims that you are his designated owner. It's also a subtle way to keep off other dogs that may want to charm their way into the heart of their owners when they are away from them. Adorable, right?
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