Why Do Dogs Love To Sit On Our Feet?
The best time of the day has finally arrived – the evening. It’s the moment when you feel relaxed and sit down to watch the television – and your dog goes … to your feet! But why does it always sleep there? Of course, when it’s cold outside it can be a delightful custom on the part of your furry friend. But when it’s been baking hot all day, it might not be so pleasant. So, why is it that dogs are so fond of settling down on our feet?
It can be especially annoying when the dog isn’t happy just sitting on our feet when we’re on the couch – sometimes, when it comes to bedtime, they do the same. And this is after you spent so much time on the internet comparing prices for the best dog bed, and then going to the store to buy it – and for what? So the dog can sleep on your feet!
What’s the secret behind why dogs love to sleep at our feet? Why are they so keen on this strange practice? Let’s find out!
Why dogs love to sit at our feet
This “mania” can have several explanations, some of which may even call for the attention of a veterinary professional. Just a few of the possible reasons are:
Your dog loves you
Animals are not as complicated as we are, and the reason why our furry friend likes to sleep or sit at our feet may be as simple as the fact that they love us.
Your dog adores you; he looks forward to you coming home so he can see you and, just like you, he craves that moment of the night when you both watch the television and you relax together.
It wants to feel secure
It is possible that your dog feels insecure or anxious. In fact, the act of sleeping at our feet is much more common among puppies or in newly-adopted dogs. It is a way to feel secure and to seek our protection.
While it’s normal behavior, it could be something you should ask a vet about, especially if your dog is already fully-grown. Also be aware of whether this common behavior is accompanied by any other troubling symptoms.
For example, if your animal walks very close to your legs, refuses to separate itself from you at all while at home, or howls and cries bitterly when you try to leave the house…
It is dominant
It’s possible, that without realizing it, you have allowed your dog to get his or her own way too much, leaving it with a sense of superiority and dominance. In this situation, the act of putting its body on top of your feet can actually be a way of telling you what to do.
If you think this may be the case, you should start some hierarchy training to make sure this stops happening. You have to teach your dog to obey you – it can be by your side, for sure, but never above you. This process may not be so easy to achieve with a dog that is already adult – but with love, perseverance and patience, it can be done.
You are all it has
When you adopt a puppy, you become his family, his home, his world, his everything. Where else would our dog want to sleep other than at our feet?
It’s as simple as that. Sleeping at your feet is a way of feeling part of something, and comes from wanting to be by your side, as close as possible to you, and wanting to feel loved.
Your dog may be jealous
If your dog has never slept at your feet before and suddenly starts doing so, it’s a good idea to think about whether anything else in your lives has changed. For example, you may have brought another pet into your home. It makes no difference whether it’s a cat, a hamster or another dog, although the latter would undoubtedly make the situation worse.
Or maybe you were single before, and now you have a partner, or a new baby has just arrived on the scene. If there have been any of these changes in your household recently, it’s clear – your dog is feeling jealous. Make a trip to the vet and get some advice on how to change the behavior and deal with the feelings that lie behind it.