Owning a dog can be a stress reliever and a bringer of joy. Having a companion that never gets tired of your presence is something we all love, but have you ever wondered why does your dog sits on you?
Dogs have similar human-like characteristics. For instance, dogs are widely known for their loyalty to their human companions.
However, what you might not know is that dogs can learn new personality traits from you and that each breed has characteristics of its own.
Before going into further detail, let’s first understand the behavior of the dogs we own and love.
Dog Behavior
Much like us, dogs are affected by the way we treat them and the way we act around them.
Their actions vary depending on the kind of treatment they’re offered.
A study made on dogs that were exposed to abuse and neglect showed that these abused dogs tend to show fear and hostility toward people and other canines they aren’t familiar with.
So what might be normal dog behavior and what might not be?
Normal Behavior
Dogs that had good upbringings and were offered the care and love needed for their psychological growth display this type of behavior, which includes actions such as:
Wagging Their Tails
A dog wagging its tail doesn’t always mean they’re happy. A dog’s tail is an important part of its body and the way they hold their tails has more than one meaning in a dog’s body language.
Playfulness
Dogs are naturally active animals. They enjoy going for walks, they run, chew their toys and in the overall are energetic animals. But, if your dog suddenly becomes less and less active than usual, chances are it might be depressed rather than being lazy.
Barking
Animals can’t speak, but each animal has its own way to communicate, that’s a fact we all grew up to know. Barking is a dog’s way to communicate with its human companion; however, excessive barking isn’t a good sign.
Abnormal Behavior
Contrary to the belief that only abused dogs show unusual behavioral patterns, well-brought dogs can also show such actions.
But that doesn’t mean they’re being bratty or spoiled. There is a lot of reasons that explain why your dog acts this way.
We have to identify what counts as abnormal behavior first, here are some examples.
Compulsive Actions
OCD is common in dogs just as it is in human beings. These actions include pacing, chasing their tails frequently, and overly licking their limbs.
Destructive Habits
As mentioned above, dogs are full of energy, but when their energy crosses the limit, that’s when you’ve to interfere. These habits include chewing objects beside their specified toys and digging unwanted holes in your garden.
Possessiveness
Dogs guarding their owners is considered ‘being affectionate’ until someone gets hurt. Overprotective dogs won’t hesitate to injure anyone or anything that comes in contact with their humans. Training and other multiple solutions are available to stop your dog from being possessive over you.
Reasons Why Your Dog Sits on You
Back to the question we asked earlier, why does a dog sit on his owner?
A dog sitting on his owner is considered a behavior that nearly all dogs display. It’s safe to say that it isn’t an abnormal action, but rather a normal one.
Although answers varied on that matter, here are some of the reasons we believe why your dog likes to share your personal space.
1. Asserting Dominance
Dogs assert their dominance in various ways. Some dogs bark, some growl, and some may even become hostile towards their owners.
Many dog owners think that their dog sitting on them is a sign of the close bond between them, but they also ignore the fact that it might be their dog’s way of showing their dominance.
Dogs don’t change overnight though, beware of other signs that exhibit your dog’s dominance over you.
2. Jealousy
Did you know that dogs may get jealous over their companions just like humans do?
Dogs sit on you as a way to spread their scent all over you to warn other approaching dogs that their human is gladly taken by another.
They might even growl at another dog or other humans when sitting on your lap as a sign of jealousy, and that’s not the only sign to show if your dog is jealous.
Other signs include getting into fights with other pets in the house, being more demanding than usual, and you guessed it, invading your space.
Don’t worry though, there are many solutions to that problem.
Don’t Give One Pet More Attention than the Other
If you own more than one pet in your household, it’ll be better to give them equal amounts of care and attention.
Don’t favor one pet over the other, and certainly don’t neglect either of them.
Animals can feel emotions just like we do, and sadness is one of them.
Notice their Behavior
Notice how your dog reacts in the presence of other people or animals around you. Reward them when they act the way you want them to and not on how they act to encourage them to keep up the good behavior.
Train Them More Often
Training your dog on obedience can help notch their jealousy down a bit.
If your dog is jealous of a specific person, make sure to include that person during your training sessions to show your dog that there’s absolutely nothing to be jealous of.
3. Showing Affection
No one can resist the sad-puppy eyes your dogs give -no matter how old they get- when they want a treat.
And the same goes with showing affection. After all, who would say no to dogs showing their fondness towards us?
Dogs like to shower us with love just like we do with them, and sitting on you is one of their many ways to say I love you!
4. Asking for Free Pets/Strokes
Being rewarded is a dog’s biggest achievement. They would constantly display their politeness or tricks they learned so they can get a treat in exchange.
Food isn’t the only treat you can offer for your dogs, you can get them a new toy to chew on or simply stroking them where they like.
Dogs may curl up on your lap expecting your hand to run through their coat or body if they’re hairless. It soothes them down more than you expect.
However, be careful of overly petting your dogs. It can cause anxiety for your canines if they’re stressed.
5. Offering Comfort
Pets can sense when we’re happy, stressed, sick, or sad. They can even sense us when we’re approaching home after a long day out.
Dogs may curl up against you or sit on your lap as a way to offer you their comfort.
They surely can’t give us a tissue and back rubs when we desperately need them, but they can share our bad times as well as our good times and provide us with what they think is comfort.
Final Thoughts
Dogs are truly man’s long-life best companions. Having a dog can teach you a lot about behavioral patterns and how to take care of a living organism that needs as many requirements as you do.
We hope this article has helped you understand the reasons behind your dog sitting on you.
These furry fellows can show you how much they love and care about you in ways more than just wagging their tails or getting excited when they finally see you after a long day.
Dogs teach us about values and morals than you teach them. We won’t find creatures that unconditionally love us other than our beloved canines.
