Why Does My Dog Sit On Me? 12 Reasons

Do you have a dog who loves to sit on you, but you can’t figure out the reasons behind his behavior? You are on the right page as we are set to unveil the possible conditions responsible for your dog’s action.

So, why does my dog sit on me?

It means he wants your attention, or he is protecting you. It could be that your pooch is bored, or he has a feeling that you’re about to travel. It could be that you are sitting in his position or spot.

You must know much about your dog’s urge and desire to sit on you as it will help you decide how to react to his behavior. Luckily, all of these would be discussed in this post. So let’s set the ball rolling!

Why Does My Dog Sit On Me? 12 Reasons

1. It wants your attention

This is one of the reasons why your dog sits on you. He will eagerly come close to you and tries to sit on you as soon as he noticed that you have been ignoring him for a while.

You should try to pay attention to your dog by engaging him in training, road walk, or other forms of exercise. This will go a long way to helping him reduce his urge to seek your attention by sitting on you.

You should also equally try not to reward him whenever he gets close to you. Instead, you should command him to sit elsewhere.

2. He is bored

Your dog will love to sit on you if he gets tired of not being involved in lively activities such as playing with toys, bones, and puzzles.

You are advised to ensure that your dog gets the required amount of exercise and other lively activities that will prevent him from sitting on you at every slight opportunity. Meanwhile, you must know that all breeds have different levels of required exercise.

Endeavor to enquire from your vet doctor to know the amount or level of exercise that’s enough for your canine.

3. You have unknowingly rewarded him

Just as mentioned earlier, your dog tends to sit more on you because you often reward him whenever he displays this attitude.

It’s either you gave him a nice treat, delicious meal, or toy, or you gave him a pat on the back when he came to sit on you.

This is known as positive reinforcement even though it’s not for the right reason.

Your dog will continue to show this attitude if you continue to reward him whenever he sits on you.

4. He is showing his dominance

Being pack animals, this could be another reason why your dog sits on you as he is telling you he’s the boss of the house.

Though this is not always common in dogs, your pooch might sit on you as a way of telling you to find another place to sit.

If he growls aggressively and feels uncomfortable around you, this means he wants to exercise dominion over you.

However, you should endeavor to make him feel comfortable and happy with you as this will discourage him from thinking that you are competing with him for the leadership role.

Alternatively, you should train him on how you want him to behave. Let him know you his boss, not his servant.

5. He wants to spread his scent around you

Dogs are somehow jealous that their owners possess the scent of other pets. So, they love to sit around their owners in order to spread their scent on them.

This could be the reason why your dog sits on you as he wants you to attract his scent for a while.

He will spread himself on you so that his scent will extend to every part of your body.

Interestingly, your dog is liable to sit on you more often if he sees that other pets are living within the house.

6. He wants to strengthen his bond with you

One of your dog’s primary missions is to have a very strong bond with you and he will go the extra mile to achieve his aim.

Your pooch believes that sitting on you ( or other means of having physical contact with you) will help improve his relationship with you.

7. He is suffering from separation anxiety

Most dogs sit on owners as soon as they felt their lords are about to embark on a journey. This is often common in dogs who are suffering from separation anxiety.

Your dog will sit on you if he feels like you’re about to leave for office, or leave him alone for some days.

During this anxiety period, he will become more restless, anxious, and unhappy. He likely going to cry while you step out of the room.

8. You are staying in his position

Your lovely Fido might sit on you if you are occupying the territory he knows to be his own such as his sleeping position or his bed. You should expect him to sit on you like his way of telling you to go sit elsewhere.

Though many will tell you to train him to sit elsewhere, it is expected of you to leave his position and stop intruding on his privacy.

9. He is protecting you

Just as you know, your dog’s number one mission is to protect you from danger. He believes one of the best ways to watch over his lord is by sitting on you or sitting close to you.

This will give him the chance to keep a very close eye on you as he aims to bring down any harmful stranger heading in your direction.

10. He is displaying his affection for you

One of the ways your dog shows his affection for you is by sitting on your lap. So, you shouldn’t be surprised if your friendly canine is just eager to be on your lap at all times.

11. He is displaying his inherited trait

Your dog may have inherited this attitude from his predecessor or previous generation.

The truth is that some breeds are known for their desire to sit on their owners’ lap irrespective of their age or size.

For instance, breeds like the Shih Tzu, Chihuahua, or Maltese are known for their urge to sit on their lord’s lap — so much that they are referred to as the “lapdogs”

Your dog has no option but to sit on you if he belongs to the breeds above except you train him to behave otherwise.

12. He feels safe and secure while sitting on you

Your pooch sits on you because he feels more secure and safer with you than being anywhere else.

Knowing that you can’t harm him, your dog will always choose to sit on you than going anywhere to sit.

What you should do if your dog sits on me?

You are expected to consider some factors about your dog’s behavior before you conclude on what to do next – whether to stop the behavior or encourage it. Some of the factors to consider include the following:

When he started the behavior.
How often does he like to sit on you
Have you been giving him the needed or required attention as his owner.
How old is he. You must know that puppies love to sit on the owner’s lap as much as possible due to their age.

How to stop your dog from sitting on you?

Stopping your dog from sitting on you shouldn’t be a problem as long as you undertake the following steps:

1. Train him not to sit on you: Your dog will behave the way you want as long as you take your time to train him. You should tell him to sit on the floor while you sit on the bed. The more you command him to sit on the ground, the faster he gets the message you’re passing across to him.

2. Stop rewarding him for sitting on you: You should stop rewarding him when he sits on you. You shouldn’t give him what he likes when he sits on your lap or under your arm. Instead, you should tell him to sit elsewhere.

3. Give him your attention: The interaction between you and your dog matters so much to the lovely canine. Therefore, you must give him your attention as much as you can. Take him out for a walk, engage him in training, and make sure you play with him. All these will help him get rid of boredom, and he won’t have any reason to sit on you in order to gain your attention.

Wrap up…

As much as you don’t want your Fido to sit on you, you should know that having physical contact with your dog will help in boosting his mental strength and overall well-being.

You can seek the advice of your vet doctor whether to stop your dog from sitting on you, or to reduce the number of hours he spends on your lap in a week.

I hope you have known the 12 reasons why does your dog sit on you.

Like it? Share it!

FAQ:

What does it mean for a dog to sit on you?

It wants your attention. He will eagerly come close to you and tries to sit on you as soon as he noticed that you have been ignoring him for a while.

Why does my dog want to sit on me all the time?

He wants to strengthen his bond with you. One of your dog’s primary missions is to have a very strong bond with you and he will go the extra mile to achieve his aim.

Read More: Why Do Dogs Like Peanut Butter?

Read More: Why Does My Dog Bring Me His Food?

Why Does My Dog Sit On Me? 12 Reasons