Why does my dog sit on my foot?

First, we must emphasize that there is no single reason that explains why a dog sits or lies on its feet or on top of its guardians.Dogs' behavior and body language they are complex and varied, so a behavior can have different causes and meanings , depending on the context in which it develops and the individual who carries it out.

If you want To understand why your dog leans on you or lies on your feet, it is essential to interpret its posture and its expressions while carrying out this behavior, as well as paying attention to the environment and in the context where it executes This action.

Next, we will help you to interpret this behavior of your best friend, but we also recommend you to read our complete guide on dog poses and their meanings to better understand your dog.

It is very important not to get carried away by false myths who claim that whenever a dog sits on his guardian It is a demonstration of dominance.Dominance is intraspecific, that is, it is damaged and exclusively among individuals of the same species.Therefore, thinking about the relationship between a guardian and his dog in terms of dominance does not make sense and usually causes many errors in education and upbringing of dogs, negatively impacting their character.

In addition, it is essential to combat the false myth that a "dominant dog" is one that behaves in a manner aggressive with other dogs.Aggression is a behavior problem that needs to be treated properly, with the help of a trained professional.In turn, dominance is part of social interaction and language of dogs, allowing hierarchical organization between two or more m members of a community, occurring precisely at the moment when a meeting or social interaction between two or more individuals takes place.

A "dominant dog" is dominant in relation to one or more dogs , but it will not necessarily be dominant in relation to all other dogs, since the interaction is somewhat dynamic, so we should not understand dominance as an aspect or feature of a dog's personality, much less associate it with aggressiveness.

Your dog is not showing his dominance when he sits on your feet and it is a serious mistake to use aggressive or abusive methods to "correct" this behavior, since you will be exposing your hairy to negative emotions, such as stress, fear and anxiety, and the worst thing is that you will reprimand him for misinterpreting his behavior, seriously affecting the bond.

On the other hand, if you suspect your dog is becoming possessive, reacting negatively when someone tries approaching you or your things, you should know that you are facing a problem of resource protection , and should not be confused with dominance.In this case, we advise you to go to a veterinarian specialized in canine ethology that could rule out pathological causes and investigate the origin of this possessive behavior in your best friend, as well as help you establish specific causes for your treatment.

If you want to know more about dominance in dogs, we recommend you read our article entirely dedicated to the dominant dog.Next, we will tell you the possible reasons that explain why my dog sits on my foot.

Now you know that this behavior can have several meanings and that in no case It is related to the errors of the theory of dominance.So why does my dog sit on my foot? There are 5 main causes:

To enjoy your company: you can not deny that dogs are extraordinary companions, always willing to accompany us in our best moments and comfort us in the most difficult phases.The reasons why your dog sits on your feet is to be with you and express his affection.
Because he seeks warmth and comfort: in his first weeks of life, it is very common that puppies sleep well attached and even on top of each other to keep warm and fight the cold.If your dog sleeps on top of you or on your head, it is probably looking not only to share the warmth of your body, but also to feel safe and comfortable in your company.
To express their support for you: dogs easily perceive changes in our mood, because they are able to interpret our postures, facial expressions, gestures and attitudes, since they mostly use body language to communicate.Even if you do not say a word to your dog, he will know when you feel sad or you are going through a difficult time in your life, so you can support yourself in you or lie close to you to communicate your support and fidelity, "in good times and in bad".
To communicate to others that you are their guardian: anal glands contain pheromones that are a species of "chemical identity", that is, they concentrate substances that "inform" about the main characteristics that identify each individual.When a dog smells the ass of another, he can obtain information about his sex, age, state of health, type of nutrition, etc.When your dog sits on your feet or on top of you, it leaves its "characteristic smell" on you.In this way, it can communicate to the other dogs that you are its guardian.
Because it needs to call your Attention: if you spend many hours away from home or are too busy to devote special time to your hairy, it is possible that he sits on top of you or on your feet to get your attention, either because he is hungry, wants to walk, wants to get something or just to remind you that it is time to share a good time together.

Therefore, we identify that sitting on your feet or on top of your tutor is not a negative behavior or dangerous in dogs.Logically, it is important to observe whether this behavior is accompanied by others that demonstrate possessiveness or hyperapist, since these can become serious behavioral problems that impair the coexistence and social life of the dog and your tutor.

If you notice that your dog It becomes aggressive when you receive visitors at home or when someone tries to greet you on the street, this possessive behavior can be very dangerous, especially for children, and must be treated by a properly trained professional, so we advise you to consult a veterinarian first specialized in ethology.On the other hand, if your dog carries out destructive behaviors during your absence and constantly demands attention, you should be aware of the symptoms of separation anxiety and you can turn to a canine educator to guide you in the treatment of these problems of conduct.

Now you know why my dog sits on my foot! What reason do you think drives your dog to do it? Leave us your comments and share your experience!

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