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!

Comments

Malt for cats - Different uses and how often to offer it

Cats are especially clean animals that spend hours grooming.lick ingest a lot of hair.If you live with a cat, you've sure seen it seen coughing and even vomiting hairballs. That's when some people turn to cat malt , a very useful product of natural origin that improves digestion and intestinal transit of our cat. Discover in Animals and Pets Online everything related to malt for cats, including the necessary doses, at what age It should be offered or information about vomiting.All the benefits of this product below: What is malt? Cat malt is a paste of color similar to honey and denser texture .It consists of vegetable oils and fats, malt extract, fiber, dairy products and yeast mainly.It also often contains dyes, preservatives and vitamins. There are numerous brands in the market with different formats.The most frequent is in the form of a tube of toothpaste.The composition varies slightly according to the brand but the basis is malt extract.Some cats show a prefe...

My lovebird has diarrhea - Causes and treatment

Lovebird has become one of the most frequently birds they find in our homes.Their color, their beauty, and that nickname of "inseparable" that we like so much, makes them as appreciated as the canaries were once. But the arrival of any bird, exotic or not , puts us in front of new situations that sometimes we are not accustomed to face.Animals and Pets Online will try to help distinguish pathological situations from those that are not, and to handle us in the event that our lovebird has diarrhea , In the following article we explain the possible causes that cause it . It is not always diarrhea, even if it seems We may notice that there are more liquid stools than usual in our lovebird on the floor of the cage and identify it as diarrhea, even if it is not. Evacuations Sewers in birds are made up of a greenish part (they can vary in color if they take feed, they are real feces), a white part (urates, mineral salts), and a liquid part (urine).Everything goes out...

Dog breeds not recognized by the FCI

The FCI is the worldwide canine organization that approves pedigree dogs.There are several dog breeds not recognized by the FCI , even if they meet all the requirements to be considered "pure" breeds from the phylogenetic point of view. In this Animals and Pets Onlinet article We explain to you what these breeds are and why they are not recognized by the Federation Cynologique Internationale . Do not forget that the breed of the dog is not important unless you want to participate in morphology competitions canine.Read more: In many cases, breeds are not recognized by the FCI because they do not have a detailed written standard .In other cases because they do not meet the requirements established by the FCI.And in other cases, simply because no canine person or organization has bothered Evade the procedure so that these races are recognized by the FCI. It is also possible that political aspects outside the canine organizations have prevented the international diffu...

Aromatherapy for dogs and cats

There are numerous natural therapies from which our pets can benefit in order to restore their health in a more gentle and respectful way with your body, fortunately, more and more owners are opting for these less aggressive and equally effective methods. On other occasions we have talked about therapy with medicinal plants, homeopathy or reiki, but the truth is that both dogs and cats can benefit from other equally recommended practices.Do you want to know what they are? In this Animals and Pets Online article we talk about aromatherapy for dogs and cats. What is aromatherapy? The term aromatherapy means "therapy with aromas", and although it is a gentle therapy, the truth is that its mechanisms of action are perfectly defined: we can know what effects cause and why they cause them.It is considered a branch of phytotherapy (therapy with medicinal plants) and consists of the application (usually topical) of one or more essential oils. An essential oil is a vegeta...

Prague mouse dog: features

The Prague mouse is also known as buzzard from Prague or Pražský krysařik and is originally from the Czech Republic.It is a toy dog or mini dog and it is that in its adult stage it does not usually exceed 3.5 kilograms in weight.It is really small.In this tab Race of Animal Expert we will share with you all the information related to the Prague mouse either about its origin, the characteristics, the character it has or the care it needs. We will also talk about their education, something very important if there are children at home, but also essential to prevent them from barking a lot or behaving in a negative way inside the home.If you are thinking of adopting a Prague mouse do not hesitate to continue reading to discover the history that precedes it and curiosities about it. Origin of the Prague mouse The Prague mouse begins its history in the Middle Ages, in the royal palaces of central Europe, more specifically in Bohemia (Czech Republic) where it was a highly prized ...

ALL ABOUT THE FEVER IN DOGS

The fever in dogs or fever Canine is an increase in body temperature above normal values, which are between 38 and 39ºC , due, for example, to an infection or inflammation.There are different causes that cause the fever and we can easily measure it with the use of a digital thermometer. Next, in this article of Animals and Pets Online we will explain everything you need to know about fever in dogs, causes, symptoms and treatment to be applied to lower it.That is, if you suspect that your dog may suffer from fever, we recommend you go to your trusted veterinarian to discover the cause that is causing it and the treatment indicated according to your specific case. What temperature is considered fever in dogs? Fever is an excellent defense mechanism of the body .By increasing body temperature, the immune system seeks to destroy the pathogen.Therefore, it is a immune system reaction very beneficial for the dog in the face of an illness. The normal temperature of a dog Th...

Belier rabbit feeding

These small long-eared rabbits have become habitual pets of many homes.Many clutch They do not know that they are very delicate animals and that their care must be specific.The care of the fur or the needs of space and exercise should be taken into account when adopting a small belier rabbit. It is usually about a calm and sociable rabbit but also needs space to move and a suitable cage.As for its feeding it does not differ from the diet of any domestic rabbit, it discovers its needs in the different phases of growth detailed in the feeding of the rabbit. In this article of Animals and Pets Online, we will address the feeding of the belier rabbit .If you want to know more about the general care of this rabbit we recommend you also read care of the belier rabbit Fiber input Rabbits are herbivorous animals but in addition to fruit and vegetables they will need to receive a daily fiber intake in order for their intestinal transit to function properly.Also, like cats, rabbits t...

Is it normal for my cat to snore?

Cats and humans can be more similar than you think Surely you have heard (or even suffered) a person snoring while sleeping, but did you know that cats can also snore ? Yes it is! Snoring occurs in the airways during the stage of deep sleep, caused by a vibration that involves the organs from the nose to the throat.When your cat snores from small, it probably does not mean anything and is his way of sleeping ; on the contrary, if the snoring is sudden indicates any of the problems that we will detail below, so it is a sign that you should not ignore.Find out if it is normal for your cat to snore in this Animals and Pets Online article.Continue reading! Habitual in obese cats A chubby and chubby cat usually seems more adorable, but in the long run obesity will bring multiple health problems , exposing him to suffer from diseases that put his quality of life at risk and that can even be fatal. Among the common problems in obese cats is that many of them snore when they slee...

12 invasive species in Argentina and its consequences

According to the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development e , through the National Information System on Invasive Exotic Species, more than 650 invasive species were detected in Argentina .Many of these species were introduced by man, with the intention of obtaining economic benefits, "increase" the local level of sport hunting, or combat pests that were damaging agriculture or livestock. Although the idea of greater diversity in nature may seem interesting, the introduction of exotic animals and plants, Without a previous study of its environmental impact, it usually threatens the survival of the native fauna and flora of the country .In this new article of Animals and Pets Online, we present the main 12 invasive alien species in Argentina and its consequence s for the country's ecosystem. 1.Pinto starling (Sturnus vulgaris) The introduction of these birds is very recent in Argentina, but it already generates great concern for its impact on fauna...

Bears

Grizzly Bear The grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) one of the emblematic animals of the United States, however, this has not allowed him to get rid of being one of the most endangered animals of the American continent.Grizzly bears are close relatives of the brown bears of the continent Eurasian, but the distance... Eyeglass bear The spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) is also known as Andean bear, frontal bear, South American bear, jukumari and ucumari.According to IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature), between 2,500 and 10,000 copies of bears are released.glasses, for this and for the continuous... Bear kodiak The Kodiak bear (Ursus arctos middendorffi), also known as the Alaskan giant bear, is a subspecies of brown bear native to the island of Kodiak and other coastal towns in southern Alaska.These mammals highlight their immense size and remarkable robustness, being one of terrestrial mammals more... Brown bear The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is a usu...

Animals and Pets Online

Search This Blog