Why Does My Dog Sit On Me? 8 possible reasons.

Does your dog jump on your lap every time you sit down or even lie on the bed? If so, you are not alone!

It is hard to tell the exact reason unless you study your dog closely – it can be anything. When trying to grasp the underlying motivation for this behavior, it is important to bear in mind that dogs are highly social animals. They have evolved for hundreds of thousands of years to form affectionate relationships with people. In addition to many other familiar behavioral expressions like wagging their tails, licking, and soliciting petting or even ear scratches from human owners, sharing physical contact with people while resting is another way of expressing their affection solidifying the social bonds between them and you. But they often have other things in their minds when jumping on your lap.

To figure out the motivations behind their behavior, you need to consider a few factors, including the time when he started it.

If the behavior started all of a sudden, then it might mean something triggered it. There is a lot that could bring up this behavior, and may include:

• You rewarded the dog for the behavior the first time he tried it.
• You started staying out late or working for longer hours.
• He stopped getting the much-needed exercise.
• He underwent a traumatic experience you know or don’t know about

Here are 8 possible reasons why your dog sits on you:

1. Attention

So why does my dog want to sit on me all the time? Have you been away from home for some time? Do you hardly excuse yourself from your busy schedules to have quality time with him? If yes, then chances are he is craving for your attention so bad. He will come by, wagging his tail, and sit on your lap, perhaps showing his belly or bringing a toy when he wants your attention or playtime.

Dogs are highly social and need constant displays of affection from their owners. But they aren’t human to verbally ask for it, so this is one way of requesting it.

Provided your pup isn’t showing aggressive behavior (like barking loudly or snapping at you), this is perfectly okay and normal.

However, if he is doing this more often or keeps whining, it may be a request for you to spend more quality time with him, playing some tug-of-war games and giving him few gentle belly rubs. This will make your pooch happy and bubbly, and you will have fun doing it too.

2. Scent

Just like cats, dogs like to mark their territory and show ownership of you. While cats would simply urinate all over the furniture and make the whole place stink sometimes (forgive this defamation), dogs do so by spreading their body scent instead, and this may involve sitting on you. So, when they come by, sniff around, and sit on you, just understand they are marking the territory and showing that they own you. But don’t get it twisted – it doesn’t mean the dog is, in any way, trying to dominate you or show others that you are taken!

Again, some dog species do urinate on surfaces just like cats to mark the territory, so sitting on you would sound like a more sanitary method. Let him do it.

But how do you tell it’s an effort to mark territory and not an act to win your attention or anything else? Look around your home. If you have other pets around or even small children, your dog will start to notice your preoccupation with them. You will see an increase in this behavior as he tries to cut others off you. Also, if you have just returned home from somewhere with the scent of a foreign animal, he will be the first to notice it and start to sit on you just to ward off your unspecified friends. Consult the veterinary officer.

3. Breed Behavior

Why does your dog sit on your lap? Is your dog a small breed? If so, then all this is likely to be a breed behavior. It makes sense for small dog breeds to sit on their owners. There is a reason why breeds like the Chihuahua, Maltese, or Shih Tzu are referred to as “lapdogs.”

This is a snuggly and warm spot to feel loved and safe. It also gives such dogs an added height, which makes them feel secure, more so if small children or other dogs are at home and feel insecure or threatened.

Sometimes larger breeds seem to imagine they are tiny lapdogs, though. English Mastiffs and Great Danes, for example, are prone to insist on sitting on the laps of their owners, despite their enormous size.

These large nagging breeds are unofficially referred to as “gentle giants”. If you see them insisting on it, just know they are trying to express affection very much a small breed would do.

Unless it bothers you, let him jump on your lap and stay there as long as he wants, even longer (reasonably longer). But if you feel he’s too big for your lap or you don’t want to entertain this behavior, train him to appreciate sitting nearby.

4. Cuddling

Maybe all your dog want is to take full advantage of your presence and have a cuddling session. Most canines find physical contact essential to keeping themselves emotionally satisfied and happy.

So whenever your pup or yourself needs emotional support or boost, just grab a bowl of popcorns, put on your favorite movie and maybe a bone or treat for your canine boy, and just snuggle up together! You will both feel better while at it, and it will strengthen your bond even tighter.

5. Dominance

Dominance is the most concerning reason of all. It is never a permissible behavior, and the dog must be put to training to abandon it as fast as possible.

But how do you even tell it is dominance and not a show of affection or anything similar? That’s a bit easy – monitor his behavior while he’s on your lap. If he sits on you and begins to growl at everyone else that approaches you or shows any other signs of aggressive behavior, that’s dominant behavior right there! You can clearly tell – it’s not cute.

Lift him off your lap if he is acting that way. While it is perfectly normal and even acceptable for dogs to sit on you when other pets or kids are around, he should not be aggressive while at it. Don’t reward or encourage snarling or barking while he’s doing this.

If this behavior gets frequent or more aggressive, PetMD (https://bit.ly/3tdYIne) suggests you take him to the veterinarian and get advised accordingly. However, most dogs would do it occasionally, which may not be a source of worry unless you don’t want to tolerate even an ounce of it.

6. Security

Your dog wants to know where you are most of the time for his security, as you are his main food provider and source of love. As such, he will want to chill on your lap so that he knows when you make any slightest move.

This is for his benefit since it’s the perfect way he can see and accompany you when you leave the home or prepare food (whether it is for him or not).

Also, note that it isn’t always about them all the time, but you as well. Some dogs will want to monitor your movements for your own security. Sometimes they think it is their job to keep you safe and may wrap themselves around the idea that you are both safer when you are together. Accomplish that, and your dog may sit on your lap. Nothing wrong with that, let them do it!

7. Separation anxiety

Separation anxiety deserves special mention. No dog owner goes everywhere with their pets. You also don’t expect the canine to understand you are leaving for an important appointment and you will back after 8 hours. If your dog is not used to being left behind, he’s going to be stressed at first; but get used to it through adjustments; some dogs are too clingy. This might be the reason why your dog has developed separation anxiety and now insists on sitting on your lap most of the time. If he had a bad experience the last time you left him alone, he’s going to be petrified for a long time and want to be close to you all the time, fearing you might abandon him again.

8. You are in his spot

You may be annoying your dog without knowing. Like, seriously, what do you expect when you sit at his favorite spot? He can’t tell you to stand up. And because he loves you, he doesn’t want to show any signs of disgruntlement.

So, if he only sits on your lap when you are chilling at a certain place in your home, he might be doing so because he thinks that spot belongs to him and him only – please vacate! But, what if his favorite spot also happens to be your favorite place, say, your couch? In that case, consider training him to like another place away from the couch. This is better than submitting to his demands because he will continue to view you as the only leader in the home.

You can train him not to form a habit of hopping on your lap and sitting there by teaching him to stay on your floor when you are sat down. Even better, you can do it by getting him to lay or to sit down, then gradually teaching him to stay there for longer periods. There are plenty of “DIY” guides on how to teach him the “down” command and sit next to you.

In a Nutshell

To figure out the motivations behind their behavior, you need to consider a few factors, including when he started it. If the behavior started all of a sudden, then it might mean something triggered it. It can be anything: you rewarded the dog for the behavior the first time he tried it, you started staying out late or working for longer hours, or maybe he stopped getting the much-needed exercise. Whichever reason, you might need to take him to the veterinary if it gets out of hand.

Dogs are highly social and need constant displays of affection from their owners. But they aren’t human to verbally ask for it, so this is one way of requesting it. If you have been away from home for some time or hardly excuses yourself from your busy schedules to have quality time with him, then chances are he is craving for your attention so bad. He may resort to climbing on your lap whenever he gets an opportunity.

Just like cats, dogs like to mark their territory and show ownership of you. While cats would simply urinate all over the furniture and make the whole place stink sometimes (forgive this defamation), dogs do so by spreading their body scent instead, and this may involve sitting on you. So, when they come by, sniff around, and sit on you, just understand they are marking the territory and showing that they own you.

Just go with it

If your dog is a small breed, then all this is likely to be a breed behavior. It makes sense for small dog breeds to sit on their owners. Breeds like Chihuahua, Maltese, or Shih Tzu are referred to as “lapdogs”. Your lap is a snuggly and warm spot to feel loved and safe. It also gives such dogs an added height, which makes them feel secure, more so if small children or other dogs are at home and feel insecure or threatened.

Maybe all your dog want is to take full advantage of your presence and have a cuddling session. Most canines find physical contact essential to keeping themselves emotionally satisfied and happy.

So whenever your pup or yourself needs emotional support or boost, just grab a bowl of popcorns, put on your favorite movie and maybe a bone or treat for your canine boy, and just snuggle up together!