Why Do Dogs Sit on Your Feet?

Why Do Dogs Sit on Your Feet?

The special chemistry between humans and dogs goes back thousands of years. Dogs are known to be human’s most loyal friends. They behave differently around men than when they talk with other dogs or animals. 

And if you have a dog, you may notice your dog doing some weird and adorable things around you. For example, plenty of dogs love to sit on their owner’s feet. But why do dogs sit on your feet? 

You may think that you own your dog, but you also belong to them. This is the way that your pooch is going to claim and protect you. When your dog sits on our feet, it’s an ownership thing. 

But there are some other reasons why your dog might slouch on your shoes so read on and find out which reason suits your pooch the best.

Most Common Reasons for Why Dogs Sit on You

It’s a Source of Comfort

We all love to be close to our loved and dear ones and it is no different for our dogs as well. Your dog might want to be close with you especially if there’s cold for the warmth of your body. Physical contact with their owner provides them warmth, comfort, and reassurance. 

This also works the other way also. If you are unwell or feeling sad, your dog might sit on your feet to comfort you. Dogs are very good at reading human emotions hence if you are sad for some reason your dog might sit on you to comfort you.

They’re Trying to Show They Love You 

One of the many ways that your dog could be trying to show you that they love you is by sitting on your feet. Just as you would snuggle up to your loved one for the same reason your dog wants to snuggle up to you. Most dogs love to sit by their favorite humans, whether it is sitting beside them, on their feet, or lap. 

When your fur baby sits anywhere near you that’s how they show that they love you unconditionally. 

They’re Claiming You

Your dog sees you as their person, who belongs only to them. They do not want any other humans or dogs to get close to you. So, the reason why your dog sits on your feet or lap or anywhere near is that they are marking you as ‘theirs’.

If you have multiple pets at home, you might have noticed that if another pet comes close to you, your dog will come directly to make their territory and tell everyone else that you belong to them. 

To Seek Warmth

Your dog might get close to you if they are feeling a bit chilly. Snuggling close to your feet gives them much-needed warmth. During the first few weeks of their life, dogs sleep closely with their siblings and mother. If your dog sleeps next to you or closes to you, it is the extension of that behavior.

You should be grateful that your dog considers you family and feel the same warmth and comfort with you as they feel with their mother. 

To Support You

Dogs have the ability to interpret our behavior, health, and emotions. If they sense that you are tired, unwell, or unhappy, they simply cuddle up to support you. They just want their owners to feel better by giving them affection and love. This is their way of showing that they love you.

Your dog can sense if there’s something wrong going with you, they just lay on the top of your feet to support you.

They’re Anxious or Nervous

If your dog is anxious or nervous, they might sit on the top of your feet as they see you as the source of protection. It may their way of saying, “hey, keep me safe, I’m scared right now”. 

Your dogs may get anxious when they hear strange or loud noises when there are new people in the home, or during their veterinary visit. A portion of dogs also senses that their owners are leaving home so they get separation anxiety and tend to sit closer.

You should keep an eye on your dog’s behavior. Some symptoms of an anxious dog are- a tucked-backed tail, pressed back ears, tense body language, head held low, or weird eating habits.

Should You Let Your Dog Sit on Your Feet?

Whether your pooch is sitting on the top of your feet or anywhere near, normally it shouldn’t be any concern. It is just one of their ways to show you affection, comfort you, claim you as their own, or just because they are cold. In fact, it can be great for you to bond with your dog.

However, if you notice that your dog spend too much time on your feet, it could be an indication that your dog is nervous or has lost their confidence. This happens especially when they don’t feel safe.

To fix this, you need to find the root of their problem. Sometimes, they find it hard to socialize with other people or animals. If this is the case, they may require some training to interact with other people or animals. 

Also, some dogs are too possessive about their owners and they don’t like sharing them with anyone else. If this is what is happening, you might need to discourage them as it may soon turn into destructive behavior.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, dogs sit on top of you for a number of reasons. But most importantly, by laying on or with us, they show how much they love us. There is nothing wrong with the behavior until it is excessive.

Try some training methods if your dog is sticking too much with you. Otherwise, let him curl up and love you. One thing is for sure, having a dog can really make your life so much better.

Is there any other reason why dogs sit on our feet or lap which we have not covered? If so, do not forget to share in the comment section. 

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Johnny is dedicated to providing useful information on commonly asked questions on the internet. He is thankful for your support ♥

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