Pets are a powerful addition to our homes. They bring a playful mood and make us happy even when we don’t feel like smiling. Dogs especially read and imitate our moods and want us to make us feel better every time by offering us toys or being playful. One very noticeable behavior of dogs is they like to sit on us.
This behavior may be strange and welcoming and normal to others. This behavior is an outward expression of the inner feeling of the dog. It may happen once in a while or constantly depending on how you treat or relate with your dog.
Cuddle time: Dogs generally love to cuddle. If your dog loves sitting on your lap it means that he or she loves the warmth and the love you provide for them. They also love the fact that you can cuddle with them and give them belly rubs making sure that they are happy. Cuddle time for dogs also means that they trust you in they are loyal to you and therefore they can fall asleep knowing that you do not push them down and you will take care of them.
Attention: When you are sitting down doing your work or browsing through your phone, your dog may suddenly come out of nowhere and sit on you. This is not a strange behavior as the dog may be seeking attention from you either to play or to take them out for a walk. Dogs seek attention in different ways and this is one of the ways that easily get them noticed.
Sometimes this can mean that you need to give your dog more attention or it can mean that you need to spend more time with a dog. You can also discourage them from this behavior by not giving them the attention and training them to always sit on their own especially if you’re doing some important work.
Trust: Dogs are the most loyal pets that you find around. For some, it takes quite a while before they can establish trust between them and their owners. When a dog has established Trust he openly comes and sits on your lap as a show that they fully trust you to an extent of even falling asleep. Trust is only noticeable if you have been treating your dog well.
Trust from a dog is something that feels rewarding for you and makes you want to spend more time with your dog.
Separation anxiety: Some dogs who have been abandoned before either by being left at a shelter when they are sleeping or being dropped off at a road experience separation anxiety. Therefore, to conquer this kind of behavior they constantly sit on their owner’s lap to keep them from leaving them when they fall asleep. This kind of behavior is constantly seen when the owner sits far away from the dog.
Separation anxiety can be avoided by assuring your dog that they are found a new permanent home and by constantly keeping in touch with them so that they don’t feel left out. Involving them in different activities allows them to break the behavior of always sitting on your lap. Also buying them toys to play with keeps them busy and occupied with different activities.
You are sitting in their spot: Just like humans have their favorite chair or their favorite sitting spots, so do dogs. They mostly claim this spot as their territory and when someone sits there, they get angry or sit on the person in retaliation.
So if you find your dog sitting on you, ensure that you notice and mark their favorite chair in the house so that somebody doesn’t come to sit there when they are around.
Spreading their scent: If you own a dog, you will notice that most dogs like to always be close to you or sit and roll around your favorite places including your bed. This is because they like to identify you as theirs. They want to feel that you love them as much as they do you.
Therefore it is not strange when your dog sits on your lap. It is a way of spreading their scent over to you so they will never forget you. It can be translated to marking their territories especially with other dogs visiting you.
Routine: Dogs follow the routine that you introduce to them. Whether it is in the morning or at any time of the day, they are always on time to show you that they learn and appreciate your routines. Therefore, if they sit on you, it comes as an illustration of their routine that you have introduced to them earlier.
Every time you sit down, they may notice you invite them to sit on you and they enjoy it. So as the days go by, they invite themselves as they seem it as a routine every time you sit down.
The Final Words (Summary)
As seen above, dogs sitting on you is not such a strange thing. It is, therefore, your choice to encourage or discourage the behavior. Dogs learn fast and when you keep them away from something, they will always remember it.
So if you prefer your dog sitting independently while you enjoy a movie, let them know and they will obey it. If you notice that for them sitting on you may be a bit strange, learn their past and act according to gain trust from them by treating them right.
Other Articles You Might Also Like:
