There’s no denying it. Dogs are little adorable angels that we welcome into our lives without any choice limitations. We love to observe them like we observe babies, and just like babes, these wonderful furry animals sometimes exhibit quirks that make us wonder what’s going on in that incredible brain of theirs.
And one of the many queer things that your pooch could do regularly is to sleep at your feet. Could such an act be baffling? Yes, at first. Should you be worried when your canine pal snuggles between your feet? Well, yes and no.
One of the primary reasons your dog sleeps at your feet is due to pure affection. Another reason, which calls for immediate attention, could be that your dog is dealing with separation anxiety issues. Understanding this instinctive behavior is key to fostering a better relationship with your beloved pooch.
If you’re a concerned dog parent who’s looking to know the rationale behind every action your doggie takes, so you could be better equipped to provide love and support to it, you’re at the right place.
This article covers many reasons why your pooch sleeps at your feet, what dog breeds are most likely to sleep at their owners’ feet, whether or not to discourage your doggie from laying at your feet, how to stop your four-legged buddy from sleeping near you.
Why Does My Puppy Like To Sleep On My Feet?
There are many reasons why your beloved pooch likes to sleep on your feet. Understanding them from its perspective is important to foster a stronger bond with your pooch.
To Show Respect
The foremost logical reason why your four-legged pal lays at your feet time and again could be out of a need to revere you as its leader, an act that takes us back to our history books as we try to decipher its meaning.
Perhaps, you might have heard that dogs share an ancestral connection with wolves, with all dogs descending from the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus). However, there’s a high tendency you’ve never pondered the far-reaching significance of your doggie’s shared genetics with its wolf ancestors and the exhibition of some of these wolf-like traits right in your bedroom.
The truth is, in the wild, wolves move in packs, and each pack has a dominant leader called the alpha. The alpha protects, supports, and directs the group. And in deference to the alpha, members of the pack pay the alpha back with respect and loyalty.
Sometimes, with the alpha’s permission, members of the group would sleep near the alpha to demonstrate proof of their subordination.
Interestingly, many wolf traits live on in dogs, and your pooch is likely to snuggle up to your feet and doze off there if it recognizes you as its leader.
For Your Protection
Shepherd dog breeds like Caucasian Shepherds have what’s known as a guardian instinct, making them highly territorial not only around their owners’ properties but also over their owners. Hence, a territorial dog might follow its natural protective instinct to watch over you while you sleep.
And what better way to guarantee your safety than to sleep at your feet, a strategic, advantageous spot where it can spring to your defense should the need arise.
It’s important to note that dogs’ protective instincts aren’t limited to big dogs alone. Smaller breeds can also be very protective, and it should not be surprising to see your adorable little Chihuahua takes up watch duty at your feet.
To Generate Body Heat And To Bond
Dogs are social creatures, and this trait is evident in their sleeping patterns. So your dear Fido might leave its bed and sleep close to your feet because it wants to get a little warmth. But come to think of it, even you wouldn’t mind some cozy warmth when the weather’s freezing.
In addition to seeking warmth, another good reason your canine pal sleeps at your feet could be an attempt to bond. Body warmth, of course, is generated when mammals bunch together.
Perhaps, what’s most intriguing is the release of oxytocin, a particular bonding hormone that develops in the brain from the shared emotional connection between two mammals.
For Comfort
Dogs, just like humans, can’t sleep well in an uncomfortable environment. Sleep discomfort may be due to several reasons such as noise, cold, uncleanliness, or a less pleasant sleep bed for dogs.
So if your canine pal isn’t finding it smooth in la-la land, where’s the best possible safe place for it to sleep comfortably? At your feet, of course, where it’s calm and peaceful.
Negative Conditioning
Amateur dog parents don’t have much experience with dog training and would most times unconsciously encourage their pooches to sleep at their feet.
Funnily enough, these dog owners wonder why their dogs cling to their feet at all times without knowing what they’re doing wrong.
The truth is, when you give treats, pats, and cuddles, especially when your furry friend is lying next to you, you’re conditioning it to associate these pleasurable experiences with a particular position.
Hence, whenever your pooch needs some cuddling and stroking, the first place it thinks to rest is at your feet.
To Assert Dominance
Dogs vary in temperaments, and breeds with a dominant trait could hop onto your bed and sleep at your feet to assert their dominant side.
The thought process going through your dog’s mind at this point is to contest your comfortable sleeping space, one that it reckons should be its.
This type of behavior could be interpreted as a power tussle, especially when you’ve never encouraged your dear Fido to crawl into the same bed with you.
Dominant breeds like the Siberian Husky, Rottweiler, and the American Bulldog are wont to exhibit traits of superiority. Although, smaller dog breeds such as the Jack Russell Terrier can equally be as dominant.
To Avoid Being Crushed
If you’re a multiple-position sleeper who loves to toss about while sleeping, your sleep pattern might frighten your four-legged friend and cause it to move downwards near your feet where it’s safe from being crushed.
Such an act is primarily common among lapdog breeds like the Toy Poodle that might need to protect themselves because of their small body size.
Keep in mind that this only applies to dog owners who sleep on the same bed with their pooches.
To Seek Something
Once dogs establish their owners as guardians and leaders, they naturally start to expect food and other comforts from their parents, leading them to lay at their owners’ feet. In other words, a dog lying down is often thought to be expecting something.
For instance, once your doggie notices it’s past time for its meal or exercise, it could walk up to you and lay at your feet as a sort of reminder.
Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety is a phenomenon that occurs in dogs who’ve recently experienced a shock that comes with a sudden disruption or change in their handler, routine, or environment. It could also be a result of a terrible accident or encounter with a dangerous predator.
If your canine companion battles with separation anxiety, it’d, among other habits, constantly sleep at your feet for fear of going through another unpleasant experience. In this case, you’d need to help your beloved pooch overcome its fear by seeking professional help from a dog behaviorist.
Depending on the severity level of the factor responsible for causing shock in your furry pal, the anxiety could range from mild, moderate, to severe.
For mild cases of anxiety, you could intervene by finding the causative factor and removing it. Most times, eradicating a strange smell or familiarizing your canine buddy with a new family member could do the trick.
Should I Encourage My Dog To Sleep At My Feet?
Honestly, there’s no hard-and-fast rule in deciding whether or not your pooch should lay near you. In truth, it all boils down to personal preference.
For instance, some dog owners like the cuddling effect and the release of oxytocin they experience when their dear Fido is nearby. But, conversely, other folks may find the clingy nature of these same dog breeds annoying.
Nonetheless, regardless of your choice as a dog owner, try not to overindulge your pooch, as too much time at your feet would make it spoiled and withdrawn in the long run.
How To Dissuade Your Dog From Sleeping At Your Feet
Most dog parents are okay with their dogs sleeping at their feet, but if the act puts you off for whatever reason, there are many ways to get your dog to stop.
Be Careful With Positive Reinforcement
Many dog parents think positive reinforcements involve only dog treats and verbal communication, but it actually goes far beyond that.
Stroking, petting, and cuddling are all forms of positive reinforcement that could encourage your pooch to continue the habit of laying at your feet when used without careful thought.
Resolve Your Dog’s Anxiety
Finding a solution to your four-legged pal’s anxiety is another crucial step to ending its fondness for laying at your feet. And as mentioned before, you could either take away the troubling object in mild anxiety cases or seek professional help for a more severe occurrence of separation anxiety.
Make Your Dog’s Bed Comfortable
For folks whose dogs like to climb onto the bed and sleep at their feet, sometimes the simple act of fixing your canine friend’s best place could be the trick to ending its unsolicited visit to the bed.
Air out the bed to get rid of any musty, unpleasant smell and also wash blankets, if there are any, to create a clean sleeping environment for your pooch.
Assert Your Dominance
When dogs start to deliberately disobey straightforward commands and push their boundaries to the point of hopping on your bed and sleeping at your feet, you’d need to correct such brazen habits fast.
You might need to retrain your dominant pooch again and position yourself as the alpha in the house. Once that’s done, getting your furry buddy to stop laying at your feet shouldn’t be much of a hassle.
What Dog Breeds Are Most Likely To Sleep At Their Owners’ Feet?
All dogs possess unique emotional chords that readily intertwine with humans. But some dog breeds like the Golden Retriever and the Vizla have a more profound depth of companionship with humans than others.
Furthermore, many, but not all, lapdogs tend to be clingy and would find their way between your legs repeatedly. Consequently, you’d have to deal with these dog breeds differently and refuse to indulge them when they come to lie at your feet.
