![]() ![]() This is one of the many reasons why dogs need to be properly socialized as part of their training, so they can learn to share you with other inhabitants of the house and not to get aggressive or overly territorial when other entities get too close. You are their human, and they don’t necessarily want to let other dogs, humans, or cats get too close. While you might see your dog as belonging to you, they probably see you in the same way. But it can be a concern if they are also prone to a bit of aggression toward these threatening presences. This behavior is fine if it is limited to sitting and paying attention to what is happening in the vicinity. ![]() So your dog might also sit at your feet if they think you need protection, perhaps from the presence of another human or animal. Dogs not only enjoy the protection of their pack leader but have an obligation to protect them as well. This could be the presence of a stranger (animal or human), a thunderstorm, or even a smell in the house that’s a bit different than usual.īut this protection is also reciprocal. So, when they sleep at your feet they will feel like they have “backup.”įor this reason, you might notice your dog doing this more often when something has made them nervous. Sleep is often the most vulnerable time for dogs, as their awareness of their surroundings is diminished. So, sitting at your feet makes them feel safe and therefore often better able to relax. Your dog has probably come to see you are their protector, and they have learned that you are the one who will offer them help when they need it. They like to stay close to the alpha, who tends to be the biggest and strongest of the dogs and has earned their position by protecting the pack. One of the main reasons that dogs sit around the pack leader is for protection. Not everyone in the house is always a pack leader. This is also why your dog is more inclined to behaviors like sitting at the feet, with some members of your household more than others. In your home, you are the pack leader, so your dog will be compelled to display many of the same actions they would toward a pack leader, toward you instead. They huddle for warmth, they stay close together for safety, and they arrange themselves in a way that reflects the hierarchy and the connectedness of the pack. The other dogs will sit or lie down around the leader. When the pack stops to rest, the leader of the pack will lay down in a prime position with a good view of the surrounding area. You can clearly see a mirror of this behavior when you observe dog packs. Dogs have the natural instinct that staying close to their alpha is the right thing to do in a variety of situations. While we will go on and give a number of other reasons for why your dog sits at your feet, they all relate back to this pack instinct. All dogs are still often compelled to behave as they would if they were traveling with a pack. ![]() While your only-child pet might never have been part of a pack of dogs, pack behavior is still instinctive. Let’s take a look at the six primary reasons why your dog might decide to sit or lie down at your feet.
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