Here's Why Your Dog Sits on You

You may be wondering why your dog always chooses to sit right on top of you when he has all this space and other comfortable spots around.

Your dog most likely sits on you because he trusts you and is claiming you as his own.

By sitting on you, your dog rubs his scent on you (which is prevalent on his back end). You may not smell it at all, but other dogs and pets probably will. This acts as a marker of ownership.

Here are some other possible reasons:

• Assurance seeking: By sitting on you, your dog can hear your heartbeat and breathing. This may provide him with some comfort and ease his stress.
• Protection: If you are not feeling well, or your dog feels like you are not at your best, and you need protection, he’ll sit on you to try and protect you.
• Pack behavior: It’s very common for dogs in nature to sleep right on top of one another. Your dog has probably accepted you as one of the pack.
• Breed behavior: Some dog breeds are known to be affectionate and more likely to sit on you. These may include most lapdog breeds like Pugs and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and other breeds like Great Danes and Mastiffs.
• Playfulness: If your dog is not calm while sitting on you, rolling around in your lap, and making playful noises, he may just be trying to play with you.

When Your Dog Shows Aggressive Behavior

While not likely, there’s a chance that your dog is trying to assert dominance if, while sitting on you, he’s barking or growling at other pets or humans. It may also be the case if he becomes irritated and aggressive when moving him away from you.

While it’s okay if it happens once in a while - if it’s a common occurrence, contacting a professional dog trainer or vet may be a good idea. It may be essential to get to the root cause of why he’s behaving this way.

Please note that dogs can’t speak, and we can’t read their minds (yet). So, we can only make educated guesses about the reasons and intentions behind some of their behaviors.