Sitting on your lap, on your feet, or on other parts of your body is just one of those communication tools. Your dog sitting on you may be his way of saying he loves you, he feels safe around you, or that you are his territory.
Your dog might sit in your lap to show affection.
They might think you're inviting them to play. Sitting on you could also make them feel safe, since they look at you as their protector. You're their "safe spot." Similarly, but on a sadder note, they could have separation anxiety.
Just as humans stare into the eyes of someone they adore, dogs will stare at their owners to express affection. In fact, mutual staring between humans and dogs releases oxytocin, known as the love hormone.
Seat-Stealing as a Sign of Affection
Today, dogs—now fully domestic animals—see their human companions as their safety. Your scent is familiar, so your dog knows instinctively that any place you've been must be familiar and safe, too.
Just like their human pals, dogs are likely to choose a favorite person based on a number of factors. Some of these include the person's demeanor, interactions with the dog, and how well the person helps meet their basic needs.
If your dog follows you into the bathroom, it's likely a result of their animal instinct and pack mentality. Canines who do this are referred to as “Velcro dogs,” due to their desire to be attached to your side. They may follow you around, even to the bathroom, to protect a part of their pack.
Dogs may bury their head into their owner's lap to show love and affection and seek comfort and security. It can also be a way for dogs to bond with their owner and show affection. The behavior is often seen in canines with anxiety that need that extra comfort.
Licking is a natural and instinctive behaviour to dogs. For them it's a way of grooming, bonding, and expressing themselves. Your dog may lick you to say they love you, to get your attention, to help soothe themselves if they're stressed, to show empathy or because you taste good to them!
Dogs also instinctively lay on their owners to give them protection and warmth because they view them as pack members. More concerning causes of dogs laying on loved ones are separation anxiety, resource guarding, and physical discomfort.
Canine companions that follow their humans everywhere are often referred to as “Velcro dogs” because of their desire to be attached to your side. “Dogs are pack animals, and we are their pack,” says Sally Morgan, author and holistic physical therapist for pets and people.
If you don't mind your dog sitting on you, there's no problem, but if you don't like it or have a large dog that you don't want sitting on top of you, then you might want to discourage the behavior.
Also referred to as being clingy, velcro dogs simply have a desire to be close to their owners. Certain breeds (such as lap dogs) are more likely to be velcro dogs because they've been bred to be more dependent.
To Show Affection
Similar to your dog sleeping between your legs, sitting on you, is their version of “I love you, Hooman, let me come and sit on you.” Sharing your space and being as close as possible, such as by being on your lap, is one way they deepen and reaffirm their bond with their favorite people.
Sometimes, dogs may go between their owner's legs seeking comfort or safety. Some research has found that medium and large dogs are more likely to demonstrate this behavior than small dogs. A lack of confidence, anxiety, or excitement can cause dogs to seek the closeness or protection of their owner's legs.
We know that they depend on human cuddles for their happiness and wellbeing. So, when they put their snouts on your foot or your hand, it's not simply because they've been wired to protect the Alpha. It's also because they love you and they want your affection.
As their pack leader, your pup sees you as their protector. So it stands to reason that he or she will want to stay right against the alpha for security and protection. Also, in a pack canines will sleep touching one another for warmth. Perhaps your fur baby just absolutely adores you, plain and simple.
Point: Dogs carry certain intestinal parasites, fleas, and ticks that cause human illnesses. Sleeping with a dog increases human exposure to these parasites and vector-borne diseases. Very young, very old, and immune compromised people are particularly at risk of infection.
Reasons Dogs Follow You Everywhere
Probably the most consistent one is that it's in their genes—throughout history, dogs have been pack animals. When we remove dogs from their canine pack, they simply adopt their human pack instead. The same instincts that kick in with wild dogs are present in our canine companions.
"Dogs most certainly have a sense of time passing," she says. "They most likely mark the passage of time in relation to other stimuli, such as the location of the sun in the sky, hunger, thirst, or the location of the moon in the sky." That's right: canines respond to their innate circadian rhythms, just as humans do.
But most dogs tend to bond to the person who gives them the most attention. For example, in a family with two parents and two kids, the dog may favor the parent who fills their bowl every morning and takes them for a walk every evening. In addition, physical affection solidifies the bond between dog and person.
Dr. Hare has answered some of the burning canine cognition questions many curious dog lovers have to strengthen the bond between humans and their pups even further. Does my dog know how much I love him? Yes, your dog knows how much you love him!