Isn’t it extremely cute and adorable when your little furry friend comes to you and lays on your feet? I guess it is one of the most amazing feelings. All of the tiredness of the whole day disappears as soon as your cute little dog curls up to sleep on your feet. But why do dogs lay on your feet? Is it something normal, are you intrigued about it?
Well, in this article we are going to solve the mystery and more specifically what causes dogs to act in such a manner. So, without further ado, let’s dive into it!
Why Do Dogs Lay On Your Feet?
Here are 8 documented reasons why your dog lays on your feet.
1. Your Furry Friend Loves You
The first reason is that your dog loves you. Dogs do love their owners, and therefore, laying on their feet is one of those signs that indicate that your furry friend loves you. You may sometimes feel a bit annoyed or get irritated by it. However, allowing your four-legged friend to lay on your feet for some time will create great bonding with your canine friend.
In addition to this, when a dog loves you, he wants to be close to you. Therefore, in an attempt to get closer to you, he will try to lay on your feet. One thing which most dog owners do not know about is oxytocin which basically is a love hormone. When dogs interact with their owner, their level of oxytocin goes up. It is also a great sign of a dog showing his love.
2. Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety is another reason why most of the dogs lay on the feet of their owner. Your dog may be one of those dogs suffering from separation anxiety. There are two scenarios where this usually happens. The first one is when you are leaving home for work. The second is when you have just arrived home from work. Your dog will come to you and will lay on your feet as he does not want you to leave him. Notice whether your dog is being anxious or not.
If you identify that your dog has separation anxiety, then you may need to take a few important measures. Before you leave home, you must feed your dog, give him some toys, make sure he is done peeing, and provide him with a safe and comfortable area to rest.
3. Looking for Warmth
It is very much possible that your dog lays on your feet to get some warmth. This behavior is extremely common in puppies. Puppies tend to sleep together very closely. They sleep around the tail of their mother. It ultimately makes them feel protected and warm. Therefore, if they are with you, they will lie on your feet to keep warm.
Moreover, dogs behave in such a manner not just when they are sleeping but overall for survival as well. Keeping themselves warm is essential if they want to survive. For that reason, your dog will seek warmth and will ultimately come to you and will lay on your feet.
4. Why Do Dogs Lay on Your Feet: They are Being Territorial
Most dogs are territorial. Have you ever noticed your dog trying to lay on your feet when there are other dogs or even individuals around you? If so, then it is possible that your dog is trying to show everyone that you belong to him.
Now, you can never take away this territorial behavior from your dog. In fact, things can get a bit challenging when you own two dogs. Both of them might be territorial and may act in a similar manner. Therefore, in that scenario, you need to give both of your furry friends proper and equal attention and care. You can even try to make both of them get closer to one another. The only thing you need to ensure is that none of them becomes jealous of another. If things are not handled properly here, the situation can deteriorate.
5. Instincts
A dog’s instinct is to be part of a pack. It does not matter whether your canine friend has spent time in the wild or not, he will be inclined to follow the pack. Pack animals typically travel in packs in the wild.
Dogs are no exception. When the pack stops, the leader of the pack will then search for a place to rest. Then, the dogs will huddle around their leader. Now, imagine your home as the wilderness and you being the leader of the pack. Your dog will go to you and will lay on your feet.
This behavior of being a pack animal is normally ingrained in a dog’s DNA. When your dog settles at your feet, he sees you as the leader and respects you.
6. Showing Dominance
It is not so uncommon to see a dog jumping up on his master’s lap. It shows that the dog is very loving and caring. However, it also means that he wants to signal that he is dominant and in charge of the place.
It may even go as far as showing that you are under his control! Laying on your feet is undoubtedly a great way for the dogs to show dominance. Not just the feet, but your dog can lay on your lap or chest as well. By laying on your body, they will try to show other dogs and people that they dominate you. You can most probably expect this sort of behavior from a newly adopted dog. Obviously, if this is the case, there will be some training to do to correct the behavior.
There is no denying that it is challenging to understand whether your dog is showing love or dominance when trying to lay on your feet. In that scenario, it is essential to analyze the behavior of your dog. Notice whether your new friend shows dominance while laying on your feet or he is simply relaxing.
You can also compare his behavior with other situations where he is clearly relaxed and easy going, in other words, when he is clearly enjoying your company for reasons discussed above.
7. Why Do Dogs Lay on Your Feet: To Stay Safe
As we mentioned above, your dog may see you as a pack leader. Therefore, he expects you to protect him from threatening or dangerous situations. Dogs will always strive to remain close to their pack leader if they feel unsafe. This sort of behavior is very common in dogs who are typically very insecure. However, other dogs can also react in such a manner, for all kinds of reasons.
There could be noises or something in his surroundings that scare your furry friend. In such cases he will tend to stay close to you and there is no better way of doing that than laying on your feet.
Aa a side note, did you ever notice your dog rolling on his back and exposing his belly? If so, it is a great sign indicating he feels protected and safe.
8. Protection
Once your dog starts to feel comfortable and safe, he will try to protect you from danger. Laying on feet gives a sign that your little furry friend is, in turn, protecting you. Dogs may consider various signs as dangerous and harmful for you. We cannot understand exactly what they perceive as a danger to you. However, the point to emphasize here is that a dog will also have a protective instinct towards his master.
In a dog pack, protecting the leader is also considered their duty. For that reason, they lay on your feet to make you feel protected!
We hope the above has shed light on why do dogs lay on your feet. There may be other reasons but, no matter what, allowing your dog to lay on your feet is always positive and rewarding!