This post will show you likely reasons why your dog lays on you in the morning and what you can do about them.
So, why does my dog lay on me in the morning? Likely reasons why your dog lays on you in the morning are that it wants something from you, nature, it has learned that the behavior is encouraged, or that it is just being affectionate.
There are a number of possible reasons why your dog lays on you in the morning and it might be due to a combination of them. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main cause.
Reasons why your dog lays on you in the morning
Below are some possible reasons why your dog lays on you in the morning and what would make them more likely.
It wants something from you
The cause is likely to be that it is waiting to get something from you. This would be more likely if it tends to lay on you more before you have given it things such as food in the morning. It would also be more likely if it tends to lay on you on weekends when you feed it later than usual.
Separation anxiety
Another possible reason is that it has some separation anxiety and it stays near you because it feels safer. This would be more likely if your dog can not sleep in the same room as you and if it also tends to follow you around the house.
Nature
Dogs evolved as pack animals so they will feel safer when they are around other members of their pack. Also, dogs were bred to work alongside their owners for hours daily. So, it is normal for dogs to want to be around their owners since it helps them to feel safer.
Encouraging it
A part of the cause could also be that it has learned that the behavior gets encouraged. If you tend to give it things such as extra attention, treats or food, when it lays on you, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards.
It is being affectionate
It could be the case that it is just being affectionate. This would be more likely if it also does things such as lick you or get you to pet it.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main reason why it has been doing it.
If your dog has always laid on you in the morning
If your dog did not always lay on you in the morning, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If your dog started doing it suddenly, it might be due to things such as a change in the way you interact with it in the morning or because you started feeding it later than normal.
What is different when your dog does not lay on you in the morning
It would also help to consider what is different when your dog does not lay on you in the morning. For example, if it only does it on the weekend, it would be likely that it is expecting you to feed it at the same time as you normally do during the week.
What to do about your dog laying on you in the morning
Below are some things you can do about your dog laying on you in the morning.
Feed it sooner
If it seems like your dog might be doing it because it is trying to get you to get up and feed it, it would likely help to feed it and give it access to water as soon as you get up instead of making it wait.
Avoid encouraging it
As mentioned above, it might be the case that your dog has learned that the behavior is rewarded. Instead, it would help to reward it when it behaves the way you want it to and to avoid rewarding it when it does not.
Limit reasons why it might be anxious
It would also help to limit reasons why your dog might get anxious when you are not with it. Ways to do so could be to ensure that you give your dog a chance to pee or poo before you leave it alone, giving it access to water and a quiet room with space for it to lie down.
Give it another place to lay
Another option would be to give it another spot to lay down in your room instead of on top of you. One way to do so would be to put a dog bed in your room and to encourage it to go there when it tries to lay on you.
Let it do it
If your dog seems to just be doing it because it is being affectionate in the morning, another option would be to just give it some attention in the morning but to redirect its focus when it seems like it is about to lay on you.
Why does my dog cuddle me in the morning?
Your dog might cuddle you in the morning for any of the reasons mentioned above. It would be likely that it does it because it wants you to feed it if it does it before you have fed it.