Why does my dog sit in another room?

If your dog has been sitting in a different room than you a lot, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you common reasons why dogs do it and what you can do about them.

So, why does my dog sit in another room? Possible reasons why your dog sits in another room are that it is used to sitting in a particular room, it thinks you want it to sit there, it finds it more comfortable there, it is being protective or it could be the case that you have been intimidating it.

Since there are a number of reasons why your dog might have been sitting in another room, it would help to consider what would make each of them more likely. Once you have a good idea of the cause, it should become easier to get it to stop.

Why your dog sits in another room

Below are common reasons why dogs do it and what would make each of them more likely to be the reason why your dog has been doing it.

It’s used to sitting in the other room

The cause might be that it is used to sitting or sleeping there and it feels safer when it is in there. It could also be the case that it is not sure of what it would be likely sitting in your room so it chooses not to do it. This would be especially likely if it has never sat in your room much and it has always chosen to be in the other room.

It finds it more comfortable

It could also be the case that it finds the other room to be more comfortable. It could be that there is more space for it to lay down there, it has a bed in the other room or that it is cooler in the other room.

It thinks you want it to sit there

Another reason why it does it might be that it thinks that you want it to be in the other room. This would be more likely if it has always gone to the other room and if you reward it when it is in there.

Instead, it would help to reward it when it sits in your room or when it shows signs of staying in your room. It would also help to follow the other tips mentioned below.

It’s being protective

It could also be the case that it chooses to be in the other room because it is being protective. This would be more likely if the room it chooses to sleep in is one that people have to pass through and if it tends to get very protective around the home.

Your room is not comfortable

If you want it to sleep with you, it could be the case that your bedroom is not comfortable for it. The room might be too hot or there might not be space for it to lay down.

It’s intimidated

It could be the case that it does it because it is intimidated. This would be more likely if it tends to leave the room it is in when you enter the room and if it tends to hide from you. In this case, the best option would be to get help from a dog behaviorist.

Things to consider

Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your dog has been doing it.

What else happened when your dog first started sitting in the other room

It would help to consider whether or not it always chose to sit in the other room or if it started doing it recently.

If it started doing it recently then it could be due to things such as your room becoming too hot or discovering that it finds the other room more comfortable at night.

Whereas, if it has always gone there then it would be more likely that it does it because it is used to being in there, the other room is more comfortable or because it is being protective.

What is different when your dog does not sit in another room

If it does sit with you sometimes, it would also help to consider what is different when it does sit with you. For example, if it does sit with you when you’re in a certain room, it would be more likely that it does it because it likes that particular room.

What to do about your dog sitting in another room

Below are some things you can do to get it to sit with you.

Train it to sit where you want it to

One option would be to train your dog to sit on command with the use of positive reinforcement training, in the area that you would like it to sit, then you could tell it to sit there a couple of times per day and reward it for doing so. By repeating the process, it should learn that sitting in that new location results in it getting rewards.

Give it a comfortable area to go to

It would also help to give it a comfortable area where it can lay down, in the room you want it to sit in. The area should be cool, quiet, not too bright and there should be space for it to lay down comfortably.

Avoid encouraging it to sit in the other room

As mentioned above, it might be the case that it has learned that it gets rewards for sitting in the other room. Instead, it would help to train it to sit elsewhere and to encourage it to sit there by rewarding it when it does.