Why does my dog sit under the table?

If your dog has been sitting under the table a lot, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you a number of possible reasons why it has been doing it and what you can do about it.

So, why does my dog sit under the table? Possible reasons why your dog sits under the table are that it feels safer there, it wants something from you such as food or that it finds it more comfortable there.

There are a number of reasons why your dog might sit under the table but there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main reason.

Why your dog sits or lays under the table

Below are reasons why your dog might be doing it and what would make them more likely to be the main reason.

It feels safer

The reason why it does it could be that it feels safer there. By sitting or laying under the table, it will be able to protect itself from above making it more likely that it will be able to see potential threats. This could be the reason why your dog does it even if there is no reason for it to be scared. This would be more likely to be the reason if it tends to have a more submissive personality.

It wants something from you

The reason why it does it might be that it is hoping to get something from you such as some of the food that you are eating. This would be more likely if it does it when you are sat there and if you often give it some of your food. If it sits also under you a lot, I have written more about why here.

It finds it more comfortable there

It is not uncommon for dogs to sit or sleep under tables. The reason why yours has been doing it could simply be that it finds it more comfortable there. This would be more likely if your dog does not show any signs of being anxious or scared around the house and if it behaves normally otherwise.

Something has been causing it to be fearful

It might be the case that something has been causing it to be fearful and it has been hiding under the table because it feels safer there. This would be more likely if it tends to do it more at a certain time such as when there are loud noises outside or when a certain person is around.

Things to consider

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

What else happened when your dog first started sitting under the table

If your dog did not always sit under the table, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it since it might be the case that there was an event that caused it to start. For example, if it started doing it after you left food under the table, it would be more likely that it does it because it is hoping to get some of your food.

What is different when it does it

It would also help to consider what is different in the timing when it sits under the table.

If it does it when you are sitting at the table, it would be more likely to be due to wanting some of your food. However, it could also be due to other causes discussed here.

Whereas, if it sits there when you are not around, it would be more likely that it does it becausae it feels safer under the table.

What to do about your dog sitting or laying under the table

Below are some options you have when getting your dog to stop doing it.

Train it to sit or lay somewhere else

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 another place to lay down

If it does not currently have somewhere else to sit or lay down, it would help to give it access to another spot to go to. One option would be to get a crate for it to use and to put a cover over it so that it can go to its crate when it wants to and feel safe there.

Avoid rewarding the behavior

It could be the case that you have encouraged it to go under the table by giving it things it wants when it does it. Instead, it would help to reward it when it lays where you want it to and to avoid rewarding it when it goes under the table.

Reduce reasons why it might be anxious

As mentioned above, it could be the case that something has been causing it to be fearful. If possible, it would help to try to minimize reasons that it might be fearful such as by letting it stay in a quieter room.