If your dog has been sleeping in your spot, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you common causes and what you can do about them.
So, why does my dog sleep in my spot? Possible reasons why your dog sleeps in your spot are that it feels safer there, you have inadvertently encouraged the behavior, it’s looking for attention, separation anxiety or that it simply finds it comfortable.
Since there are a number of possible causes, it would help to consider what would make each of them more likely. Once you have a good idea of the most likely cause, it will become easier to figure out what to do about it.
Why your dog sleeps in your spot
Below are some common reasons why dogs do it and what you can do about them.
It feels safer
The cause could be that it makes it feel safer. Dogs were bred to work alongside their owners and the other members of their pack for hours on a daily basis and they would sleep together. So, sleeping where you normally sit could make it feel like it is around other pack members and cause it to feel more secure.
Encouraging the behavior
It could be the cause that you have encouraged it to sleep there by giving it things it wants when it does it. If you tend to give it things such as toys, treats or extra attention, when it sleeps there, it will likely do it more in order to get more attention.
Instead, it would help to reward it when it sleeps where you want it to sleep, to use positive reinforcement training and to try to redirect its focus elsewhere when it is about to sleep in your spot.
It’s looking for attention
The cause could also be that it is looking for extra attention. This would be more likely if it does it more when you have not been giving it much attention or if you tend to give it extra attention when it does it. Instead, it would help to give it attention throughout the day by training it, exercising it and playing with it. But, it would help to avoid rewarding it with attention when it does not do what you want and to use positive reinforcement training instead.
Separation anxiety
It could be a sign that it has some separation anxiety. This is because it might be sleeping in your spot, when you’re away, because it smells your scent there and it makes it feel safer. This would be more likely if it tends to show signs of anxiety when you are leaving.
It’s more comfortable
The cause could also be that it simply finds the spot comfortable. This would be more likely if it tends to sleep there at random times and it does not seem to be looking for attention when it does it.
Things to consider
Below are some things you can consider when figuring out the main reason why it has been doing it.
What else happened when your dog first started sleeping in your spot
If it did not always sleep in your spot, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as learning that it gets rewards when it does it or it might have slept there one time and found it comfortable.
What is different when it does it
If it sleeps there more at certain times, it would also help to consider what is different about the timing. For example, if it does it only when you are at home, it might be doing it to get extra attention from you.
What to do about your dog sleeping in your spot
Below are some options you have when getting your dog to stop doing it.
Train it to sleep somewhere else
One option would be to use positive reinforcement training to get your dog to lay somewhere else at night. Positive reinforcement training is where you encourage it to behave in a certain way by rewarding it when it shows signs of behaving that way.
Avoid encouraging the behavior
As mentioned above, it could be the case that it has learned that it gets rewards when it does it. Instead, it would help to try to train it to sleep elsewhere, to redirect its focus when it seems like it is about to do it but to avoid giving it rewards when it does sleep there.
Give it another place to sleep
It would also help to give it another place to sleep. The area should be cool, quiet and there should be space for it to lay down. Another option would be to give it a crate to sleep in so that it can go there to feel secure.
Why does my dog lay in my spot?
Your dog likely lays in your spot because it finds your spot comfortable, it has learned that the behavior is rewarded and due to some separation anxiety. The cause might also be due to some dominant behavior if it gets aggressive when you try to move it.
Why does my dog lay in my spot when I get up?
Your dog likely lays in your spot, when you get up, for attention and for rewards. It could also be the case that it does it because it is being dominant if it gets aggressive when you try to move it.