Why does my dog suddenly want to sleep with me?

If your dog suddenly wants to sleep with you, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you a number of possible causes and what you can do about it. 

So, why does my dog suddenly want to sleep with me? Possible reasons why your dog suddenly wants to sleep with you are that it is anxious, there is an issue with the room it sleeps in, it is fearful of something or that you have inadvertently encouraged it to sleep with you.

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 main cause, it should become a lot easier to get it to stop doing it. 

Reasons why your dog suddenly wants to sleep with you

Below are a number of possible reasons why your dog has been doing it and what would make each of them more likely to be the main reason. 

Anxiety

The cause could be that something has been causing it to be anxious at night. This would be more likely if it has also been showing signs of being anxious such as pacing or crying at night. It could be the case that it has gotten some separation anxiety which would be more likely if it has started doing it since you have been leaving it alone for longer during the day.

Encouraging the behavior

It might also be the case that it has learned that it gets things that it wants when it sleeps with you. If you tend to give it rewards, when it sleeps with you, such as toys, treats or extra attention, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards.

An issue with the room it sleeps in

The cause could also be that there is an issue with the room it sleeps in. The room might be too bright, too loud or too hot. An issue with the room it sleeps in would be more likely if your dog has suddenly started sleeping with you since there was a change with the room it normally sleeps in. 

Fearfulness

The cause could also be that something has been causing it to be fearful at night. This would be more likely if your dog has been doing it since a change in its environment such as if you got another pet or if it has suddenly become noisy, at night, outside.

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 sleeping on you

It would help to consider what else happened when your dog first started sleeping with you since there could have been an event that caused it to start doing it. For example, if it started doing it when you got another pet it could be the case that the other pet has been causing it to be anxious or fearful at night.

What is different when it does not do it

If it does not always try to sleep with you at night, it would also help to consider what is different when it does not do it. For example, if it only does it when there are noises such as thunder or fireworks outside, it could be the case that the noises are causing it to be fearful.

The body language it shows

It would also help to consider what sort of body language it shows when it does it. If it shows signs of being anxious such as crying, making itself appear small or hiding behind you, it would be more likely that it is doing it due to something causing it to be anxious or fearful. Whereas, if it is relaxed, when it sleeps with you, it would be more likely that it does it naturally because it feels more secure around you.

What to do about your dog sleeping on you

Below are some things you can do in order to get your dog to stop trying to sleep with you at night.

Avoid encouraging it 

As mentioned above, it could be the case that it has learned that the behavior gets rewarded. Instead, it would help to reward it when it sleeps where you want it to sleep and to avoid giving it things such as extra attention when it tries to sleep with you.

Give it another place to sleep

It could also help to give it more options of where to sleep at night. It would also help to ensure that the room it sleeps in is not too hot, bright or loud. 

Reduce reasons why it might be anxious

It might also be the case that it has been being anxious at night, it would help to try to limit possible reasons why it has been being anxious. Things you could do would include ensuring that it is able to pee before going to bed and that it can get fed and exercised adequately during the day.