If your dog has been walking into your legs a lot, this post will show you likely reasons why and what you can do about them.
So, why does my dog walk into my legs? Likely reasons why your dog walks into your legs are that it makes your dog feel safer and that it is trying to get attention from you.
There are actually a number of possible reasons why your dog walks into your legs and it might be due to a combination of them. However, there are a number of things you can consider to help figure out the main cause and there are a number of things you can do about it.
Why does my dog walk into my legs?
Below are likely reasons why your dog has been walking into your legs and what would make each of them more likely.
Your dog wants attention
A likely cause is that your dog wants attention from you and it has learned that walking into your legs results in you giving it attention. This would be more likely if your dog tends to walk into your legs when you have not been giving it much attention and if you tend to give it more attention when it does it.
Security
Another possible cause is that touching you makes your dog feel safer. This would be more likely if your dog does it when there are other people or animals around but it could also be the cause if it does it throughout the day. It would also be more likely if your dog also does things such as follow you around the house even after getting food and exercise.
Encouraging the behavior
It could also be the case that your dog has learned that the behavior gets rewarded. If you tend to give your dog things such as toys, treats, or extra attention, when it walks into your legs, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards. Instead, it would help to reward your dog when it behaves the way you want it to and to avoid rewarding it when it does not.
Your dog wants something from you
Another possible cause is that your dog wants something from you and your dog is trying to remind you to give it to it. This would be more likely if your dog tends to do it more before getting fed or before getting exercise.
Anxiety
The reason why it does it might be that it has some separation anxiety. This is where it does not like being left alone and the prospect of being left alone causes it to become anxious. This would be more likely to be the reason if your dog tends to do it more when you are about to leave home and if it gets anxious when you are leaving.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main reason why your dog has been doing it.
If your dog has always walked into your legs
If your dog has not always walked into your legs, it would help to consider what else happened when your dog first started doing it. If your dog has started doing it suddenly, it might be due to things such as a change in its environment causing it to get anxious or learning that the behavior is rewarded. If you have not owned your dog for long, it could also be a sign that your dog has become more comfortable around you.
The timing of when your dog walks into your legs
It would also help to consider the timing of when it does it since the timing might also have something to do with it. For example, if it tends to do it more when you are leaving home, it would be more likely to be due to separation anxiety.
The body language your dog shows
It would also help to consider the body language your dog shows when walking between your legs. If it shows signs of being relaxed, it would be more likely to be that it is being affectionate or doing it because it finds it comfortable. Whereas, if it shows signs of being anxious, such as by hiding its tail or whining, it would be more likely that something is causing it to be anxious or submissive.
What to do about your dog walking into your legs
Below are options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Avoid encouraging it
As mentioned above, it might be the case that your dog has learned that walking into your legs results in you giving it extra attention. Instead, it would help to ignore your dog when it does it and to give it attention when it behaves the way you want it to.
Limit reasons why it might be anxious
If your dog has been showing signs of being anxious, it would also help to limit possible reasons why it might be anxious. Things to do could include feeding it, letting it pee and exercising it before leaving it and letting it stay in a room that is not too loud and where it can lay down.
Redirect its focus
Another option would be to try to redirect its focus towards something else whenever it is about to bury its head between your legs. Things to redirect its focus towards could include toys or a bone. Doing this could get it out of the habit of burying its head into you.
Why does my dog hit my legs?
Likely reasons why your dog hits your legs are that it is trying to get attention from you, it wants something from you such as food or that it is anxious.
Why does my dog hug my legs?
Likely reasons why your dog hugs your legs are that your dog wants attention from you, it wants something like food from you or that it is anxious.
Why does my dog push itself into my legs?
Likely reasons why your dog pushes itself into your legs are that it is feeling anxious, it makes your dog feel safer, or that it has learned that the behavior is rewarded.
Why does my dog walk between my legs?
It is likely that your dog has learned that walking between your legs is rewarded. Your dog might also do it because it is feeling anxious and walking between your legs makes it feel safer. It could also be the case that your dog does not see any problem with walking through your legs if it does it when it is walking past you.