Why is my dog so affectionate in the morning?

If your dog is very affectionate in the morning, this post will show you why and what you can do about it.

So, why is my dog so affectionate in the morning? The most likely reasons why your dog is very affectionate in the morning are that your dog is hungry and/or that it has separation anxiety.

There are actually a number of possible reasons why your dog is very affectionate in the morning and it might be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are a number of things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are a number of things you can do about it.

Why is my dog so affectionate in the morning?

Below are a number of possible reasons why your dog is so affectionate in the morning and what would make them more likely.

Hunger or thirst

The cause is likely to be that your dog is hungry and thirsty. This would be more likely if your dog is affectionate before you have fed it and given it water and less affectionate after. In this case, it could help to give your dog food earlier and to give it access to water during the night.

Separation anxiety

Another possible cause is that your dog has some separation anxiety. This is where your dog does not like being separated from you and being separated from you causes it to become anxious. This would be more likely if your dog does not sleep with you and it starts getting anxious when you are going to bed.

Encouraging the behavior

It might also be the case that your dog has learned that the behavior is rewarded. If you tend to give it things such as extra attention, toys, or treats, when your dog is affectionate in the morning, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards.

Affection

The cause could just be that your dog is glad to see you in the morning and it causes your dog to get excited. This would be more likely if your dog is only very affectionate for a few minutes in the morning and it doesn’t seem to be doing it because it wants to get fed.

Things to consider

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

If your dog has always been affectionate in the morning

If your dog has not always been very affectionate in the morning, it would help to consider what else happened when your dog first started doing it. If it started being affectionate suddenly, it might be the case that there was an event that caused it to start doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it might be because you stopped letting it sleep with you or you stopped feeding it as early as normal in the morning.

What is different when your dog is not affectionate in the morning

If your dog is not always affectionate in the morning, it would help to consider what is different when it is not affectionate. For example, if it is not affectionate when it sleeps where you sleep, the cause could be separation anxiety.

What to do about your dog being affectionate in the morning

Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.

Feed it sooner

It is likely that your dog is affectionate because it wants to get fed. If your dog has to wait a long time to get fed, in the morning, it could help to feed it sooner in the morning. It would also help to ensure that it has access to water throughout the night.

Avoid encouraging it

As mentioned above, it might be the case that it has learned that the behavior is rewarded. If you do not want it to be so affectionate, it would help to avoid rewarding it until it is calm.

Limit reasons why it might be anxious

If it seems to be doing it due to some separation anxiety, it would also help to limit reasons why it might be anxious without you. Ways to do so could include ensuring that the room it sleeps in is not too hot, bright or loud.