If your dog often times sits on your head or has just started this behavior, you might probably be wondering why he’s doing it and probably looking for the best way to curb this attitude in your dog?
So, why does my dog sleep under the covers? Boredom is the main reason responsible for this behavior. Dogs do anything and even go to extra lengths when they are bored. It could also be for warmth that is released from your head. Dogs love warmth and feel safer around it.
Since they exhibit this behavior due to several reasons, it would be ideal to learn what motivates your dog to behave this way
Why Does My Dog Sit On My Head?
1. Boredom
Boredom could make a dog do anything. Being intelligent animals that they are, dogs need to be engaged either with mentally or physical activities. In the absence of these, they might look for something to do, and often it’s not something you approve of.
Looking for new and exciting experiences is one of the ways they do to release off their boredom of which is your dog sitting on your head. And you are more likely to experience this situation whenever you’ve left your dog at home all day.
If the reason why your dog sits on your head is boredom, then you may provide him with toys or playthings to occupy them with. Soft, squeaky toys seem to work best as they provide the pseudo-interaction your pooch wants.
2. Wants to be close to you
Dogs have inexplicable affection for their owners and one of the ways they demonstrate this is by being close as possible to you. But at times, this may not be sufficient enough, they just want to be right on top of you. It’s actually a way of your dog connecting with you and letting know that you belong to him by spreading scents through the glands in his feet or rubbing his face against your head.
3. Warmth
The truth is that everyone needs a little bit of warmth every once in a while and dogs are no different. It’s part of their nature to seek warmth even right from when pups are given birth to and the fact is that dogs tend to feel safer when they are warm
It’s possible that your dog may have noticed that your head is actually the part of you that releases most warmth which is just what it requires at that moment. In a situation like this, he is likely going to claw its way up to your head.
4. Seeking Attention
If there is one thing that distinguishes a dog from others, it is the absolute adoration it has for its owners. His life is a continuous search for the best way to please his master and he will not stop until he gets it, even if he has to smash furniture, pee all over the house or bark… and even sit on your head until he gets it.
He could also aim to sit on your head because he has missed especially if he has not seen you all day coupled with the fact that you may have unintentionally ignored his attempts to say an “hi” by pawing you.
5. Dominance
While this theory has been debunked, it is widely believed by some experts that dogs trying to achieve a “higher” status such as your dog sitting on your head are their ways of acting dominant or trying to achieve dominance.
Whether this could be believed or not, all that should interest you is what reasons prompt your dog to behave this way.
6. Learned Behavior
If you don’t know, your pooch is capable of picking up some new behaviors either by learning it from other dogs or by misinterpreting some of your actions. Dogs unlike humans depend on your body languages and actions as a form of communication rather than vocal form.
For this reason, it is possible you’ve rewarded your dog either by giving him treats or your attention when he sat on your head or so close to your head.
Good thing is learned behavior unlike innate behaviors can be forsaken or stopped by proper training.
How can I stop my dog from sleeping under the covers?
In situations when your dog attempts to sit on your only during playtime, there might be no need to discontinue the habit as it might bear no negative consequences.
However, if your dog always requires commands or continuous nudging to avoid him from sleeping on your head, then you might need to do something about this.
Positive reinforcement would be a great way to do this, by offering your dog rewards and treats when he obeys to vacate your head and take him to another location. You can also engage him by taking him for a walk to enjoy that time he craves with you
Don’t Forget About ACTUAL Training
While treats and toys may help to keep your dog busy and stimulate him, they do not replace training. Just like we need to enrich our kiddies, we need to dedicate time to help our dog’s brains develop. It shouldn’t just be entertainment and treats every time!
And training your dog isn’t just about getting them to shake a paw or sit when you ask them to. It should be about making them more intelligent. A more intelligent dog will:
- be more obedient
- have better temperament
- have a stronger bond with you
- learn new skills faster
- not have resistance and anxiety problems
So if you’re a new dog parent to a puppy or adult dog, or you’re just wanting to learn some new skills, I recommend embarking in some sort of training. Professional training, however, can be quite expensive and time-consuming.
I really like this training course (opens a new tab). It’s online, it was created and often updated by a professional dog trainer and it really helps you understand how to better stimulate and enrich your puppy’s (or dog’s) life.
Don’t get me wrong, while applying the techniques in this course won’t make your dog a diva under a week, its slow, gradual method will see your dog transforming into a more intelligent dog that can take instructions obediently and help you to understand how you may be able to make changes in your approaches with training and trying to change behaviors.
It’s completely risk-free on your end, and you’ve got nothing to lose with the 60-day moneyback guarantee. I think a lot of dog parents can benefit from it.
Conclusion
In the end, the choice is fully yours. Your dog sitting on your head or other parts of your body is almost always a good sign which just helps them display love and affection among other things. If there are times when you need to be alone however, you can let your dog know that. It will probably hurt your pet’s feelings a little but it will be fine.
