Jonathan Wingfield – Page 54

9 Reasons Why Your Dog Lays On Top of You We all like to be comfortable. We like our dogs to think we are comfy too. Often, when we go to bed at night, or take a nap during the day, our pets might join us under the covers. It is such a sweet and loving gesture on their part! But it can also become an annoying habit if your dog simply thinks you're a big-as-can-be bed that's just perfect for stretching out and chilling on top of. We understand that this can get frustrating especially if your pooch wakes you up by plopping right down on top of you while he wiggles around and squirms his little body into place against yours so he can get comfortable. You might wake up in a grumpy mood because you want a little personal space. What if your dog does the same thing at the dinner table with you? It has happened, I'm sure! What about on top of your laptop as you're trying to work? Or even right there on your keyboard as you write this article? Yep, our dogs do love to be part of every aspect of our life and they'll often make themselves more comfortable than we would like them too. Why Dogs Lay on Top of Their Owners Let's say that instead of flopping down on us every time we sit down for a meal or try to relax, he gets his own comfy bed and decides that's where he wants to hang out - it might not seem like such a big anymore. He is just showing his love for you and proving his good doggy manners at the same time. If your dog is not making a mess on top of you, or if he does it more when there isn't food involved then you can let him be a little cozy companion. If he causes a problem though, then the following solutions should help him stop this habit: 1. When your dog plops down on top of you tell him "No" firmly and walk away from whatever made him come to join you in the first place. You might have been petting him or otherwise rewarding his bad behavior by letting him keep doing whatever it was that made him feel closer to you. Your attention is what will make him repeat whatever action he took before so pay him no mind. If he comes back, tell him "No" again and keep walking away until he stops following you. Don't give in because your dog will realize that this is a great way to get what he wants! Don't try to pick him up or move him either. He has to learn that being on top of you is bad behavior and it should be avoided by going to his own bed instead of yours. 2. Get a crate so your pup can have a nice, cozy place of his own where all the comforts of home are just as good as those from being with you - including being petted and making itself comfortable. The crate can also serve as a useful tool for when you want some quality time with your dog. When you go to its crate to play, it can learn that being invited is a good thing and walking away from you is the reward for doing so. 3. If your dog's habit of lounging on top of you is related to toys then go through its toy box and remove any that squeak or make other noise which might be giving him some fun times when he gets them out alone. toys should also only be given to him by you, not just because they think they can take them whenever they want - which will encourage him to take even more things away from you! 4. When he does start lounging on top of you again, distract him with something else like his stuffed animal, or just reach out and pet him. Then take that toy away from him and put it back in the box to be given to him for good behavior later. 5. If your dog is chewing something you don't want chewed, ignore any barking he does to get your attention while he gets his way with whatever it is you gave him earlier - like giving him a treat when he sits so now he thinks he should sit every time before getting anything! If there are no rewards for bad behavior then there will be none of that either! 6. As much as people might think these dogs are cute helping themselves to whatever they like, they're not doing this because they're evil little (although if you don't train them this behavior will get them into a lot of trouble) They're doing it because they get something out of the deal. Their reward might be your attention, but his can also come from you becoming angry and putting him in his place with a firm "No". 7. If your dog is just taking items that he knows aren't treats then they're probably not getting any reward for whatever they're doing in order to get these things back - which is why you need to correct bad behavior and not just ignore it! 8. You'll want to make sure when you tell your dog "No" when he's attached himself to you, that there's no way he can still get away with the misbehavior either. If you grab his collar to move him away from you he might think that pulling against the pressure makes it okay to stay there, so you'll need to hold whatever he's fiddling with to remove him safely. 9. If all else fails and your dog is just being a pain in the neck because he can't handle being left by himself then get an anti-bark spray or collar that works by giving off a sudden noise or electrical shock when barking occurs. It won't harm your pup but it will give them an effective way of learning what they're doing wrong without having to rely on physical correction - which if done too much could lead them not to listen at all!