Does your dog still sleep next to you? In the same room? Or do you sleep between your legs? In any case, the reasons for this behavior are related to the type of relationship you’ve established with it and the relationship you’ve created. In this way, a dog will always sleep with the person or people he likes the most, and if you are one of them, you must feel very lucky!
- There are many reasons why your dog sleeps next to you.
- In your room or on your pillow.
- However.
- They are all related to the attachment that dogs can feel for their guardians.
- Yes.
- This relationship that we consider unique to the human being also occurs with animals.
- Especially with those who have gone through a domestication process.
- Such as dogs and cats.
- Studies such as that carried out by Topel.
- J.
- Miklsi.
- Csunyi.
- V.
- And D’ka.
- A.
- [1].
- In which the famous Ainsworth test was performed for children with more than 50 dogs and their owners.
- Show that most dogs.
- When they see themselves without their reference character.
- Exhibit behaviors typical of the attachment that a child can feel for their parents.
Now that you know that your dog sleeps with you mainly because it feels attached to you, let’s see in more detail what motivates this habit or behavior.
A primeira coisa que você precisa entender para compreender porque seu cachorro dorme com você é que se trata de um animal social, de matilha, que em estado selvagem, dormiria em grupos. Como o cachorro não é um animal solitário, esse hábito “curioso” é de sua natureza. De fato, se você mora com mais de um cachorro e o relacionamento entre eles é bom, certamente já observou que eles nunca dormem sozinhos. A maioria deles dorme com seus humanos ou dormem juntos na mesma cama ou no mesmo quarto.
As we said in the previous section, the dog is a cargo animal, which cares for its companions, cares for them and communicates with them in their own language. So, in addition to all the other reasons, sleeping together has one important function: protecting each other.
Sleep is one of the most exposed times and therefore we are the most vulnerable. For this reason, many dogs prefer to sleep near or with their humans, to protect them in case of problems. This is a natural behavior of the species. If you think your dog likes to sleep with you for that, but you don’t want me to keep sleeping in the same bed, put his bed next to yours.
If your dog is still sleeping with you, it means you give it security and confidence. He’s comfortable with you and sees you as aver referrer to follow, who he can trust. So it’s no wonder that, in addition to sharing your sleep time with you, your dog follows you everywhere.
Dogs like to feel hot, so many prefer to sleep with their humans and go under the sheet to the hottest place in bed. And if your dog is still sleeping against you or you, that could also be the reason! Similarly, if your dog sleeps between your legs, it may be because it looks for precisely that heat.
We also see this search for heat during the day, when they lie in the areas of the house where the sun’s rays penetrate. This behavior, of course, has more reasons than those mentioned.
Have you checked the comfort of his bed? If you’re not comfortable, it’s normal to find a more comfortable place to sleep, such as your bed, sofa or pillow. This way, if your dog is sleeping on the pillow, it’s time to check your own mattress!
In those cases it is best to buy a comfortable bed, place it next to yours and leave a blanket to make sure the dog has the necessary heat. Also, if you prefer to stop sleeping in yours, you can check out the article on teaching a dog to sleep in their bed or watch this video:
In short, if your dog sleeps with you, it means he loves you. He likes to feel your warmth, he feels safe with you, he wants to protect you and transmit all his love to you. Sleeping together is one of the greatest expressions of love and also helps strengthen the bond. Even if your bed is the most awkward in the world, if the dog doesn’t like its humans or if they don’t provide security, it won’t sleep with them.
However, even if the reasons why your dog sleeps with you or in your room are lovely, is it really that good? Here’s what we can do below.
Sleeping in the same bed is a habit that can be positive for both of you, as long as certain problems are taken into account. For example, it is very important to maintain good animal hygiene, especially after walks. Otherwise, all the dirt on your paws will go to your bed and you. With the coat, it is important to be the same care, so it is necessary to brush it daily to control the fall and, therefore, prevent your sheets from filling with dead hair.
On the other hand, you should never neglect preventive medicine, as there are parasites that dogs can pass on to humans, such as fleas and ticks. In this way, you must deworm the animal according to the instructions of the veterinarian to avoid the presence of parasites.
In addition to hygiene, you should ask yourself whether sleeping together really provides a suitable rest for the animal and for you, because, depending on the conditions and dimensions of the bed, this may not be the most recommended. So, if this is your case, you can always place the animal’s bed next to yours so that your dog can sleep in the same room, feel safe and protected.
However, if the dog suffers from separation anxiety or high blood pressure, sleeping with him is not good because it reinforces this behavior that is not positive for him. In such cases, it is necessary to go to a canine educator or ethologist to treat the basic problem, because stopping sleeping together is not the only solution.
For more information, read the article “Sleeping with my dog, is it bad?”
If you want to read more articles similar to 6 reasons why your dog sleeps with you, we recommend that you enter our Curiosities of the Animal World section.