Ever asked yourself, “Why Does My Dog Like To Sleep Between My Legs?” Before researching and writing this blog post, I have always wondered why my Boston Terrier likes sleeping or laying between my legs.
If you’re also wondering why your dog sleeps between your leg, don’t go anywhere; this article is for you.
A dog sleeping between its owner’s legs is both adorable and heart-warming. It’s one of those things we love about man’s best friend because it shows how close they are to their pet.
There are some reasons why dogs like to sleep between owners legs. This is because dogs consider people’s legs as their own dog friends.
However, some dog breeds like to sleep between the owner’s legs without any special reason.
One dog lover says that her dog sleeps between her legs, even though she has three dogs at home and many dog beds for them to choose from.
This woman thinks it’s probably the best place in the house for her dog to sleep where it can get more warmth and comfort than anywhere else.
When this dog barks or whines outside of the door before coming in, this dog runs straight under a bed or table to go somewhere dark instead of going into a lit room with space available.
Sometimes when the dog’s sleeping in another room, this dog will come in just for a second to sleep between her legs again.
This dog isn’t the only dog that sleeps between legs. A dog breed called Boston Terrier will love to sleep between the owner’s leg, even sometimes waking up the owner to ask for sleeping next to their leg.
Some owners have noticed this dog behavior. But why do dogs sleep like this in the first place? There are a number of reasons.
Reasons Why Does My Dog Like To Sleep Between My Legs?
Dogs are known to do lots of unusual things like sniffing crotches, hanging their heads outside a moving car, circling before lying down, whining in the car, staring at you while pooping and so on. Your furry friend might also like to sleep between your legs.
Here are the reasons why your dog likes to sleep between your leg.
1. Dogs sleep like this to stay warm
Whether curled up or stretched out, your dog will sleep with his body pressed against yours for warmth. This behaviour is especially common in breeds with thick coats such as huskies and golden retrievers; however, almost all dog breeds can be found sleeping like this from time to time.
Think about it; the place between your legs are warm and comfy. This can be beneficial to them, mostly in the winter seasons.
Humans legs are soft, warm and fleshy; dog breeds like Chihuahua find this beneficial during cold seasons because they can’t regulate their body heat properly. They tend to feel like a baby in their mother’s warm embrace.
2. Dogs sleep like this due to pack instincts.
Dogs sleep in groups in the wild and sleep like this to stay close to their pack. In the dog’s mind, if you’re part of its pack, you’re probably a pretty important member – therefore, he will sleep near you for safety and security.
This behaviour is especially prevalent in dogs that sleep outside at night (such as guard dogs), where they sleep with one eye open and one ear listening for danger.
3. Dogs sleep like this due to human contact.
A lot of small dog breeds were bred specifically as companion animals – think lapdogs such as French Bulldogs, Pugs and Pomeranians. These cute little pooches love nothing more than cuddling up with their humans on the sofa or in bed – so it’s no surprise they enjoy sleeping in between their owner’s legs.
4. Dogs sleep like this to protect their owner
Many dog breeds are protective of their human counterparts and will sleep in the same position every night so they can watch over them while they sleep.
This behaviour is especially common amongst working breeds such as German Shepard Dogs, Rottweilers and Doberman Pinschers.
There’s also some evidence suggesting that dogs instinctively sleep like this for safety reasons; by sleeping like this, these breeds protect vital organs (such as the heart) from potential predators or attackers.
5. It’s simply how your dog feels most comfortable
A lot of pet behaviour (especially when it comes to sleep) seems strange to us humans but makes perfect sense to your dog – who would sleep like this if they could get away with it. After all, some humans sleep like this!
It’s not unusual for your dog to sleep like this every now and then (such as when he gets excited during playtime or gets stressed before an important trip to the vet), but it is fairly common for dogs to sleep in between their owner’s legs at night too – especially small breeds who need a lot of contact and reassurance.
If you’re worried about your dog spending too much time sleeping in certain areas (such as between your legs!), try moving his bed around. Hence, sleep becomes associated with multiple locations within his sleep environment.
Dog behaviour is fascinating, isn’t it? Now you know why your dog sleeps between your legs – even if he’s snoring!
If you don’t want your dog sleeping between your legs, or you want to stop your dog’s behavior by sleeping between your legs, then you need to have some dog training tips.
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Here are 5 dog training tips on how to stop your dog from sleeping between your legs
1. Avoid giving attention to this behavior
There must be a reason why your dog sleeps between your legs. It might be quite familiar with people’s legs, or the dog’s favorite spot is where it gets attention.
So, if you want to stop a dog’s behavior and stop sleeping between your legs, then first avoid giving any attention to this dog behavior.
2. Don’t let the dog on your bed
If you are fine with a dog sleeping between your legs or love that dog’s behavior, then it is up to you, but if the dog always sleeps between your legs, you have to change that behavior.
To avoid a dog from sleeping between your legs, don’t let the dog sleep with you on the bed; do not encourage this as behavior. It will be wise to ban your dog from your bedroom.
3. Remove the dog from between your legs if the dog is persistent.
If it looks like the dog will sleep between your legs again, you have to stop the dog.
To avoid dogs from sleeping between your legs, pick up the dog and place it on its bed or room.
4. Make the dog comfortable in its bed.
To make a dog stop sleeping in this position, make sure that the dog feels more comfortable in its dog bed. Constantly sleeping between your legs can mean that your dog isn’t comfortable in its bed.
5. Do not let the dog on the couch.
Dogs always want to be warm and cozy, so if it is cold outside, most dogs prefer sleeping between people’s legs and getting all of the warmth.
As you may know, some owners love to sleep on the couch, and it will be tiring to wake up in the middle of the night and see your dog’s weight between or across your leg. So, it would help if you banned your dog from the couch.
5. Train your dog to lay down in a designated area
If a dog sleeps between your legs, the best way to stop it is to train the dog to sleep in designated areas of your house.
So the dog will not be more likely to go into that position again, then spend time with the dog after training and give the dog treats or play with him/her for doing what you want him/her to do.
If you follow these 5 dog training tips, you will be able to change your dog’s behavior pretty quickly and stop the dog from sleeping between your legs.
