We’re sure most dog owners have one. It’s late at night and you’re getting ready to cuddle with your dog and watch a movie before bed. You invite your dog to cuddle with you, but as soon as he does, he turns his furry bottom toward you and lies with his head away from you.
Every time this happens, pet parents will wonder:
Why is my dog kicking its ass at me? Fido doesn’t want to cuddle with me?
Does my dog hate me because I always stick my ass in his face? This typical behavior is definitely strange to us humans and can be a sign of trouble if you are a partner, but this is normal dog body language.
There are many reasons for this unusual behavior in dogs that pet owners never think about. If you want to stop your dog from rubbing his neck, or you want to know why he likes to lie down like that, read 10 reasons why dogs sleep on their bottoms in front of you.
Why do dogs sleep on their backs? the dog sleeps next to the woman
There are a few reasons why your dog may bump into you when choosing a sleeping position, but rest assured that most of them are natural to your dog.
In most cases, the reason your puppy likes to sleep away from you is because he trusts you and feels safe with you. But there are other reasons for these particular sleep patterns. Let’s take a look at why dogs sleep with their bottoms facing their bodies.
1. For your safety.
Just as we humans are social creatures who thrive on companionship and cooperation with other humans, dogs are natural pack animals. Once they form a strong bond with their human family, it is common for them to want to go everywhere with them and even sleep in the same bed.
They have an instinct to stick with the pack to strengthen human relationships and improve their safety net, which in turn increases the pack’s chances of survival. Your furry friend may see you as the leader of his pack. Since you are the alpha, you can understand why your dog would want to stay close to you for mutual protection. One of the reasons your dog turns his back to you when he sleeps is to position himself in relation to his environment so he can protect you in an emergency.
With your dog’s bottom facing you and his face facing the environment, your dog will feel more prepared to fight any signs of disturbance to protect his loved one.
2. It is not safe.
Another reason why dogs feel they need to sleep with their bottom facing you is that it is a sign of trust and passivity.
A dog’s natural instinct is to scan the environment and locate signs of potential danger in order to react quickly and appropriately. By turning his back on you, your dog is showing his body language that he is not afraid of you hurting him. But on the contrary, he trusts you so much that he trusts that you have his back.
As you look at your dog’s vulnerable back, he watches your face. Another way to tell if your dog trusts you is if he sleeps on his side or back. This means your dog is relaxed enough to let his guard down around you and trust you to protect him while he sleeps.
When a dog sleeps or refuses to sleep, it expresses confidence in many ways. If your puppy relaxes around you, obeys commands, wags his tail and blinks slowly when you make eye contact, this is a clear sign that he feels safe with you and trusts you to be reliable.
Always remember that dogs are good at reading people’s emotional states. If you’re in a bad mood after a long day at work, your dog will definitely notice and trust you less. But if you feel good, your dog will too.
You need to build your dog’s trust in you without doing anything that will negatively affect your relationship. You will also need to spend a lot of time bonding with your dog.
3. For convenience.
The owner stroked the sad dog
We humans sometimes tend to look for a deeper meaning behind certain actions, usually with more complex explanations. Sometimes dogs turn their bottoms towards you when they sleep because they think this is the most comfortable sleeping position.
Just like you need to be comfortable to sleep well, your dog needs to find a comfortable place to lie down. Sometimes you just need your dog to be close to you while they do their work.
You can tell if your dog is comfortable by observing how he behaves while he sleeps. Good signs that your dog is sleeping comfortably are with its bottom facing you, legs outstretched, and breathing slowly and evenly.
This sleeping position is common as dogs are comfortable with their environment and ambient temperature. Another good indicator that your dog is in a deep sleep is if he makes soft purring noises. This means that it is the so-called REM (rapid eye movement) sleep stage where deep sleep and most dreams occur. If you dream of your dog, it is better not to disturb him, even if his bottom is in front of you. You can always put him to sleep some distance away from him. Fun fact: While humans spend an average of 20-25% of their night in REM sleep, dogs spend an average of about 10% of their sleep in REM sleep.
- Flavor labeling.
Another reason many dog breeds sleep with their bottom facing you is because they want to mark you with their scent. All dog breeds have scent glands or anal glands on either side of the anus that release unique pheromones. These pheromones are unique to each dog and only appear as a calling card to other dogs. Your dog can use these scent glands to mark you with its unique scent.
Dogs often scent-mark their owners to let other animals know they are part of the pack. Dogs sniff each other as a greeting or a sign of gratitude.
It may seem disgusting, but it’s a natural behavior that you don’t need to worry too much about. This is another way to show your dog how much he loves you.
However, if your puppy has a habit of urinating or pooping in the house and you want to stop this behavior, read our article on how to potty train a dog.
5. Prevent ingestion.
The owner is petting the dog while lying on the bed
The word ventral is an anatomical term meaning front or bottom, and its counterpart, dorsal, means behind or behind.
Unlike humans who are used to face-to-face contact, most dogs generally dislike abdominal contact. It’s part instinct and part safety aspect why your dog sleeps with his bottom facing you.
If you lie down next to you, your dog may move away from you to better protect you. When you sleep in a dog bed far away, if there is a problem, your dog will quickly turn towards you and close the distance between you.
- Avoid contact with eyes.
If your dog is an introvert or slightly scared, he may sleep with his bottom facing you to avoid eye contact. Dogs and humans see eye contact through different lenses, so don’t take this the wrong way.
When a dog looks into our eyes, our body releases a hormone called oxytocin, which gives us happy feelings of love and connection. However, when looking into a dog’s eyes, it may not understand why without visual or verbal confirmation.
It’s true that sometimes dogs maintain eye contact with their loved ones, but more often than not, they avoid eye contact because it shows a sign of dominance. If your dog avoids your gaze, this may simply be an indicator of passivity and that he thinks you are the dominant person in your relationship.
This can also happen if you have just adopted a puppy and they are still in the socialization phase and need to get used to you and their environment. If so, give your new puppy time to get used to his surroundings and take the time to teach him the “look at me” cue.
Instead of looking into your dog’s eyes, express your affection by making eye contact. Use tasty dog treats and positive reinforcement to help your puppy understand that eye contact is not a sign of aggression or dominance.
Do this to strengthen and strengthen your relationship with your puppy, while also teaching him to be more attentive. Remember to only make eye contact with dogs you know and trust. Unbeknownst to you, your dog interprets this movement as danger or trouble.
7. Searching for love.
Another reason your puppy may turn his bottom toward you is because he or she is asking for love.
There is a common behavior that dogs often exhibit and that is hip thrusting. They want you to stroke their bottom, so they will come closer to you and gently tilt their bottom towards you. It’s no secret that dogs love to be petted all over, but one of the most fun places to pet your dog’s body is on his cute bottom.
Basically, because their buttocks are full of many sensitive nerve endings and are difficult to reach on your own. You will often see your dog lean forward and wag his tail when his bottom is scratched, which is a good indicator of enjoyment.
But not all dogs like their hindquarters. I have a 7 year old chippin (Chihuahua/mini pinscher mix) named Jordan, and although he loved it when he was little, he no longer likes having his bottom scratched.
He loves to have his ears petted, but if someone tries to pet his bottom or underbelly, he will growl and just walk away.
8. Due to flea infestation/anal gland infection.
Remember, if your dog keeps asking to be scratched, there may be something wrong.
Monitor your puppy’s behavior over time. If your dog’s anus has a strange smell or frequently bites, licks or pulls its bottom, this could be a sign of an anal gland infection or flea infestation.
If so, you should take your dog to the vet. Damaged or blocked dog anal glands is one of the most serious dog health problems and if left unchecked can lead to serious bacterial infections and even canine anal gland cancer.
Most dogs were fine, but 15% of dogs had anal sac involvement and sac blockage requiring evacuation by a veterinarian. If the problem is left untreated or continues, it can lead to serious soft tissue damage.
In the case of fleas, these external parasites can hide in the fur around your dog’s buttocks, attach to the skin, feed on your dog’s blood, and lay eggs in the fur. This can irritate the skin around the anus and, if left untreated, can have serious effects on your dog’s health.
Fleas can also affect your health. That’s why it’s important to get the problem under control as quickly as possible before it spreads to your garden and home.
9. You encourage his behavior.
Dogs respond to and learn from positive reinforcement. If you pet your dog’s bottom and talk to him affectionately every time he sleeps, you may be inadvertently encouraging this particular behavior. If this behavior is repeated over time, your dog will want to hold his bottom towards you. Because if you hold it, you’ll always get a nice bottom massage.
If your dog doesn’t mind kicking your ass while he sleeps, he won’t mind either. Your dog will take any opportunity to have a good pee every now and then. However, if your dog doesn’t like sleeping this way and you want to change his behavior, don’t punish him for sleeping or try to move him to another position yourself.
Instead, use positive reinforcement every time you adopt a different sleeping position. If your dog sits on his leg or turns his belly towards you, encourage this behavior more by petting him.
- Your dog needs some space.
Sometimes your puppy needs a little rest. Think about it… if you were having an active day and someone touched you while you were sleeping, you would probably be irritated too.
Even if your dog is looking at you while trying to sleep, if your dog senses that you are looking at him, he may turn his hips towards you so as not to disturb you. When your dog is sleeping, respect his well-being and try to leave him alone. Try to minimize the amount of exercise your dog gets in his environment so he can sleep soundly. Should I sleep in the same bed as my dog?
woman and dog lying in bed
Sleeping in the same bed as your dog is an expression of affection that can help strengthen your relationship. About 50% of dog owners allow their furry friends to jump into their bed. But is it really a good idea?
Thinking big can be a good habit for both you and your dog. Maintaining your dog’s hygiene is very important. Especially if you come from outside. If not, he might not be the only visitor in your bed. Dirt, insects and parasites can also be present, so regular brushing and bathing are necessary. It’s a good idea to wipe your dog’s paws with a wet wipe after going out and before going to bed. Also, preventive treatment should not be neglected. To prevent the presence of parasites, your dog’s veterinarian should establish a deworming and vaccination schedule. In addition to hygiene, we need to consider whether co-sleeping provides adequate rest for both the dog and us.
If you want your dog to sleep in its own bed, carefully choose the right type of dog bed to suit your dog’s needs. They should be a good size, comfortable and well laid out.
Giving them extra pillows and blankets can help them sleep better without having to stay in bed every night. However, there is scientific evidence to support sleeping with your dog as long as proper hygiene is maintained.
As mentioned earlier, cuddling your dog releases a beneficial hormone called oxytocin, which makes you feel calm, relaxed and safe. People who sleep with dogs report less depression, anxiety, loneliness and insomnia.
In addition to turning their bottoms toward you, dogs often adopt sleeping positions that humans are unfamiliar with, such as sleeping on their heads or between their legs. Why do dogs sleep on clothes?
Woman and dog sleeping in bed
There are many reasons why dogs sleep on clothes.
This behavior may stem from the dog’s need for the warmth and comfort that clothing provides, especially during the winter months. Your puppy may choose to sleep on your clothes as a sign that he likes your smell, but in some cases, it may be a sign of separation anxiety.
Your dog usually likes to take your seat because it makes him feel comfortable and safe, but there may be situations where a dog does this to establish dominance in the home, and this should not be encouraged.
final thoughts
The main reason dogs sleep with their bottom facing you is because they feel comfortable, safe and secure when they are with you. It can be said to be the love language of a dog. You really have to try to see it from the dog’s perspective and take it as a compliment. This is a clear sign that your dog loves you, trusts you and feels safe around you. Now that you know why your dog wants to curl up next to you with his bottom facing you, you can be calmer and train your dog to sleep the way you want.
