If your canine has been nuzzling up to you in bed, you may be curious about the reasons behind it and how to address the behavior. This article will explore several potential explanations and factors that could contribute to this habit.

Wondering why your furry friend leans on you in bed? Possible explanations for this behavior include protection, increased sense of safety and comfort, separation anxiety, or learned behavior resulting in rewards.

Considering the factors that increase the likelihood of each possible cause can be helpful in identifying why your dog leans on you in bed, and once you have determined the primary cause, it will be easier to train your dog to stop doing it.

Why your dog leans on you in bed

Here are several potential reasons and the factors that could increase their likelihood.

Encouraging the behavior

It is possible that your dog has learned to associate Leaning against you while sleeping with receiving rewards. If you typically give your dog belly rubs or other forms of attention when it leans on you, then it is likely to continue the behavior in order to receive more rewards.

It makes it feel safer

One reason your dog leans on you in bed could be to feel safer. As pack animals, dogs have evolved to spend time around other dogs and people in their pack, so being near you can provide a sense of security.

It is being protective

The reason why your dog leans on you could be that it is being protective. This would be more likely if it tends to do it more when there are other people or animals around and if it can get overly protective around them.

Separation anxiety

The reason your dog leans on you in bed might be due to separation anxiety, which causes it to feel anxious when left alone. If your dog tends to do this more around the time you usually leave home and becomes anxious during your departures, it is likely that it wants to be woken up when you leave.

Dominance

Many people assume that their dogs lean on them in bed because they are attempting to be dominant. However, research has debunked the alpha/beta dynamic, demonstrating that wolves alternate in taking the lead.

Things to consider

When trying to determine the primary cause of your dog’s behavior, there are several factors to take into account.

What else happened when your dog first started leaning on you in bed

Think about when your canine companion began leaning on you in bed, as it could be that something happened to prompt the behavior.

There are several factors to take into account:

• If you moved home
• In the event that another person relocated
• In case there is a change in your dog’s daily routine
• Suppose you have changed your working schedule.

By considering the instances mentioned earlier, it would increase the probability of separation anxiety being the underlying reason.

What is different when it does not do it

It might be beneficial to take into account the timing of your dog’s leaning behavior towards you in bed, as it could potentially be a factor contributing to this behavior.

One reason your dog may lean on you in bed is to wake up when it’s time for feeding or walking, especially if it tends to do so more before these activities.

What to do about your dog leaning on you in bed

If you wish to prevent your dog from leaning on you while sleeping, here are some choices available to you.

Avoid rewarding it

If your dog leans on you in bed for attention, try not to reward it with attention. Instead, stop it from leaning on you, wait until it calms down, and then give it attention. Repeat this process if it happens again to teach your dog that leaning on you won’t get rewards.

Training your dog with positive reinforcement to stand or sit somewhere else can be helpful in redirecting its focus when it is likely to start leaning on you in bed.

Give it another place to sleep

Moreover, you may consider providing your dog with an alternative sleeping spot. Alternatively, crate training can also be a viable solution as it offers a secure space for your dog.

Train it not to do it

You can also instruct your canine not to lean on you, in bed, by training it to sit or lay elsewhere. You can do this by teaching it to sit or to lay down somewhere and then by gradually teaching it to remain there over longer and longer time frames.

To accomplish this, you can utilize the identical methods demonstrated in the video presented below: