Many dog behavior experts, including the Dog Whisperer himself, Cesar Milan, believe this usurping of personal space is indicative of assertive dominance behavior. In other words, your dog is trying to lay claim to leadership of the pack by expanding his personal space into yours. Dogs need to know whos in charge of the pack, and if he doesnt pick up the “boss” vibes from you, hell take it upon himself to assume control.
Some dogs are just snuggle-craving babies, and arent suffering from any anxiety or feeling that they need to dominate you when they lean against you. These dogs are just after some love. They may rub against you or push their nose into your hand as they lean, all signs that they dont feel youre giving them the amount of attention and affection they deserve. Yes, the experts will claim that these could all be dominance behaviors, but you know your dog best and can tell if hes being pushy or just snuggly.
Depending on the situation surrounding this behavior, you may not have much of a problem with your dogs leaning tendencies. But if hes a large dog, or is against you all the time, you may want to discourage this behavior. The most basic way to discourage his leaning is to take control of the situation. Ignore him completely when he wants attention and do not give in when he seeks affection. Assert yourself in a confident manner to assume the role of the leader. Redirect his attention when hes being lean-happy, such as by telling him to fetch a toy or go to his bed. You can play with him and give affection, but do it on your terms, not when he demands it by pressing against you.
On the flip side, your dog could be acting like a canine barnacle because he does view you as the leader and needs support when hes afraid. Thunderstorms, vacuum cleaners and unfamiliar areas are just a few things that might give your dog the urge to share the same space as you. Hell press against you to have that tactile feeling of something safe and familiar, and seek comfort with the leader of his pack.
What does it mean when a dog pushes their head into you?
Dogs have scent glands in their faces so when your dog nudges you with his head, he is marking you with his scent to signal other dogs to keep off. … It is therefore safe to say that your dog can nuzzle you because you exhibit negative emotions, but this empathy can also extend to others.
How do you know when your dog is protecting you?
When a dog is protecting a person, he’s reacting to a dog or person approaching the pet owner and himself. Protective dog behavior manifests differently for different dogs. Dogs will either freeze, glare at the approaching person, snarl, show teeth, snap or even bite.