What To Do About Dogs That Stand Over Feet
Luckily, most dogs are fun to work with and usually (with patience and effort) not too hard to train. If you’ve decided you don’t want your dog to stand over your feet there are many ways you can correct your dog’s behavior.
Of course, the first step you need to take is to figure out why your dog is standing over your feet. If your dog is scared you’ll probably want to use a different corrective method than if your dog is asserting dominance.
After you’ve determined the cause, use one or more of the following methods to help your dog realize you don’t want him standing over your feet.
This is easier said than done but if your dog is after your attention it can be an effective way for your dog to learn that standing over your feet won’t get him what he wants. By completely ignoring him when he’s standing over your feet you will let him know that this isn’t the way to get your attention.
Being aggressive verbally, and especially physically, as a way to train your dog is not as effective as most other methods. If your dog is standing over your feet and you want him to learn not to, being aggressive will only serve to scare, confuse, or even hurt your dog without teaching him the behavior you want.
Additionally, being aggressive about getting your dog to not stand over your feet is likely to increase tensions and the situation will escalate between you and your dog as your dog becomes more confused about what is going on.
This should be used as part of many methods, but usually, a firm (don’t yell!) voice and deliberate actions are enough to get the point across that you’re serious about your dog.
You need to be the one in charge and let your dog know that you are and that you do not want him to continue hovering above your feet.
Your Dog Wants To Be Near You
Dogs are emotionally close to their owners and they usually prefer to be physically close to their owners as well. Standing over your feet is an excellent way to do so. However, the root motivation for wanting to be close to you, and standing over your feet can stem from more than one reason.
This probably doesn’t need much of an explanation. Your dog loves you, he wants to be close to you, and standing over your feet is an easy way to do so. You likely see many other signs of affection too. Sometimes he’ll do them while standing over your feet, other times you’ll witness them throughout the day. Wagging his tail when he sees you, following you around the house, sleeping next to you, and leaning against you are all signs that your dog loves you.
Sure, dogs bark a big game but sometimes they get scared. Heck, some dogs are even afraid of flies! When dogs are scared they may do a number of things to reassure themselves, including trying to be close to their owners.
If your dog is standing over your feet because he’s scared, you’ll likely see other signs too. He may have his tail between his legs, his ears may be down, and he may be shaking.
Some dogs require specific situations to unfold in the ‘correct’ order, and when they don’t see it or believe it is being carried out correctly, they will try their best to put things in the way they feel they should be.
One possible motive for your dog standing over you could be that he is trying to control the situation. This can sometimes be seen when dogs are around puppies. One way that dogs handle energetic puppies is by standing over them to regain control and direct the puppies.
If your dog is standing over your feet, it could be as a way to correct your or something else’s behavior or ‘right’ the situation back to where your dog feels comfortable.
Okay, maybe not spoiled. But dogs do like to get attention, especially the good kind that comes with pets, ear scratches, belly rubs, and treats!
Your dog might also take charge and try to tell you something. In this case, your dog is likely wanting your attention. This can be for a few reasons, but most likely he just wants some loving pets from you. You’ll probably see other signs that your dog wants your attention too. He may paw at you, or make a little noise.
As part of your pack, your dog will feel the need to protect you. Dogs have a natural instinct to protect their pack and if your dog feels that you are in danger, he may try to put himself between you and the threat as a way to protect you.
On the other side of the coin, as part of your pack, when your dog is uneasy he may expect you to protect him.
Often your dog protecting you and your dog looking to be closer to you for protection will manifest themselves in the same way with your dog standing over your feet.
As much as we humans want to assign order and meaning to everything we observe, when it comes to dogs, that doesn’t always work. Sometimes, they just do things because they’re dogs!
Your dog may have started standing over your feet for any reason I went over above, or maybe even a completely different reason like he learned it by watching other dogs. The reason may have long passed but your dog still stands over your feet because he got in the habit of doing so.
Set Rules, Limitations, And Boundaries:
Train your dog within your set rules and limitations so that he knows how he should behave, what are his limitations. Also, make him realize the set boundaries so that he doesn’t invade your personal space and stays in his area.
The Meaning Behind 21 Strangest Dog Behaviors | Jaw-Dropping Facts about Dogs
Do you often find that while you’re lying on your bed or relaxing on the couch that your dog is suddenly looming over you or even decides to stand on you?
This may not be such a big deal when your pet is a puppy, but once it grows (especially if it’s a larger breed), it can prove inconvenient or even downright painful!
There are actually a wide variety of reasons why your dog may participate in this behavior and it’s important to be perceptive as to when it happens in order to determine which reason is behind it.
We will take a look at many reasons behind this activity, so the next time you wonder, “Why does my dog stand over me like this?” you will have the information you need to determine that for yourself.
Canines can be aggressive creatures by nature (some more than others) and that does not merely correspond with their relationships with other dogs.
Sometimes they want you to know they are the boss. They can typically employ the same behavior with a human that they do with other dogs when wanting to demonstrate who is the dominant or stronger in the relationship.
Some signs of this behavior can be when your dog tries to keep his body higher than yours, especially his head, when you’re reclining or in a similar position. Also, if he puts one paw up on your shoulder, then it can be a sign that he’s trying to say that he is Alpha here.
Watch to see if he makes attempts to move you or nudge you out of the way as this can also be a sign he is attempting to show dominance over you. Also look for other dominant behaviors, with other dogs or in general, such as growling when anyone approaches his toys or food, or whether he tries to take down or stand over other dogs as well.
Sometimes his behavior is actually more for his own security and well-being than any attempt to show you who is in charge. If your puppy made a habit of climbing onto you (often trembling) when afraid, this may simply be the grown-up version of that.
To discover if this is the cause, watch your dog’s behavior when it stands over you and if possible, any stimuli that may have occurred just beforehand. That might be a clue that something has frightened your pet and he is looking for comfort.
Rather than having any emotional significance, your dog standing over you could just be an attempt to let you know that he needs something from you.
That may be a trip outside to potty, food, a walk outside, play time, or any number of different things. After all, when he climbs on top of you or stands over you, he earns your attention immediately.
If he tries to nudge or lick your mouth in addition to standing over you, this may be a clue that it’s food he’s after. The same may be true if he tries to climb on you when you’re trying to eat.
Monitor the times when this takes place to see if it corresponds with mealtimes or extended times without potty breaks, etc. That will help you figure out if this is just your dog’s way of letting you know there’s something he wants or needs.
Believe it or not, your dog’s standing over you may simply indicate that he’s trying to keep you safe. There may be something nearby that he views as a threat and he is standing over you to keep that threat at bay.
If this behavior occurs when other dogs or around or other people, especially those he doesn’t know very well, this may be all he is doing. He values you and he wants to ensure that you are safe from harm.
It is possible that you have unintentionally trained your dog to do this behavior as a puppy or perhaps are in the process of training your canine companion to do this every day.
This usually involves you rewarding the dog for this behavior in some way, whether you meant to or not. This may involve giving him attention when he does this, affection, or even a treat.
Therefore, he may be trying to get some more. If your dog often craves attention, then this simply may be a way to get that attention from him.
Furthermore, he may be trying to make you happy if you have reacted in a way that makes him think you liked when he stood over you before.
Take into account when the behavior first began and pay attention to when it tends to take place. This may be some clue as to which of the categories that this behavior falls under.
If you do not approve of this behavior, there are ways to retrain your dog to behave differently.
You may have to train the dog to lay down or sit in a specific place at your command, so you can give this order anytime he tries to stand over you. That may let him understand this is not appropriate behavior.
If nothing else, a professional trainer can work with your canine to train him so that he understands that this behavior is inappropriate.
Your dog is important to you, and you want to have the best experience in your relationship as possible. This may involve modification of his behavior, so even though it can be a difficult road, training your furry friend in how he should act is not only important for your sake, but can keep your pal safe.
For example, dominant behavior can put your dog at risk for fighting with other dogs, especially those who are considerably larger. As this often takes place outside, it might also be a good precaution to get a GPS tracking collar, such as those provided by Fi. Whatever the reason, it’s a good idea to be able to find your dog in the event that he is missing. Welcome back! You’ve successfully signed in. Great! You’ve successfully signed up. Your link has expired Success! Check your email for magic link to sign-in.