What exactly does it mean when the dog lays at your feet? In this article, we’ll go over the reason behind this behavior.
Your dog is your best furry friend, but sometimes these fluffy creatures do things you don’t understand. For example, why your dog rejects his plush doggie bed and chooses to curl up on your feet instead?
Why does your dog do this, and is it something you should be worried about?
If your dog loves to sleep with his head lying on your feet, rest assured that you are not alone. Countless dog owners report feet being their dog’s favorite resting area.
Of course, because dogs can’t speak the same language as us, we can’t just ask them why our feet are their perfect spot to sleep, but at least there are some educated guesses we can make.
Why Does A Dog Lay at Your Feet?
Generally speaking, keeping close to your feet is normal dog behavior and isn’t something you should be worried about. The act of laying, sitting, or sleeping by your feet comes from their “pack instinct.”
Dogs used to live in the wild, and they survived without our help. Instead, they relied on living in packs, which would have helped them hunt, stay protected, reproduce, and survive.
Sitting and laying at your feet can be a behavior instilled in their DNA. There is always a hierarchy in the wild, and for your dog, it’s the same in your household. You are the pack leader, and your dog knows this.
When it comes to sleeping or resting, the pack leader always has the best spot. The rest of the dogs would lay close by the pack leader.
The pack leader is considered the most valuable of the group, and while the leader has the responsibility of protecting the pack, the pack often protects the leader just as much.
Since you are the alpha, the dog must lay at your feet once you’ve found your comfortable spot.
Lying on your feet tells you that dogs respect you as their leader of the pack and want to lay at your feet as a sign of that.
Additionally, if your dog likes to lie while facing your feet, it may be their way of keeping watch at night. After all, if your heads face opposite directions, you’re twice as likely to catch a predator sneaking up on you.
Dogs sleep by an owner’s feet as a mark of affection and a desire to protect, which is a role most canines take very seriously indeed.
Do They Feel Safe This Way?
Dogs have the instinct that staying close to their alpha is the right thing to do in various situations. You are the pack leader in your home, so your dog will be compelled to display many of the same actions they would go toward a pack leader, toward you instead.
One of the main reasons dogs sit around the pack leader is for protection. They like to stay close to the alpha, which tends to be the biggest and strongest of the dogs and has earned their position by protecting the pack.
So, sleeping by your feet could make it feel like it is around other pack members and cause it to feel more secure. It’s not surprising, therefore, that dogs like to be around their owners.
This often entails sharing sleeping areas or sleeping very closely with their owners, which usually means right attached to the owner’s feet.
Dogs feel safe when they know that someone they can trust is nearby. Your presence will give your dog a lot of comfort and make them feel at ease.
Lying by your feet will be one way they can be physically close to you to feel relaxed and calm.
When it Becomes A Problem?
The only time this behavior may be a problem is if they do it to be protective of you. For example, sometimes dogs can be so protective that they won’t let another family member near you without growling or being aggressive.
This is when the behavior needs to be stopped, and while some owners will opt to shut their dog in another room, this isn’t solving the issue.
Conclusion
So there we have it; hopefully, this answers your question: Why does a dog lay at your feet?
A dog laying at your feet is pure instinct and often a protection mode. They want to protect you if danger approaches. So there is nothing wrong with it unless it bothers you.
No matter why your dog lies or sits at your feet, your dog is trying to communicate with you.
How much you want to permit your dog to lay at your feet is up to you. However, this behavior is generally a sign of affection and partnership.
Keeping the cuddles coming if your dog is lying at your feet is an enjoyable and natural state of being for both dog and human.
