Our dogs do many things that have us scratching our heads. From zoomies appearing out of nowhere to splooting while sleeping. But what does it mean when your dog decides to stand over you?
What’s Happening?
There are many reasons why your dog might stand over you. One might be to get you to do something it wants, or your dog could simply be looking for attention. A strong contender is that your dog is keeping you safe in their way. There is even misinformation out there that dogs do this to assert dominance over us, but this is untrue.
The Reason Explained
Each reason has a deep rationale behind it in your pet’s mind, and understanding it might bring you closer to them. Our dogs are both more and less intelligent than we think, so understanding their behavior helps us be better owners for them.
Providing Protection
Dogs are naturally sensitive creatures and are in tune with your psyche. Studies have found that dogs are affected by our emotions, positive and negative. If you feel a little down or uneasy, your dog might feel the need to stand over you to bring you safety and comfort.
If your dog senses danger lurking close, it may feel the need to defend you. It may be unclear what might have startled them, but our furry companions want to protect us from a perceived threat.
Pay attention to your surroundings the next time it happens since they can include hints. You may have noticed that your dog behaves in this manner with strangers or other animals.
Why It’s Not Dominance
Dogs don’t stand over humans to assert their superiority over us, contrary to popular belief; Research has shown that the theory that dogs fight for dominance is simply incorrect between their connection with humans.
If your dog is acting toward you with aggression by standing over you, it may feel threatened. It might be practical to take a step back and ensure that there are no stressors that are making your dog feel threatened. If this behavior continues without improvement, consider looking into a training program to help your dog behave.
There is still another possibility for the more aggressive approach to standing over you. If this behavior is more recent with an aggressive side, consider taking your dog to the vet. If you have run out of explanations for why your dog has suddenly become more aggressive, a trip to the vet might be worthwhile. When our pets are ill, their behaviors might alter suddenly and seemingly for no reason.
Simply Seeking Attention
Since dogs adore attention, it goes without saying that they can occasionally be a little needier than you would like. If your pooch is a little attention-starved, it may stand over you as a means to forcibly get your treasured attention. Every time you provide attention after this action, your pet learns that this is a guaranteed way to grab your attention.
You can take several actions to avoid this. First, set an active and consistent play schedule with your dog to ensure it gets sufficient attention and playtime. Studies have shown that a minimum of 150 minutes of playtime a week can positively impact your pet. Exercising with your dog provides health benefits and an improved bond.
If you’re looking for some easy exercises at home, here’s a video with four fun exercises for your dog!
Your dog might also be doing the opposite and giving you attention! If you react happily to his behavior of standing over you, your dog might repeat this action as they know it provides a positive reaction.
Seeking Protection
Just as your dog will protect you, sometimes it feels safer when closer to you. If there are loud construction noises or fireworks, your dog might feel safer when it’s physically closer to you!
Be sure to give your sweet pup some extra love to help it overcome the scary noises outside!
Needing Something
No matter where the need springs from, dogs will let us know if they need something.
They may be telling you it’s time to eat or that they want to play. The possibilities are endless. Always take care of bathroom breaks or forgotten meals as soon as possible.
The key to knowing what your dog wants is going through all possible lists of scenarios of things it might want. After a while, you will be an expert at deciphering your dog’s cues!
Final Thoughts
There are many reasons your dog might be standing over you, but it’s easy to find out which one it is. If there’s another unfamiliar human to your dog, they might be trying to protect you. If you haven’t been giving them attention, they might forcibly get it from you by standing over you. Or, they might be scared of loud noises outside and feel safer close to you.
