Why do dogs lean on people?
Dogs lean on people for all kinds of reasons, depending on the canine and the exact situation. The following are just three of numerous possibilities:
The canine leans on people for affection.
The canine leans on people for security.
The canine lean on people for control.
Reasons your canine leans on you
There are plenty of reasons why a canine would lean on her owner. I am oversimplifying things by noting only three.
If your canine is a “leaner” I’d love to hear about why you think your canine leans on you.
Here are three possibilities:
Dogs lean on people for affection.
Most dogs love attention and affection. Leaning on us is just one way to seek that affection and connect with the person. We humans are good about giving dogs the affection they’re seeking!
Dogs lean on people for security.
A lot of insecure, shy or fearful dogs will lean into me if I’m a person they trust. They use me as a safety blanket. no one can sneak up behind them if they have their back to their safe person (me). no one can get them. My foster canine Cosmo (pictured) leaned on me all the time, especially when we met new people or attended new places. I had another foster canine Levi who was also insecure and would continuously sit on my feet.
I remember someone told me “Gosh, he’s so dominant!” but really, it was the opposite. Levi was typically a very submissive and concerned dog. He felt safer getting as close to me as possible.
Even outgoing dogs like my mutt Ace need a little reassurance sometimes. It seems like Ace is always trying to do the “right” thing, and in some cases he’ll lean into me for (I assume) some reassurance. Like, “I’m doing OK, right?” This is when I pat him on the sides and tell him he’s being a good boy.
See much more suggestions on how to help a fearful dog.
Dogs lean on people for control.
Our dogs do lean on us to manipulate us. This doesn’t have to be a bad thing. It doesn’t have to be about (dare I say it?) dominance. Simply, the canine wants attention, so he leans into you.
Ace leans on visitors all the time to get them to pay attention to him. Yes, he’s motivated by wanting affection and attention, but he’s also manipulating people to give him that attention. If someone is sitting down trying to focus on something other than my dog, Ace will in some cases go up to the person and bump his side into her. It’s pretty hard to disregard that, and he knows it.
Is this insecurity? No, not in this case. attention seeking? Áno. Controlling? Definitely.
Other examples of how dogs lean on us to control us:
The canine wants you to pet him instead of your other dog, so he leans into you.
The canine wants to remind you it’s time to eat, so he leans into you.
The canine wants to go outside, so he leans into you.
How do I stop my canine from leaning on me?
It’s not necessarily a bad thing if your canine leans on you. I don’t mind a bit if Ace leans on me (unless he’s just jumped out of the water).
But maybe your canine leans on you a little too typically or during unsuitable times. If you’re trying to sit and drink your coffee, you may not want your 70-pound canine backing his ass into you, for example.
Or maybe you’d just like to help your canine reduce her dependence on you. If your canine has separation anxiety, it’s a good idea to look for ways to create mild separation. requesting her to stop leaning on you all the time would be a start!
No matter what your dog’s motivation is for leaning on people, it’s essential to instruct your canine some commands that communicate your need for space.
Dogs lean on us to communicate what they want, but it’s also essential for them to respect our space. You wouldn’t want your sweetheart hanging on your arm all the time, would you? Our dogs don’t need to be touching us 24/7 either. (Um, excuse me, Ace, but could I please go to the restroom without you?)
Useful commands all dogs ought to learn for creating space:
Teach your canine a command that implies “go to your bed and stay there.” I use the command “go to your bed.”
Teach your canine down and stay so you can get him to lie down and stay at any time.
Teach your canine a command for “back up.” I use this when Ace is too close to me (and facing me). I tell him “back up” and he gives me a few feet of space. veľmi užitočný!
Teach your canine a command for “out!” which for Ace implies “Get you ass out of this room!” We mostly use it in the kitchen or the bedroom.
In addition to these commands, you can also just get up and walk away from your canine if he’s leaning on you too often. Every canine is different, so you’ll want to think about your parTicular Dog.
Napríklad, ak sa váš psí neustále opiera o vás v psovom parku, je to pravdepodobne preto, že je ohromený. Môžete skúsiť odstúpiť od svojho psieho psu (a pomáha sa neustále pohybovať), ale ak sa stále skrýva medzi nohami, možno by ste ho mali skúsiť socializovať iba s jedným alebo dvoma psami nabudúce namiesto 15.
Každý ps je iný a je to všetko o poznaní vlastného psa. Rád by som počul, čo si o tom ostatní myslíte.
Je váš psí „štíhlejší?“ Prečo si myslíte, že sa psy opierajú o ľudí?
