Why Does My Dog Sit On My Head?

[All You Need To Know]

Dog’s sit on their pet parent’s head when they’re puppies and even a few years into adulthood. Most of it is ingrained in them from a young age, but now the question arises of why they do this weird activity? And how can one stop them? It might seem cute at first, and you might even get a few laughs and kicks out of it. However, this soon becomes annoying when the dog continues to do so several times a day. 

People are frustrated and fed up with this behavior. A lot of them are clueless and have no idea of what to do. Well, first, you need to understand the reasons behind their behavior. Then you can ponder about what made your dog act in this manner. There has to be a way for your dog to learn this from you; they can seldom do this without your assistance. 

Boredom

Who doesn’t get bored once in a while? If you think about it, being bored is an actual sign of intelligence. Humans are bored most of the time, and we’re the smartest species on this planet. Similarly, dogs are intelligent beings who often tend to get bored. In such situations, they prefer doing something out of the ordinary.

Sitting on your head sounds controversial and exciting to your dog; they have the temptation to entertain themselves, which is why they chose to do it. So if boredom is getting the best of your dog, then buy them new toys and pet supplies so they can play. 

Crave Physical Touch

Studies have shown that humans have different love languages; some prefer to offer and receive love through physical touch. There is no such study on dogs, but there is a possibility that your dog needs physical contact because they take it as a sign of love and affection. 

So a dog sitting on your head is just trying to show you some extra love. Maybe caressing and petting isn’t enough for them; they want to get on top of your head and leave the scent of their paws on you. Sounds weird to us, but it’s kind of adorable if you think about it. We understand that it is somewhat intolerable, but your dog is only trying to connect with you. 

Feeling Cozy

Lonely people take warm showers because the hot running water replaces their need for warmth from a person. It sounds pretty sad, but the same could be right for your dog. Dogs have always loved being warm and cozy. They have fur because they have evolved to keep their body heated, but sometimes it doesn’t suffice. 

Maybe the part of your head or simply sitting on it is warmer than any place in the house. So they’re just trying to squeeze in some extra heat. Also, dogs feel safer when they are warm, so watch out for anything that might scare your dog. Their unexplainable behavior could very well be a cry for help. 

Learning From Past Actions

In the past, you must have rewarded your dog for sitting on your head. Maybe you did it unconsciously by petting or giving treats, but your dog took it as a sign to repeat the action. Dogs rely upon our actions more than our vocal commands, especially when they are young.

Sitting on your head could just be a learned behavior. Thankfully, your dog can still unlearn, and it is never too late. Now you can drop the thought of your dog being abnormal because it is natural for these animals to work in any way if you give rewards. It is not an innate action; there are several things you can do to fix it if it annoys you. 

Encouraging Behavior

Now you are aware of the learned behavior, so you must prioritize undoing this by breaking the cycle of rewards. Even chasing them around the house can be fulfilling for your dog and seem like playtime, do not resort to following them after they just sat on your head. As an alternative, you can build a small and comfortable place with a bed, sheets, and toys for your dog. Hopefully, they will start using the area instead of your head. 

It’s Not Dominance

There is a common misconception that dogs sit on your head to show dominance. This idea is inspired by how wolves behave, but studies show that leaders keep switching in a pack which disproves our assumption. There is a possibility of this desire coming from bullying behavior; in that case, do not make your dog feel threatened in any way. 

Factors To Consider

If you’re still facing problems in figuring out your dog’s root cause behind sitting on your head, let us summarize it for you in simple words. Here are a few questions you can ponder.

1. What other things took place after your dog sat on your head for the first time?
2. Your dog started behaving this way out of the blue? They could learn this behavior that you don’t remember rewarding.
3. Does your dog sit on your head at a specific time of the day? 

Possible Solution

Start with the basic things we mentioned, like getting them a warm place, stopping their rewards for this action, etc. If the behavior persists, it could be due to anxiety; we recommend taking your dog to a behavior specialist. Alternatively, you can also take them to a trainer who fixes this behavior on your behalf. No matter what you do, please do not be aggressive towards your dog in this process.