Why Does My Dog Put His Butt On Me?

So you’re lying down on the couch when your dog suddenly sits on your face. You can’t help but wonder, why does my dog put his butt on me? I’ve experienced this many times with my Golden Retriever Sherlock.

Sometimes, he will put his bum on my face or just present it to me. There are a lot of explanations behind this, some of which are rooted in a canine’s instincts in the wild.

Reasons why your dog puts its butt on you

Your dog puts its butt on you, not because of disrespect. Unlike humans, dogs explore the world and communicate differently. The following are the possible reasons why your doggo is sporting its rear on you.

Your dog is saying ‘hello’

Showing you its bum might be the dog’s way of saying ‘hello!’. In the canine world, a dog can easily know a lot of information from a fellow doggo by sniffing its rear. This includes the food the dog eats, gender, age, health, stress level, and a lot more. Sometimes, our dogs think that we, humans, do the same thing.

Also, showing you its bum avoids eye contact. This means that the dog wants to communicate but a bit shy or aloof. This is also called the ‘hip nudge’, which is a friendly gesture denoting passivity.

Your dog likes being petted in the rear

If your resident doggo suddenly nudges you with its butt, the pooch might be requesting a good scratch. It doesn’t hurt to give in from time to time. please read here can electric fence hurt dog 

However, you should check your dog’s coat if the butt scratching has become sudden and excessive. Your pet might be suffering from fleas, which caused the itching.

Anyway, even if your pooch doesn’t have fleas, many dogs love being scratched near the rump. The reason for this is that the tail area is a hard spot for canines to reach. Your dog needs a little help to relieve that small itchy area near their bum.

Your dog trusts you

Showing you its butt means that your dog trusts you. A canine will not expose its most vulnerable side if it’s not confident that you’ll not hurt them.

Many dogs do this while sleeping because putting its back on your give them a sense of security. They know that you literally got their back if predators are around.

Your dog is claiming you

Dogs also use their butts to claim their owners. They have scent glands under their tails, which releases large amounts of pheromone. Although we don’t notice the smell, it will attach to our bodies and become our ‘nametag’ for our dogs. So when other canines sniff us, they know that we are ‘owned’ by other dogs.

Next time your dog tries to rub its rear on you, just think of it as an affirmation that the pooch accepts you as part of the family. However, you should watch out if your doggo is fresh from pooping.

How to stop your dog from putting its butt on you

If your dog’s habit of putting its butt on you is being invasive, you can train them out of it. Here are some tips to help you tackle the problem:

• Brush up with obedience training. It will help a lot to refresh your dog’s obedience skills. If your dog is trying to rub or put its butt on you, command it to sit on the floor. When the dog sits, reward it with a tasty treat. Be consistent and strict with the rules so your pooch won’t be confused with the mixed signals.
• Ignore the dog. Sometimes, ignoring the dog will teach them that using their butts won’t get them what they want. Over time, your pooch may stop putting its bum on you.
• Consult the vet. If your dog is rubbing its butt on you profusely, you should get it checked by the vet. This is a tell-tale sign of a worm infestation. Dogs with worms will also drag their butts on the floor to scratch the itch.
• Don’t reward the behavior. Sometimes, we reward our dogs’ negative behavior. Even if you don’t pet or give your dog treats, reacting is enough of a reward for a canine. Your reaction is a sign that the pooch got your attention, which is already a reward itself.

Why do dogs sleep with their bum facing you?

In the wild, dogs sleep with their packs. They often place their backs to each other so they are not vulnerable to predators. In the domesticated setting, your dog will also exhibit this behavior. Placing its bum in your direction is your pooch’s way of ensuring that they are not exposed to harm. It also means that your pet trusts you to defend them.

If your dog’s butt is annoying, you should give the doggo a bed of its own. This will allow the canine to be more independent and to have its own den. It will take some time for the doggo to get used to it, but positive reinforcement should go a long way.

Why do dogs like their bums smacked?

It’s not really smacking that your dog loves about it. Scratching and patting their bums feel good because it somehow relieves any itch they are feeling on their rear. Also, some dogs associate bum smacks with playtime so they tend to get excited whenever you do it.

There are pet owners who noticed that smacking their dog’s rear fuels the pooch’s energy. This also happens when a canine is smacked at the rib cage. Most of the time, the pat or smack is a physical affirmation that the dog perceives as something positive.

However, not all dogs like butt smacks. Some will become angry, especially if you smack too hard.

Why does my dog put its bum on my face?

This is a pretty common behavior, which happens when the pet owner is lying down. When Sherlock was still a puppy, he used to do this whenever we’re on the bed. The vet said it’s possible that my dog is leaving his scent on me. Like what I said earlier, it’s a dog’s way of saying ‘I love you’ or ‘You’re mine now’.

However, you wouldn’t want to tolerate this behavior, especially if your dog is set to become a large canine. Just imagine the weight pushing on your face.

Conclusion

Why does my dog put his butt on me? It’s often a dog’s way of marking you with their scent or saying hello. However, some dogs will do it because you reward the behavior. Whatever the cause is, it’s important to correct the habit so it won’t branch out to other problems.