Why Do Dogs Sleep With Their Bum Facing You? All You Need To Know

Are you wondering that whenever you wake up in the morning, why is the butt of your doggy near your face? why do dogs sleep with their bum facing you? It seems pretty weird and gross too! Let us learn more about the secret behind this behavior of dogs.

Dogs are one of the most loyal and lovable choices of people worldwide as a pet. Their presence in your home brings love and happiness to your lives, and the feeling of being alone diminishes instantly. Although, sometimes dogs act strangely and exhibit hilarious behavior, which the pet owners find pretty weird.

Recent studies show that a dog is psychologically equivalent to a human child who possesses abundant positive emotions and doesn’t have negative feelings towards anyone unless messed with them.

It is also said that a glimpse at a familiar human makes their oxytocin levels excited, causing their happiness to erupt madly. The profound connection between a human and a dog is the true epitome of love, affection, and trust.

Besides that soulful relationship traits, dogs do bizarre things in day-to-day life, which could mean something in their secret expressive language, but its appearance looks freaky.

Why do dogs sleep with their bum facing you?

Dogs sleeping with their bums facing you may mean something different according to them, and we possibly won’t even know what it is unless they tell us themselves.

But the most logical reason why dogs sleep with their bum facing you would be to rest comfortably in this position and trust that you won’t harm them. So, they show vulnerability by turning their back to you while sleeping and charge you with their lives.

Besides, it’s also possible that that spot is the comfiest and their favorite. So, maybe next time while sleeping, try to keep your face somewhere else and see whether the bum lands near your face again or not.

9 Reasons why your dog sleeps with their bum facing you

This behavior of dogs may be weird and surprising for some owners, and maybe some have gotten used to it as they don’t have an issue with it.

But, it sure does establish that dogs trust you with their life, and if you are worthy of that, you are taking good care of that fluffy angel.

Apart from this, there can be many other possible reasons for this behavior, according to the dog’s psychology. Let us explore what does this expression means in many ways.

#9: “Your dog is tired.”

• After many activities, playtime, and exercising throughout the day, dogs may have an immediate need to rest. They would prefer the most comfortable place in the house, that spot by mere coincidence maybe beside your pillow.
• They surely would prefer the fluffy bed near their loving owner instead of the doghouse and the floor. This gesture shows their trust in you and how much they feel comfortable sleeping near you.

#8: “I don’t want you to bother me..”

• Dogs are incredibly active and playful creatures, and sometimes they may want to rest for a while and don’t want to be disturbed or bothered. That’s when they may sleep facing away from you and give a clear signal saying, “Please don’t disturb me, I have to wake up tomorrow and play again.”
• A long playful day must have made them exhausted, and they want to sleep in peace until the next day. That’s maybe the reason they sleep with their bum facing you.

#7: “I feel safe.”

• It is a fact that dogs sleep when they sense safe surroundings with no threats near them. This trust needs to be built gradually between the owner and the dog, assuring no harm to the dog when he falls asleep in the house.
• So, consider it a good sign that your dog sleeps with you on your bed facing their bum towards you.
• Your dog feels completely safe and secure in your room and doesn’t feel the need to be cautious because of the trustworthy environment created by that bond of yours.
• The strength of this bond makes you a family to each other who won’t hurt the other one and allows you to share your vulnerabilities among yourselves. This way of expressing and exposing their insecurity by sleeping with their back towards you shows their belief in you.

#6: “I’m claiming you.”

• They might sleep with their bum towards you because they have considered you a member of their team/pack.
• Dogs have a way of greeting among their species by sniffing each other’s bums and identifying whether they have already met or not.
• Dogs have scent glands around their bum, which sets off a distinctive scent by each one of them.
• This wild theory suggests that it may be possible that your dog is trying to leave their scent on you by sleeping with their bum towards you. Dogs want to mark you as their pet parent and treat them like your own babies.

#5: “I want you to pet me on the rear..”

• The gesture sounds like a very natural and common reason for sleeping with their bum towards you.
• Dogs love when they are petted by you frequently for their well-mannered behavior. They appreciate the love you give them by petting them in their favorite spots.
• Mainly, the tail-ends and their bums have sensitive nerve endings. So, they love being petted, rubbed, and scratched on the bum.
• It is a non-reachable area for dogs, and you are the only person they can come to and ask for petting and scratching. So, if you wake up in the morning with a wagging tail and bum in front of your face, do a favor and pet your dog to make them feel lovable.

#4: “I trust you.”

• Dogs sometimes sleep with their bum towards you because they feel entirely safe around you.
• This trust and bond between you and the dog are established by being defensive and protective towards you. They switch into various sleeping positions to make deep connections with you like if they sleep with their head tilted slightly towards you, they want to keep an eye on you while sleeping.
• However, sometimes dogs may even sleep while facing you and still trust you, but they feel a need to safeguard you, which is why they look out for your safety.

#3: “I’m avoiding eye contact with you..”

• This act might be a reason because, according to the body language of canines, eye contact is an aggressive portrayal of their feelings.
• They may think that looking at you eye-to-eye would mean an act of aggression, and so they avoid looking at you directly and sleep with their bum towards you. Your dogs don’t want to anger you in any way.
• Canines also believe in respecting their pack leader, and avoiding eye contact means an act of respect.

#2: “I’m protecting you..”

• Your dog may feel the need to guard you in the house and wants you to be safe and comfortable, so it sleeps in front of you, facing its back towards you to look out for any threats around.
• They are ready to safeguard you from any gruesome attackers or predators, and sleeping this way gives them an expansive vision to look all around. In chaotic situations and bad weather conditions like thunderstorms, they sense a spooky vibe and sleep with their back towards you.

#1: “I’m comfortable this way..”

• Your dog might sleep this way because it is a more comfortable position to sleep in.
• Dogs need a safe and secure surroundings to be vulnerable at night and sleep comfortably.
• Since your dog trusts you and considers you as their pack leader, they feel secure in your presence and are okay exposing their vulnerability to you.
• They are sure that they won’t be attacked from this position, and they also are attentive to what happens in front of them.

Tips to Stop Dogs from Sleeping with their Bum Facing You

Dogs may like sleeping with their bum towards you for getting back scratches and be petted, or maybe it’s more comfortable to sleep this way. Still, this sleeping position may be disliked by some pet owners due to various reasons.

It undoubtedly may feel utterly gross and unhygienic for people to have bums inches near their faces when in an unconscious sleep. If your dog’s behavior is affecting your peace, you must take charge and try to change this behavior.

Follow any of the following tips to stop your dog from sleeping with its bum facing you.

Reward Motivation – You can train your dog to sleep in a specific position and reward them with treats and praises so that it gets conditioned to sleep in that particular position subconsciously.

Place cushions and soft toys near them to feel comfortable in that position and don’t turn their heads or bodies while sleeping.

Crate Training – It is a very effective method to train your dog. Usually, when your pet sleeps in their crate-like bed, they will stretch out and turn around their back towards the door.

If you don’t want your pet to sleep with its bum towards you, place it inside a cage big enough to stretch out correctly but with no room to turn around once stretched out completely.

Training via Animal Behavioralist – If you failed training your dog via the crate training method, you must consider hiring a professional pet behavior expert to assist you with appropriate training methods.

When introduced pleasantly and comfortably, your dog won’t mind sleeping in a cage and probably will stop sleeping with their bum facing you. Dogs are very obedient and flexible animals and wouldn’t take long to be trained proficiently.

Should You Allow This Behavior of dogs?

People have different opinions on this strange behavior. If you are not offended by the bum of your dog inches away from your face when you wake up from sleep, it is not an issue to not allow it. However, some pet owners find this act very annoying and unhygienic.

Some dog breeds overgrown, so the equation of sleeping and cuddling together change very fast as now their size bothers you, and you won’t feel very comfortable with a big dog sleeping near you.

It’s probably pretty cute when the dogs are small puppies but could be congested on the bed if they become huge. Irrespective of their size, dogs feel comfortable sleeping around their masters but have less predictiveness about the discomfort caused by their size.

Moreover, vets don’t recommend that your dogs sleep with you on your beds due to hygiene purposes. They may probably infect you with allergens and parasites in their fur coat and cause you health problems and diseases.

It is better to prepare unique and comfortable crate beds for your dogs to keep them and you safe.

Know about the Different Sleeping Positions

Like humans, dogs sleep in many different positions, giving us several clues of how they function psychologically and mentally. They reflect their personality and behavior in their daily subconscious activities, making it entirely predictable to get an emotive expression of them.

Animal experts segregate these different sleeping positions based on their expressions for their owners and their relationship with them. Let us learn about them elaborately.

The Dead Cockroach Sleeping Position

• When your dog sleeps on its back and its paws floating in the air, just like a dead cockroach, it probably depends on the seasonal factor and how hot or cold they feel. In summers, dogs sleep this way to expose their belly to cool air and try to get relaxed by sleeping in this weird-looking position. If examined closely, you would see that the dog’s belly has minimal fur, and that’s the only easy way to cool off their body quickly, so these clever furbabies know what they are doing and get benefitted from it.
• Moreover, when they float their paws in the air, they expose the sweat glands located in their paws to cool off and function better. That’s an excellent strategy to avoid the effects of scorching heat in summers.
• It also could mean that they feel secure in the environment, and people around it are trustworthy because sleeping in this position makes their most vulnerable part, their belly, exposed. Sleeping in this upside-down position would take their efforts in flipping straight in case of any dangerous situations.
• It takes a bit of confidence to sleep in this way, and only because your dog feels in his haven and around people he trusts makes it possible.

The Snowball Position

• When your dog sleeps in a curled position looking like a snowball, it shows the arrival of winter, and they are sleeping in this way to retain their body heat, protecting their most vulnerable organs in the abdomen from cold and maybe predatory forces. This position tells you that they are feeling cold and want to stay warm and comfy.
• This position reminded adult dogs of the old days as puppies when they used to sleep by tightly curling themselves in an enclosed pit or den to feel safe and warm.
• It is because of comfort, warmth, and security, dogs prefer to sleep in this position. Unlike the previous position, snowball curling allows them to get up on their feet if any danger arises quickly.
• Does this essentially mean that your dogs feel insecure around you? It may not be accurate because some dogs feel comfortable sleeping in this position and would sleep this way no matter what the season is.

The Pancake Sleeping Position

• If your dog sleeps on its side with the limbs extended in a relaxing way, we may call it the pancake position, and it is the most restorative sleep pattern. In this stage, they need not be disturbed while sleeping and should be left alone because they are getting their profound sleep, which helps establish a proper and healthy sleep cycle among dogs.
• Dogs need to get proper restorative sleep after tedious and exhaustive activities to function their body and consciousness perfectly. They get cranky and irritative when they miss any of their necessary periods of rest due to any reason.
• This sleep position is also to occur in safe and secure surroundings. Dogs initially start with different relaxing stretches, and when they feel the security in the environment, they flip on their side, stretching their limbs, and sleep tightly in this position.
• Rather than twitching their muscles while sleeping in positions like a snowball curling, the pancake position allows the muscles to relax and stretch out for better muscle relaxation completely.

The Sphinx Position

• The Sphinx position is one of the attentive sleeping positions where the dog could need to suddenly sprint or get in action without wasting time in restoration. Usually, this position is taught as a basic dog training technique where the dog rests on its belly with front limbs facing outwards and the back limbs tucked under its body.
• Most dogs avoid this sleeping position as it doesn’t provide relaxation and a sense of sleep. It instead feels like a way to rest attentively without losing your consciousness.
• Possibly, when the dog can’t reasonably predict the security of surroundings, they may rest in this way to stay attentive when needed.

The Superman Sleeping Position

• Like the cockroach position, this superman sleeping pose could also be seen in summers to expose the less furry belly on the cold tiles, moist wooden floor, or the green grass. When the limbs are extended all around, it provides very well relaxation and ensures a healthy short nap.
• Also, if the dog is tired of tedious activities all day, they may sleep in this pose relaxed and stretched out. This position is suitable for acute relaxation of limbs and body but not ideal for profound sleep. The dog stays in a pretty attentive place here and is ready to get in action, if not taking off in the air like a superman.

Why do dogs give you their bum?

Dogs like being petted and scratched on their bums; this is their way of receiving love from you. If you ever wonder why does your pup comes to you with its bum handed over to you.

It’s because it probably wants you to scratch their bum as a gesture of love, or maybe they might feel an uneasy itch on that spot, and it’s hard for them to reach there. It doesn’t cost you anything to give in from time to time and scratch their bums for them.

However, if you feel that your dog asks for frequent bum scratches, it may be because they are suffering from fleas or allergens in that area. You should check your dog’s fur coat if the butt scratching has become excessive and sudden.

Even if they aren’t infected with fleas or lice, they ask for butt scratches because the tail area is a tough spot for animals to reach. Your buddy needs your help to relieve that itch near their bum.

Why do dogs lick their bum?

We frequently see dogs licking their butts, and it is necessary to know why they do so? The underlying reason may be simple or a medical issue that needs to be treated by a vet.

In dogs, anal glands are located near that area, which works to maintain hormonal balance in dogs. They are to be emptied naturally time-to-time whenever the dog urinates, but if they fail to get emptied sometimes, it causes irritation and uneasiness due to which dogs lick them to relieve the itch.

If by any chance this butt licking causes frequently, it’s a sign of infection due to parasites, lice, fleas, and skin allergies.

This issue needs to be looked after immediately by a veterinarian, and a prescribed dosage of antibiotic and fiber supplements would cure the infections, inflammation, and blockage of anal glands.

Why do dogs wiggle their bum?

• The gesture of wiggling their bum near you or scooting on the floor is quite a comical scene to witness and a sign of friendliness and passivity in the expressive behavior of dogs. It’s generally called a ‘hip nudge .’ It means that the dog is showing you their affection and wants a good scratch on its bum as a gesture of love.
• It sometimes may mean that they are suffering from an irritational itch on their bum, and they want you to scratch and relieve that uneasiness. This itch or infection must have occurred due to any medical issues or just a typical irritation.
• However, when dogs scoot on the floor or a grassy lawn, they aren’t necessarily greeting you; they might be suffering from irritation on their bottoms and are rubbing it against the rough surface to soothe the irritation and relieve that uncomfortable itch.

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