Dogs pick up tendencies as time goes on.
This includes how they rest and what direction they face. A lot of these things are not by accident and there’s a purpose behind them.
In fact, you will end up wondering, why do dogs sleep with their bum facing you?
Dogs sleep with their bum facing you as a sign of friendliness, trust, and passivity. It’s a physical sign your dog believes in your presence and wants to show their back to you willingly.
Dogs will often prefer to show their back to the safest part of their setting. This includes the rest of their pack members as they will not attack. It’s simply a safety measure and the same applies to dog owners.
This article will take a look at why dogs sleep with their bum facing you.
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Reasons Dogs Sleep With Their Bum Facing You
1. Comfort
Dogs like to sleep with their back facing you because it’s comfortable.
They prefer sleeping in a position where they are safe. This provides peace of mind for the dog and that is critical when they are resting and leaving themselves vulnerable to the surroundings.
This is a serious concern for dogs and something that comes as a natural instinct to them. Since you are a part of the dog’s pack, they will look at you with complete trust.
This is something dogs are good at doing and they will get comfortable with your presence. Once this happens, the dog will sleep with its back to you. It is simply their way of maximizing their ability to stay safe without getting attacked from the back.
When they are safe, they will have better rest at night.
In some cases, dogs will learn that they are safe in a house even when they are not around you. However, there are some dogs that need to have you in the same room and will take on a position such as this. It is also possible for a dog to rest like this when they are taking a short nap during the day.
2. Passive Trust In You
Dogs will often display their trust in you through their body language.
This is going to include something as straightforward as lying down with their back to you. This is often done without a second thought and the reason comes down to believing in your loyalty. They know you are going to have their back and you are safe.
This is the mindset that will be seen in almost anything they do.
Most dog owners will look for other signs including a dog licking their face but that doesn’t always have to be the case. Instead, a lot of dogs will do things such as this where they lie down facing away from you.
When a dog does this, you will know you are in their good books.
It’s a great start and it will only get better with time as long as you are fair with the dog. This passive trust tends to be seen in almost anything the dog does heading into the future.
3. Protective
Dogs are known for being protective.
They want to take care of their pack members and that is going to include you. When this happens, you will start to notice the dog start exhibiting signs of guarding you and making sure you are protected at all costs.
This doesn’t mean the dog is going to start barking at strangers and/or biting!
Instead, it can be the little things where they observe others in the environment and/or show their back to you. It is just their way of focusing on what is around their family rather than on the family member themself.
This is a little detail that is often noticeable with dogs.
You are going to start to see the dog do this more and more as it gets comfortable in the house. It is good to have a dog do this as it shows trust.
Related Questions
1. Why Does My Dog Lie Down Facing Away From Me?
Dogs will lie down facing away from you because it shows passive trust, affection, and helps them protect you. It’s a common action seen in loyal dogs that are faithful to you.
2. Why Does My Dog Go Round In Circles Before Lying Down?
Dogs go around in circles before lying down due to natural instinct. It’s a self-preservation technique used to assess their surroundings before resting in a spot that’s safe from all angles.
Final Thoughts
Why do dogs sleep with their bum facing you?
Dogs like to have their bum facing you when resting because it’s the safest spot to be in. They want to have peace of mind when resting and their back is the most vulnerable part of their body when resting.
Here’s more on dogs – reasons to not take a dog to the zoo, feeding sweet potato fries to a dog, dog that sleeps in inflatable collar, and reasons for dog breathing fast in sleep.