13 Reasons Why Your Dog Sits In Your Spot + 7 Tips

Your dog loves your spot so much.

Sitting in it is like a competition between you two.

The first one who sits wins.

In this article, you’ll discover:

How to create a safe space for your dog.
13 reasons why your dog sits in your spot.
7 things you should do to prevent this behavior.
And more…

Why does my dog sit in my spot?

Your dog sits in your spot for reasons such as it’s their way to play with you, your spot is their safe area, it’s warm, they’re territorial, they have separation anxiety, they feel sick, you reinforce it, they like or need attention, they’re curious, testing your boundaries, or are nesting.

Why does my dog sit in my spot when I get up?

Your dog sits in your spot when you get up because it’s likely that your spot is warm due to your body’s temperature. Or simply because it’s your dog’s playful way of teasing you. It’s also possible that you reward them with treats every time you ask them to leave your spot.

13 reasons why your dog sits in your spot

#1: It’s their way to play with you

Fridays are for movie nights.

You’ve set up the movie, you popped the popcorn in the microwave. And now you sit down. You play the movie to start, and the opening credit rolls in.

But, heck! You forgot the sodas.

You pause the movie. You stand up to grab the drinks, and then you come back to your seat.

Uh-oh!

Your dog now sits in your spot. With a wide grin on their face.

You tickle them to get them to move away from your seat. Silly doggo.

One of the reasons why your dog steals your seat is because it’s their way to tease and play with you.

They might associate tickling with receiving belly rubs.

#2: Your spot is warm and comfy

Your Dog Sits In Your Spot Because It's Warm And Cozy

When the nights are cold, your dog waits for you patiently to get off your seat. The moment you stand up to leave, they scutter their way to your spot.

You don’t mind them doing this. Plus, you’re glad to share with your dog.

What’s more, you also know why they love that certain spot just as much as you do.

You’ve seen photos online of dogs sitting their butts directly to vents to keep themselves warm.

Your spot? It’s the closest and comfiest area near the heating vent.

You understand that your dog sits in your spot simply because they wish to warm up.

#3: They receive special treats

Your dog constantly sits on your office chair the moment you stand up to go for a break.

As soon as you come back, you have a hard time making them move. You try to tickle them and push them away.

But they turn to a doggy statue once they get themselves in your spot.

And the only way to make them move is by giving them cookies.

Now, if those don’t catch their attention, you even offer them special treats such as beef jerky or steak strips.

Yum!

From your dog’s perspective, sitting in your spot will not only get them tickles, but delicious rewards as well.

You may not have noticed this, but you have unintentionally trained your dog to sit in your spot.

#4: Your dog LIKES attention

On family brunches, your dog is the center of attention.

Every time you stand up, they instantly steal your spot on the table. Everyone claps and laughs.

And your dog is loving every minute of it.

What a diva!

Stealing your seat is probably one of the tricks your dog does. Your pooch might have done it one time, and when they saw the crowd’s reaction, they thought of it as a good thing to do.

#5: Your dog NEEDS attention

Just like barking or whining, your dog sitting in your spot is their way to let you know they need something.

If they sit on your office chair every afternoon, they might be signaling that it’s time you get off from work and go on your daily walks together.

Or you must’ve forgotten their mealtime.

For them, an easy and effective way to get your attention is by sitting on the spot you frequently sit on.

#6: They’re curious about your spot

Dogs like discovering and experimenting with things. Especially if they’re still puppies.

If they’re curious whether something is edible, they munch on it right away. They don’t have to think twice about it.

It’s the same as your spot. They might have been wondering:

“Why is my human always in that spot?

Is there a hidden chimken in there? Must look.

Oooof! It’s cozy here as heck.

This place is mine now.”

A dog’s action, most often than not, is random. They tend to do things just because they can.

#7: Testing boundaries

Is your beloved pooch still a pup? Did you just recently get them from a breeder or dog shelter?

See, the reason why they may sit in your spot or invade your space is that they’re testing your boundaries.

They want to see how far they can go before you correct them or set your rules.

If you let go the first time they sit in your spot, they will think later on that it’s okay for them to sit in it all the time.

#8: They’re being territorial

You have multiple dogs at home.

Whenever you watch TV with them, you notice a routine they always do. Every time you get up to leave, one dog will always stand and take up the spot you left.

At first, you didn’t mind it. Until your dog showed aggressiveness towards the others when they came near that spot.

Oh no!

You want peace in your household. And you certainly don’t want that lame spot to cause chaos in your family.

To get to the bottom of this, you must understand that dogs are naturally territorial. Your dog is possibly protecting your spot from the other dogs because they think of it as something valuable.

When they try to protect something, they tend to show aggressive behaviors such as snapping, growling, and biting to get the threats to leave.

#9: Separation anxiety

Your dog has separation anxiety.

That’s why leaving the house is a difficult task for you. It’s an everyday battle you need to face.

The moment you pick up your keys, your dog’s ears perk up. When you put on your shoes, they instantly panic.

They go hysterical every time you go out. When you close the door, you hear them howling and whining non-stop.

When you come back home, they act like they haven’t seen you in years. They wag their tail and jump on you because of happiness.

But every once in a while, you get back to a silent home.

Where’s your doggo?

You look for them and see them settling in your spot. All cuddled up.

Your pooch sits in your spot because for them, it’s like a security blanket. They’re comforted with the scent you leave on it.

It’s a space where they’re reminded of your presence.

#10: Your spot is their safe area

There are many things that frighten your dog.

There’s the mailman, the loud sounds of the fireworks… but nothing scares them more than their archenemy:

The vacuum.

Every cleaning day, they bolt to sit in your favorite spot. You wonder why out of all the places in the house, they always go there every time they’re scared.

It’s because they think of your spot as their safe space.

By sitting there, they want to let you know that they’re scared of something and they need your attention and comfort.

#11: They’re feeling sick

Dogs get fussy whenever they’re not feeling well. Especially if they have certain body parts that are sore.

So to lessen their pain, they look for a place that will give them a sense of comfort.

Because they’re attached to you – their dog parent, they want to be as close to you as possible.

But if you’re not there, where should they go? The place where they know your scent lingers?

It’s your spot.

To help you know exactly if your dog is feeling pain, here are some of the symptoms to look out for according to PetMD.

Panting.
Trembling.
Difficulty walking.
Not wanting to be touched.
Reluctance in standing up or walking.

Warning: If your dog is feeling any of the symptoms mentioned above, have them checked by a vet immediately.

#12: They’re ‘nesting’

Every time you get up from bed at night to go to the comfort room, your dog races to your side of the bed.

As soon as you come back, you see your dog sitting on your bed.

Why does your dog always do this?

To answer this question, first, imagine your dog before they go to sleep.

They circle their way on their bed. They scratch. They make it comfy. They look like they’re making a nest.

Now, look at your bed. It’s already comfy because you already laid on it. Plus it’s warm because of your body warmth.

And lastly, it has your scent.

That’s the best combo your dog could ever ask for in a bed.

#13: You’re in their spot

The tables have turned.

You’re in their spot. Not the other way around.

Before you’ve known it, your dog has long claimed that spot as theirs.

It has the best view of the people walking the road. And they can see the neighbor’s cat from there. From that area, they can bark at the ‘threats’ easily.

If you observe the special spot closely, they’ve already adjusted the cushion to make it fit their butt perfectly.

As it turns out, you’re not so different from your dog after all! You both have the same preferences.

7 tips on what to do if your dog sits in your spot

#1: Create boundaries at home

A house without rules causes confusion and disorganization.

As a pup or a new dog in your household, they aren’t aware yet of the rules or whether something is good or bad.

That’s why it’s important that you set rules for them that they can follow.

First, create a list of the places they’re allowed and not allowed to go to. Then put baby gates on the doors to limit their movements on the areas they cannot go or sit in.

For example, If they’re not allowed to sit on your chair in the home office, the baby gates will be a good way to create a barrier between you two.

They won’t be able to come to the office, but they can still see you nonetheless.

#2: Make eye contact during training

If your dog sitting in your spot bothers you, you need to train them to stop this habit as early as possible.

Here’s a simple way to train your dogs not to sit in your spot:

Whenever you get up from your seat to leave, stand up and look at your dog. It’s important to keep solid eye contact.

As they stand up to go to your spot, raise your finger and say ‘Hey!’ or ‘No!’ while maintaining your eye contact. Your dog will take the hint from your body language that you don’t want them sitting in your place.

Do this every time you leave.

#3: Be consistent with your rules

You told your dog not to sit in your spot. The next day, you’re cuddling with them in that same spot.

Your dog is wondering.

“Is it really okay to sit here or not? Make up your mind, hooman!”

When making rules and setting boundaries, it’s important that you keep them consistent. Or else they will only confuse your dog.

They may also lose their trust in you when you get upset or disappointed in them because they can’t follow your rules.

#4: Take them to a vet

Your dog’s frequent sitting in your spot baffles you. It has come to a point that it’s impossible to make them go away.

To understand better why your dog does this behavior, you can ask for a vet’s advice.

By doing so, the vet will also be able to rule out if your dog is feeling certain illnesses. And they can also provide medication and treatments for your pooch.

#5: Leave them with something familiar

A dog who has separation anxiety gets overly anxious and does destructive behavior every time they’re left alone.

If your dog’s habit of sitting in your spot is because of this disorder, then here’s a simple trick you can do.

Whenever you leave the house, leave the music on.

If your dog is used to you listening to soft music with you all the time, the sound of it can comfort them whenever you leave. It can make them feel like you’re also in the house with them.

Aside from that, the music will also block out loud music and sounds that may scare your dog.

Note: Don’t leave them with rock or heavy metal music as these sounds can create a more anxious dog.

#6: Deal with their aggression properly

The reason why your dog can get aggressive towards your other dogs is that they’re being territorial of your spot.

If not corrected, this can lead to more destructive behaviors such as attacking and biting your other dogs. And even you.

To put an end to this misbehavior, you must first remember that aggression leads to aggression. You cannot correct your dog by striking, punishing, or hitting them.

What you can do instead is to use positive reinforcement.

Teach them the ‘calm down’ or the ‘stop’ commands. When they do a good job, reward them.

But if you think your dog’s aggressiveness is out of your control, you can ask for the help of a dog trainer and behaviorist.

#7: Reward your dog correctly

Rewarding your dog can be a double-edged sword if it’s not done right. To make this easier to understand, here are sample scenarios between you and your pooch.

First scenario:

You show your dog a cookie as they’re still sitting in your spot. You lure your dog away from the spot with it and give it to them after.

What your dog thinks:

“I am receiving cookies because my human likes it when I sit in their spot.”

Second scenario:

Your dog gets off from your spot by itself. You give them a reward for it.

What your pup thinks:

“I received cookies because I got off from my human’s spot.”

See the difference between the two? It’s crucial that you reward your dog after they have done the right thing. Not when they’re still misbehaving.

Bonus: Give them their own special spot

If your dog loves your spot so much why not make them one of theirs, too?

You can do it with a dog bed. Or you can D-I-Y.

Create their own place. The one that has toys and puzzles waiting for them.

Make it cozier than yours. Leave your old t-shirt with theirs. Wrap it up as its cover.

And don’t forget to put it somewhere warm!

When they get their own special spot, they will refrain from invading yours.