Why Does My Dog Lay His Head on Me?

Many people adopt dogs because they want to give and receive affection. Dogs are affectionate animals by nature. Every dog is an individual and the amount of affection they crave will depend on socialization, breed, history and other variables.

A healthy dog which has been appropriately domesticated will often crave attention. By resting their head on you, they may simply want you to give them a pet. It is not only a common habit of dogs, but a wonderful opportunity to express love for our canine. If they keep laying their head on us and we haven't been giving them affection, we should address this issue. Fortunately, it is something mutually beneficial for both dog and guardian.

Petting our dogs is not only pleasurable, but it can help our mental health. Pet therapy is a growing area of psychology whereby we can use the natural sedative qualities of petting animals to reduce our stress and anxiety. Various research has proven these stress reducing abilities, including a 2018 study from The Journal of Mental Health which concluded that short interactions with Guide Dogs reduced the participant's anxiety^[1].

Less studies have been done on the effect of petting on dogs on the dog themselves, but they do exist. One shows that petting a dog directly before departing for a brief separation might be able to reduce separation anxiety in dogs^[2].

As a dog may lay their head on you because they feel stressed, it is important to look at the entire context. Does their facial expression look anxious? Are they visibly agitated? Are they yowling or whimpering? These signs and signals of stress might be telling you something needs to be addressed. Conversely, if your dog used to lay their head on you, but don't do it any longer, they may be depressed.

While a desire for affection is a type of attention, there may be a more complicated reason for the dog laying on us. Dogs are sociable animals. Their wild ancestors were pack animals and domestic dogs are no exception, even if the pack is limited to a human and a dog. When we go to work or leave the home for any length of time, our dog can get anxious. They may begin to fear you won't return or that they will not be able to have access to their basic care needs. This is known as separation anxiety and it can manifest itself in various ways.

Many dogs suffering from separation anxiety will get agitated and jump all over you for attention. However, others may simply come up to you and lay their head on you. It will depend on the individual dog and their circumstances.

Regardless of your dog's personality, you will need to ensure your dog is getting the attention they require. You can have loved ones or neighbors drop in on them or even send them to a canine daycare facility. It is important to know that dogs should be socialized with others as much as possible. If you have a small family, it is a good idea to walk to dog parks or visit friends with dogs so they can meet these needs.

It is also very important to look at the context of your dog laying their head on you. You need to equally be aware of your own behavior. Dogs don't have social manners the same as human societies. If you are eating something, especially something which smells delicious to a dog's sensitive nose, then they may lay their head on you to petition for some of it. Most likely they will be looking at your food or even trying to reach for it.

While dogs don't have manners, they still need to know what is socially acceptable and what is not. If you eat food in front of your dog and feed them scraps, you can count of them expecting to have some the next time you are eating. Even with a sufficient diet, dogs can be notoriously greedy. Basic education and training will help us to keep our dogs in line when we eat. This will also help us to reserve their treats for rewards for good behavior.

If your dog is always begging for food and they have become overweight, check out our article on homemade dog food for weight loss to see how you can help.

You may be sitting on the couch because you want to snuggle up against the winter cold. You may be wrapped in a blanket to save heating. While your dog has a natural coat to protect against the cold, this doesn't mean they won't feel it too. If you dog comes up to you and lays their head against you, they may simply want a little body heat. If you have more than one pet in the home, it is very common for them to sleep cuddled up to each other. Since you are another member of their family, your body heat might make them feel a little cozier.

Find out more about keeping a dog warm during the cold months with our article explaining whether a dog needs a winter coat.

If your dog comes up to you and places their head on your leg, they may be trying to alert you to something. This is one of the reasons it is so important to get to know the personality of your dog. Some dogs will jump up and bark loudly with the slightest provocation such as a letter coming through the door. They are trying to warn you of a perceived danger in their environment. While this is a protective instinct, it is important to limit this behavior through proper education.

Other dogs are more docile by nature and will not react so aggressively to disturbances. They may sense something is wrong and will lay their head on you to alert you to a problem. Again, you will need to look at the rest of their body language and demeanor. If they don't seem to respond to petting or seem to want to draw your attention to something, you may need to reassure them.

Learn more about a dog's sensory capability by looking at our article on things dogs can predict.

Older dogs tend to become less energetic as they age. Part of this is the effect age has on their bones and hormonal activity. While we shouldn't assume there is a problem when an older dog lays their head on you, you need to look out for symptoms of a health problem. If they lay their head on you and don't much to stimulus there may be a problem.

Have you noticed you dog's energy levels have decreased? Have they recently lost apetite? These could be signs of a problem. With older dogs, it could be a serious problem. When a dog is about to die, they will sometimes go somewhere on their own and lay down. But this depends on the individual circumstances. Others may want to be close to a family member. Be alert and, for more information, take a look at our article on whether your dog is dying to help you assess the situation.

The answer is a fairly easy one. If your dog is big enough to reach up to your head, they may lay their head over your neck just to be close to you. It is something they do to other dogs they consider to be part of the family. If they do the same to you, they think of you as the same. Smaller dogs may simply want to rest on you, but it is still because they feel close and comfortable. It is an adorable sign of love which most dog guardians cherish.

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