What Does It Mean When Your Dog Sits By The Door?

Some dogs are content to lay in their bed all day. Some pups like to play outside all the time. Many dogs will try to spend www.cuteness.com="" article="" train-dog-not-clingy"=""> every waking moment next to their human companion. A few dogs seem to be so all over the place that you never know where they'll end up next. On the other hand, you might notice your dog spends way too much time beside the door. Whether your pet sits by the door all day or only does it some of the time, you may find yourself wondering what it means. The circumstances in which your dog decides to sit by the door are the biggest indicators of why he is doing it.

House trained dogs know not to go potty in the house, but they don't always know a lot of ways to communicate their need to use the bathroom. Scratching the door, circling by the door, or walking between you and the door are pretty obvious signs that she needs to use the bathroom, but sometimes she might just sit at the door. Even if it's not anywhere near the time of her usual bathroom break, Pets 4 Homes suggests you try letting your pup out to relieve herself if she seems particularly desperate, if she has notably bad gas, or if you notice she has drunk more water than normal.

If your dog primarily goes outside to play and use the bathroom, then these two activities are probably the main reasons for his waiting by the door. If he doesn't need to go to the bathroom, he may want some exercise. Whether he is waiting by the front door hoping to go on a walk or by the back door hoping to play, the chances are that he is bored inside and just dying to explore and get some exercise outside.

Sitting by the door could be due to full-blown separation anxiety, or she might miss someone she cares about. If your dog only sits by the door when you or someone you live with is out of the house, this is probably the reason. Wag Walking says the reason a dog will sit by the door when she misses someone is pretty straightforward — it was the last place she saw them, so that's where she expects to see them next.

Also, her experience has probably shown that she can hear your car, the garage door opening, and the clang of your keys just before you get home; the door is one of the best places to hear these sounds. Of course, as Pets Fans points out, if you just came home, it's possible she wasn't there for long and just ran to the door after hearing those sounds that indicate you were about to enter the house.

A dog's hormonal impulses are extremely strong. Pet Place says a male dog can smell a female dog in heat from up to three miles away. If your dog is intact, that smell can drive him nuts, leaving him anxious to mate with her.

When this is the cause of the problem, you'll probably notice that it only happens periodically (unless you live somewhere with a substantial number of unspayed females) and it should only last for a few days at a time. Neutering your dog can fix the problem, but otherwise, continue to keep your dog inside since male dogs have been known to dig under, climb over, and break through fences to get to a potential mate.

When your dog doesn't seem to want to go outside but blocks your path, making it difficult for you to pass, some say she might be trying to establish herself as the leader. By claiming a place that you need to use, she may be making you have to get permission before passing. Although much of the dominance theory has been debunked, dogs do tend to go through doorways in a pecking order. Therefore a dog may be trying to establish dominance if she consistently pushes in front you whenever you enter a room together.

If this is the case, you can tell her to move and gently push her out the way if she doesn't move immediately, rather than walking around or stepping over her.