It’s normal for a dog to lay at its owner’s feet. But if your dog loves to lay at your feet, especially when you poop, there are many explanations for its behavior.
Why Does My Dog Lay At My Feet When I Poop
Your dog lays at your feet when you poop because he suffers from separation anxiety, feels lonely without your presence, or thinks you need his help. It could also be due to canine instincts, affection, breed traits, protection.
There are other reasons responsible for this behavior. Read on below for detailed explanation for each.
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11 Reasons your dog lay at your feet when using the toilet
1. Canine Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety is a common form of anxiety in dogs. Dogs that suffer from this type of anxiety tend to depend overly on their owners.
They are clingy and rarely gets separated from their owners. If your dog suffers from separation anxiety, there’s a high chance that he will follow you to the bathroom and lay at your feet even when you poop.
Although there are no definite reasons why dogs develop separation anxiety, there have been a lot of speculations.
If you tend to change residence often, or if your dog is an adopted dog from a refugee home, there’s a high chance that he will develop separation anxiety.
To be certain that your dog lays at your feet when you poop due to separation anxiety, there are other behaviors he will tend to display.
He will exhibit these behaviors when you are separated from him.
- Destructive behaviors like digging and chewing
- Excessive barking and howling
- Excessive pacing
- Coprophagia: This is when a dog poops and eats his poop
If you’re confident that your dog lays at your feet due to anxiety, visit an animal behaviorist.
2. Loneliness
Loneliness could be the reason for your dog’s habit of laying at your feet when you poop. Loneliness in dogs can trigger a lot of unusual behaviors.
If you are constantly separated from your dog, or if your dog rarely sees you at home, he will tend to want to attach himself to you when he sees you.
Dogs are like human beings. They can get emotionally attached to their owners, and they also feel the need to stay close to someone they love. So if you are not giving your dog the attention he deserves, he will get from you himself by following you around.
Aside from constantly attaching himself to you, there are other behaviors displayed by dogs suffering from loneliness. They include the following:
- Clinginess
- Depression
- Excessive pacing
- Destructiveness
- Lack of interest in playing
- Change in sleep schedule
- Change in overall behavior
3. Canine Instincts
According to experts, dogs are born with canine instincts. And even if they have no experience in the wild, they will tend to exhibit their canine instincts from time to time.
If your dog loves laying at your feet even when you are taking a poop, it could be due to an inbuilt desire to stay in packs.
Before being domesticated, dogs had the habit of traveling in packs. It was noted that wild dogs have the natural instinct to travel with the alpha dog.
Most dogs regard their owner as an alpha dog or the pack leader. Hence, they tend to follow their owner around.
If your dog lays at your feet due to his canine instincts, he will tend to exhibit other behaviors, such as the following:
- Obeys instructions
- Be the first to break eye contact with you
- Respect by letting you walk through the door first or by not stealing your food.
4. Affection
There’s a high chance your dog lays on your feet when you poop due to his love for you. As someone he loves, he feels the need to always be by your side.
Dogs have different ways of communicating their love. This behavior of his could be his love language.
If you always leave for work in the morning, your affectionate dog will try to spend more time with you to prevent himself from missing you. He also does this to prevent you from missing him too much.
If your dog cuddles your feet while you take a poop, it’s his way of showing affection.
Dogs have the ability to perceive the emotions of their owner. If you have feeling stressed or depressed, your dog will cling to you in order to show you that he cares.
5. He Thinks You Need His Help
Dogs are not educated in human etiquette. Hence, they can’t reason as humans. If your dog lays at your feet while you poop, it could be because he thinks he might be of help to you.
If your dog takes his toy with him while following you to the restroom, it means he wants to keep you company while you poop. Your dog must have noticed that you spend an unusual amount of time in the toilet, so he follows you in order to keep you company.
Most dogs will pass you the toilet paper. If your dog does this, then he only wants to help you.
6. Breed Trait
If your dog follows you around even when you take a poop, his breed traits may just be the reason. Most dogs are known to be extremely clingy to their owners. They are called velcro dogs.
Here are some dog breeds that are likely to follow you every second of the day:
- Labrador retriever
- Maltese
- Golden retriever
- French bulldogs
- Pug
- Border Collie
- Chihuahuas.
- Papillons.
- Australian shepherds.
- Shetland Sheepdog.
- German Shepherd
- Vizsla
If your dog falls under one of the above breeds, then the reason he lays on your feet when you poop is that it’s his nature to do so.
7. Comfort
Just like how humans find comfort in doing various things, dogs can also find comfort in doing unusual things.
Your feet may be a place of comfort for your dog. So whether you’re taking a poop or not, he will always like to lay at your feet.
Take notice of your dog’s behavior; aside from the toilet, where else does he decide to lie on your feet? If when you poop isn’t the only time he lays on your feet, then he could be exhibiting this behavior because he feels comfortable lying on your feet.
8. Protection
If your dog regards you as the pack leader, he will find ways to protect you, and he will also expect that you protect him in return.
When you visit the toilet, it’s only natural that you spend some minutes in there. But since your dog doesn’t understand this, he will get anxious in your absence.
To protect you from dangers that he thinks exist, he will follow you and lay at your feet. Most times, he will lay at your feet to seek your protection too.
9. Love For Smell
If your dog has the habit of following you to the restroom, it could be that he loves your smell.
The toilet and bathroom are places that are filled with your shampoos, soaps, and deodorants. Hence, he will naturally follow you into it even when you poop.
10. Lack of Proper Training
The main reason your dog lays on your feet when you poop is due to his lack of training. If your dog has proper training, he will respect your privacy and will think of the toilet as a place that’s out of bounds when you get into it.
11. Habits
How did you train your dog? What habits did you ignore while he grew? If you tolerated your dog’s clinginess while he grew, it’s only natural for him to get extremely clingy in his youth.
If you tolerate your dog’s habit of laying on your feet, he will continue doing so regardless of the place and time.
How To Stop Your Dog’s Habit of Laying At Your Feet
It’s okay for a dog to lay at your feet when you poop. But if you find this behavior to be annoying, there are ways to put an end to it.
1. Close the Door Before Entering The Toilet: This is the best way to stop your dog from lying at your feet while taking a poop. When your dog notices that the door is always locked, he will get tired of trying to follow you into the restroom.
2. Give Him A Command Before Entering the Toilet: Right before entering the toilet, give your dog a “sit” command. This will make him wait till you’re done with the bathroom.
3. Train Your Dog to Respect Your Privacy: Train your dog to stop following to places like the restroom. When you constantly give him to “Go Back” command, he will learn to respect your privacy.
4. Treat His Separation Anxiety: If the reason your dog follows you around is due to separation anxiety, you should take him to an animal behaviorist for treatment.
Final thoughts on why my dog lay at my feet when I poop
In conclusion, your dog laying at your feet while you’re in the bathroom isn’t just a quirky behavior; it’s a testament to the strong bond between humans and their four-legged friends. This act showcases their loyalty, their desire to be close to you at all times, and their protective instincts.
While it may be a bit odd, it’s a reminder of the unconditional love and companionship dogs bring into our lives. So, the next time your pup joins you in the bathroom, take it as a heartwarming reminder of the special connection you share.
