9 Reasons Why Dogs Sleep With Their Bum Facing You (2023)

You opened your eyes and…

“Hooman, I give you… my bum.”

Your face is inches away from your dog’s butt!

And you don’t know how to react.

Wonder no more!

Read on to discover:

• Some dog bum facts that you didn’t know.
• Whether your dog’s trying to make you do something.
• 9 reasons why your dog sleeps with their bum facing you.
• And many more…

Why do dogs sleep with their bum facing you?

Your dog’s sleeping with their bum facing you because it’s comfortable and they trust you. They also feel safe, and they want you to pet them on their rear. It can also be that they’re transferring their scent to you. Or, they don’t want you to bother them.

9 reasons why your dog sleeps with their bum facing you

#1: “I’m comfortable this way”

Sometimes, the reason is simple. It’s comfortable.

They prefer sleeping in positions where they can have a good night’s sleep. It’s something that comes as an instinct to dogs.

So when your Fido sleeps with their bum facing you, it’s because they like it that way.

You might find it odd for them to sleep in such a position. But since you share a deep connection, they’ll seek comfort by being near you.

Take it as a positive sign when your Fido’s facing away from you. It means they’re comfortable and can leave themselves vulnerable around you.

“But Petya. How would I know if my dog’s comfortable?”

You’ll know based on their sleeping positions. And how they behave while asleep.

Are they on their side while their bum is facing you?

If yes, then it’s a strong sign that your dog’s having a peaceful sleep.

Dr. Coren says that sleeping on the side is the most common sleeping posture that dogs use. The legs are extended and the vital organs are exposed.

Dr. Coastes mentions they’ll sleep in this position when they’re comfortable with the temperature. As well as with their surroundings.

During REM sleep, they may twitch and kick their legs. And also let out soft grunts. These are common behaviors when they’re having a good, deep sleep.

Note: Dreaming occurs in the REM stage of sleep. When asleep, dogs spend 10% of their time in this phase.

In this case, don’t wake them up. Even if you don’t like their bum near your face. Disrupting their sleep while in this phase may startle them. And may lead to them being aggressive.

Adjust your position and let your sweet bundle of joy snooze.

You might also want to read: 15 interesting reasons why your dog sleeps on your bed

#2: “I’m protecting you”

Yup. Dogs are not only loyal. They’re also very protective of their dog parents.

When you treat your pooch well, it’s natural for them to repay your kindness. In such a way that they’ll ensure you come to no harm.

Even before they close their eyes, they’d still think of your safety.

It may be the reason why your Fido has to face away from you when sleeping. (But didn’t mean to place their bum near your face.)

This is likely the case when their place in the bed is near the entrance of your room. They’re cautious and they want to be alert of any threat.

Again, take it as a positive sign when they sleep facing the opposite side as you. Even if it has to be their bum you’re facing or the back of their head.

It proves that your dog doesn’t see you as a threat.

It’s like them saying, “I’ll guard you” and they feel responsible for scouting threats that might come from your room.

Consider also how they sleep. Do they use the lion’s pose sleeping position?

It’s where they sleep with their head on top of their paws. Their back legs are at one side. And their front legs tucked in.

According to Dr. Wooten, they sleep in this position when they’re resting but not sleeping deeply. Because it allows them to jump up quickly and not miss a chance to be in the action.

#3: “I’m avoiding eye contact with you”

Sometimes we like to be intimate with our furry friends. We want to hug and stare. But it’s not how they always roll.

It can be the case if your pooch is the timid type. And is still getting used to you. Or they come from a shelter and are more fearful.

Do you have a habit of staring at them while lying together in bed? If you do that, they might feel uncomfortable.

A study revealed that when our dogs look us in the eyes, we release oxytocin. It’s a hormone that makes us happy when we’re near our loved ones.

True! But when you got your dog from a shelter or they had past trauma, they wouldn’t know how to interpret your stare. This can also happen when they lack socialization.

So it’s different when you stare at them without offering verbal or visual cues of how you feel.

If it’s going to be like that, the longer you stare, the more you’ll agitate them. Timid dogs may get scared or intimidated. So they’ll face away to avoid this.

Instead of giving them a blank stare, show your affection while looking at them. Just like how you feel. Guide their eyes toward you by holding a treat in front of your face.

They should learn that it’s a positive experience. And that they’ll be getting the good stuff when they look you in the eyes.

It’ll help strengthen your bond, and you’re also helping them become more focused.

It might also be that other dogs are just not used to ventral contact. Such as belly-to-belly and face-to-face.

In this case, their instinct’s telling them to sleep on the opposite side as you. Hence, their bum against your face.

Read more: 11 Interesting Reasons Why Your Dog Barks When You Stare At It + 3 Easy Tips

#4: “I trust you”

Dogs show their trust in many ways.

And this may include lying with their bum facing you. They’ll not have a second thought to sleep facing away when you’re loyal to them.

“In what sense?”

Laying on their backs leaves them vulnerable to attacks. A dog can only expose their vulnerable side when they’re confident that you’re not going to hurt them.

But they know you got their back. And that you’ll protect them from predators. Sleeping with their bum facing you makes them feel safe.

They’re comfortable enough with you. And they feel like they don’t need to protect themselves.

“But how can I be sure that my dog trusts me enough?”

It’s how you interact with them that makes you gain their trust.

These will tell you if your dog trusts you with their life.

Your dog’s confident and relaxed around you

Animal behaviorist Victoria Stilwell says that when your dog trusts you, they’ll show signs of relaxed and confident body posture.

Their eyes will blink often, and their tails are wagging. Their mouths are slightly open. And you’ll see their ears in a forward position.

You know you’ve gained your Fido’s trust when you notice these signs while spending time together.

Your dog responds well to your training

Training your dog isn’t only about them. It’s about both of you. If they don’t trust you, they’ll be less likely to respond to your commands.

When they’re adopted, it’ll take time to realize that you’re their permanent family. And that you’re trustworthy. They’ll only let their guard down when they feel comfortable.

“But we’ve went past that stage.”

The improvement of your relationship should be evident. Observe when your Fido’s attentive during training. By this time, it should go smoother.

If they listen to you, it means a mission accomplished for gaining their trust.

Most often you’re calm around your dog

According to a study, dogs are capable of reading your emotions. And they trust you less when they see you in a bad mood.

When you only show them your frowning face and use a harsh voice, then it’ll be difficult to build trust with them.

It’s a sign of trust when they let you pet them without feeling threatened.

#5: “I want you to pet me on the rear”

When they’re nudging you with their butt, it might be that they want a solid rubbing on their rear.

The thing is, the area in front of their tail has sensitive nerve endings. So when you rub them on the bum, it’ll be nice for them.

Dr. Bonnie Beaver says it’s the same nice feeling when someone scratches your back for you. Also, dogs like their rear scratched because it’s a hard area for them to reach.

It explains the tail wagging while their bum’s in front of your face. They might be asking for some bum petting.

If they love some rump-scratch, why not do your Fido a favor from time to time?

But keep in mind that this doesn’t apply to all dogs. Others aren’t pleased with a posterior-petting. They’ll growl and move away.

Dr. Beaver adds these dogs don’t like you touching them in many places.

Bear in mind that if your dog often wants you to catch their bum, there might be something wrong.

So keep an eye out if there’s a bad odor coming from their anus. Or if they’re constantly biting and licking the area.

It might be infested by organisms you don’t want to encounter such as:

Fleas

Cats and dogs are the most common targets of these small parasites. These pests off their body and cause skin irritation and allergy.

They hide around the anus and tail area. But when your pooch is infested badly, you’ll see them crawling over the body. As well as the face and ears.

These nasty little parasites feed on your dog’s blood. They’ll lay their eggs in your dog’s fur.

PetMD shares that a female flea has the capacity to lay up to 50 eggs per day. It’s possible for them to cause a major infestation in less than two months.

Warning: Major infestation can lead to your dog losing too much of their blood. They may develop anemia. Look out for the signs of lethargy and pale gums.

Being an indoor-only dog doesn’t make them less susceptible to infestation. Fleas are easy to transport from place to place.

Look out for these signs of a flea infestation:

• Pale gums.
• Excessive licking.
• Dark specs on the fur.
• Itching or biting at the skin.
• Red and raw inflamed skin.
• Hot spots and bald patches.

What can I do if my dog has fleas?

Here are some things you can do:

Step 1: Give your dog a bath with lukewarm water and mild soap. It’ll help get fleas off their coats and skin.

Step 2: Comb the fur with a fine-tooth flea comb. This will help remove the dark specks or flea poop near the skin.

Step 3: Kill the larvae by drowning the comb in hot, soapy water.

Step 4: Check their fur regularly. Comb your pooch at least once a week.

Step 5: Call your vet when you notice their skin becomes inflamed from too much scratching. They may have a flea allergy or infection.

Tapeworms

Tapeworms are intestinal parasites that affect canines. These flat and white worms grow up to 4-8 inches long.

Dogs can get it from swallowing fleas that carry the tapeworm’s larvae.

As I mentioned earlier, fleas linger on the coat. So your dog will ingest an infected one when they lick their fur.

These parasites will feed slowly once they’re in the dog’s guts. They’ll eat up the essential nutrients meant for your pooch.

And when they grow, your dog will excrete some of their segments with their fresh poop. These segments look like grains of rice.

According to Dr. Hector Joy, tapeworm infestation doesn’t usually cause sickness. But they can cause irritation on your dog’s anus.

Note: If the infestation lasts long, your dog may lose weight.

Early symptoms are unnoticeable. But when things get worse, these parasites may cause:

• Dry hair.
• A bloated belly.
• General poor appearance.
• Vomiting (worms in the vomit).
• Diarrhea (perhaps with blood).
• Worm segments on the dog’s hind end.

How can I prevent tapeworms in my dog?

AKC says these are the things that you can do to prevent tapeworms in your dog.

• Since fleas are the source of infection, be aware of their indoor and outdoor environments.
• Make an appointment with a vet to treat your dog with tapeworms.
• Clean up your pooch after you go to public parks. Place their poop in a plastic bag and dispose of it in the trash.
• Keep your dog away from garbage and dead animals.

Can I get tapeworms from my dog?

It’s not common for humans to get tapeworms from dogs. Unless you accidentally ingest an infected flea.

Children are more susceptible to parasitic infections. Especially when they play with dirt and don’t wash their hands after playing.

A dog’s poop can contaminate dirt with tapeworms. Also, most children have a habit of putting their hands into their mouths. So they may ingest it.

Further reading: Why does my dog keep looking at their back end? 9 real reasons

#6: “I’m claiming you”

According to Dr. Nadine Znajda, dogs have scent glands on their tails. It’s a source of pheromones that emanate their distinct aroma.

Dog pheromones are chemical signals that their body gives off. It’s a scent that we can’t pick up on but other dogs can. The scent is unique to every dog.

Fun fact: Dogs sniff each other’s bum as a form of greeting. A pheromone is a form of dog identification. By sniffing each other’s butts, dogs can also know if they’ve met before.

So your pooch is trying to put their butt in front of your face to leave their scent on you.

It’s sign language. Your dog’s marking you. It’s their way of saying they’re your furry child and you’re their human.

#7: “I feel safe”

Dogs sleep in places where they feel safe.

They have to make sure that there are no threats around.

So take it as a good sign when your pooch is sleeping on your bed. With their bum in front of you!

It means they can settle down on your bed or in your room. And they don’t have to be cautious with their sleeping positions. They feel a sense of security in their environment.

So they’re fine exposing their vulnerable parts to you such as their back. They see you as a family and believe that you won’t hurt them.

#8: “I don’t want you to bother me”

So one night, your pooch doesn’t want to sleep face-to-face with you.

Then it can be that they didn’t want to be bothered.

It might be that you did a lot of activities during the day that drained their energy. And that night, they only wanted to doze off.

They wanted to make sure that they could sleep easily. Their instinct’s telling them to not be available for a while because they needed to get a good rest.

You might also want to read: 11 Odd Reasons Why Your Dog Goes To Bed So Early + 3 Tips

#9: “You’re encouraging my behavior”

You might’ve encouraged them to sleep in such a way. If you scratch their bum whenever they’re facing away, they’ll do it often to take more.

They’ll learn that you’ll give them more rubs when they face away.

People also ask:

Why does my dog sleep facing away from me?

Your dog’s facing away from you because they’re comfortable in that position. They also feel safe knowing that you’re behind their back. It can also be that they’re protective.

In dogdom, you’re putting yourself in a vulnerable position when you turn your back to someone.

But because they trust you, they don’t perceive you as a threat. They’re confident that you’re not going to do something bad to them behind their back.

Their instinct is also telling them that it’s the right position to protect you. Especially when they’re facing your doorway. Or, their position in the bed is near the entrance of your room.

In this way, they can watch what might be coming. It’ll help them be alert.

Check out also: 13 reasons why your dog sleeps by the door

Why does my dog lay with his bum towards me?

Your dog is laying with his bum towards you because they want a rump scratch. Bum-rubbing is one of the highest pleasure zones for them. It can also be possible that they’re transferring their distinct scent to you.

Some dogs like their bum to be rubbed. Their bum is one of their favorite scratching spots. For many canines, rubs and scratches communicate love and affection.

Putting their butt in front of your face is also sign language. They’re transferring their scent on you because they’re marking you. It’s their way of saying you’re their parent, and they’re your furry child.