# Is this normal behaviour??



## dio.ren (Jan 18, 2013)

I'm a little concerned about Molly. I am not sure if this is normal or not?? For the past month she is always on my feet. If i'm at the computer she will come and lie down in a little ball between my feet with her head on my foot. If I move to go to the kitchen she will follow me and lie down beside me. Then I go back to the living room and on my feet again Even when I do the dishes she will come lie down between my feet and put her head on my foot. Yesterday I was on the phone and standing in the middle of the living room and she came and lied down on my foot.

It's cute and makes me laugh but sometimes it gets a bit much Is this normal behaviour or is she too needy?? She doesn't do it to other people only me. She seems fine she has energy on her walks, eats normally etc...so I don't think she is sick. Just wondering if anyone else has a "poo" slipper??


----------



## Woo (Oct 5, 2011)

I have heard in the past (but don't know if it's true) that when a dog sit's on your feet they are showing dominance over you. When Noodle was first with us she would do it to my partner but never to me. A friend who is a groomer said she was being dominat with him so I stopped her doing it. Like I said I don't know how much truth there is in this.


----------



## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

wow Woo I have never heard that before.
Lady can be a slipper at times, but not all the time.
she also is a complete shadow and will sometimes be right beside me and I didnt even know she was there.

Does she show any signs of separation anxiety?? it might really just be that she has chosen you as her favourite, and that she wants to be near you. Lady has chosen me as her favourite, and whatever room in the house I am in she wants to be there too.


----------



## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

Mable can do it, she's certainly never too far away if she doesnt sit by /lie on your feet she's lying nearby.


----------



## dio.ren (Jan 18, 2013)

lady amanda said:


> wow Woo I have never heard that before.
> Lady can be a slipper at times, but not all the time.
> she also is a complete shadow and will sometimes be right beside me and I didnt even know she was there.
> 
> Does she show any signs of separation anxiety?? it might really just be that she has chosen you as her favourite, and that she wants to be near you. Lady has chosen me as her favourite, and whatever room in the house I am in she wants to be there too.


She isn't dominant over me cause she listens to me better than anyone else. If I give her a command she will listen right away where as with others she ignores them. As for seperation anxiety I'm not sure. If I go out she will whine a bit but not for long. I think maybe I am her favourite or she is just my shadow


----------



## Woo (Oct 5, 2011)

lady amanda said:


> wow Woo I have never heard that before.
> Lady can be a slipper at times, but not all the time.
> she also is a complete shadow and will sometimes be right beside me and I didnt even know she was there.
> 
> Does she show any signs of separation anxiety?? it might really just be that she has chosen you as her favourite, and that she wants to be near you. Lady has chosen me as her favourite, and whatever room in the house I am in she wants to be there too.


I had never heard it myself before, just when I said it to my friend in a "ahh it's so sweet noodle sits on my partners feet" way and she said about the dominance. 
Noodle is my shadow too, she is wherever I am, toilet included!!


----------



## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

yup it's a cockapoo thing...Lady is usually in the bathroom with me too...and if I happen to get in there without her...she is lying at the door when I come out.


----------



## Woo (Oct 5, 2011)

dio.ren said:


> She isn't dominant over me cause she listens to me better than anyone else. If I give her a command she will listen right away where as with others she ignores them. As for seperation anxiety I'm not sure. If I go out she will whine a bit but not for long. I think maybe I am her favourite or she is just my shadow


Just looked it up as I never did bother before when I was told it was dominance. This is what I found.


*If you have a dog that is very dominant, then your dog could like to sit on your feet as a way to assert himself over you. He is physically pinning you down and putting himself in a more powerful position. But this would only be the case if this particular dog does other things that make you believe he is trying to be dominant.


Does your dog need constant reassurance? Are they always looking for love and affection? Do they want to be touching you all the time? In this case, the dog may be sitting on your feet simply as a way to stay in physical touch with you.


Does your dog suffer from separation anxiety? Do they follow you from room to room? Do they go to pieces if they can’t see you? In this case the dog may be trying to reassure himself about your presence. He may be looking for comfort by touching you.


Maybe your dog simply likes to be near you. There doesn’t have to be any particular reason why a dog likes to sit on an owner’s feet. Maybe the dog gets some petting when he does this and he likes it.


Your dog may also like to sit on your feet as a way of “claiming” you. Perhaps he feels that he needs to let your spouse or another dog know that you are “his.” Dogs do display this kind of possessive behavior and can become very jealous of an owner.*


Seems to be many different reasons why.


----------



## dio.ren (Jan 18, 2013)

Thanks for the article Woo! Very interesting


----------



## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

Gosh Woo that's funny really as its touched all bases as to why they do it .... So we can all choose our own reason


----------



## Jedicrazy (Apr 26, 2011)

Obi used to be a velcro dog but as he has got older he has relaxed a lot more now and will happily let me leave the room and he often takes himself off for a quiet lie down somewhere else. 

Roo on the other hand is very much attached to me and as soon as I move, she moves. She scratches at doors and cries if she knows I'm in a another room. It seems to have got worse since her first season started and although it finished a few weeks a go she is still very, very clingy. I'm hoping she will just grow out of it.


----------



## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

Mine follow me all around the house. Bonnie always has her chin on my feet wherever I sit. I don't think it's a dominance thing she just loves to be near me and she isn't really a lap dog unlike Dexter.


----------



## Cat 53 (Aug 26, 2012)

Max follows me from room to room and lies as near to my feet as he can get, but doesn't sit on my feet.


----------



## dio.ren (Jan 18, 2013)

Cat 53 said:


> Max follows me from room to room and lies as near to my feet as he can get, but doesn't sit on my feet.


Molly never sits on my feet just curls up in a ball between my feet and rests her head on my foot. Glad to see that i'm not the only one with a cling on dog


----------



## sugerlump (Oct 6, 2012)

well people I really don't want to be a party pooper but I don't believe in that dominants thing..what I do believe that they are all cockapoos.and they are extremely loving dogs in every sense of the word. they want to show there love for you and that they want to be with you.,ginger lays on both our feet and follows us around where ever we go.she will climb up on our laps very close to our face and lick my cheek and then start talking to me and my wife also.she will sit and come out with all kinds of sequels and groans and yawns and growls and squeak.. it is funny as all get out .but I still say they are just showing there affection the only way they know how and that is being by your side all the time ..


----------



## dio.ren (Jan 18, 2013)

sugerlump said:


> well people I really don't want to be a party pooper but I don't believe in that dominants thing..what I do believe that they are all cockapoos.and they are extremely loving dogs in every sense of the word. they want to show there love for you and that they want to be with you.,ginger lays on both our feet and follows us around where ever we go.she will climb up on our laps very close to our face and lick my cheek and then start talking to me and my wife also.she will sit and come out with all kinds of sequels and groans and yawns and growls and squeak.. it is funny as all get out .but I still say they are just showing there affection the only way they know how and that is being by your side all the time ..


Thanks for posting this. I think today we overthink everything about our dogs.......are they aggressive, are they normal etc....maybe cause there are too many TV shows about dog training I don't know. I know my Molly isn't dominant and she isn't insecure so I guess she is just being loving. She is the sweetest dog I could ever ask for. Thanks for making me think differently I truly think it's an affectionate thing for her and maybe lying on my feet is comforting to her somehow. Today we had a nice long walk in the park and she made new friends (big huge dogs) and she was all over them and they loved her, people loved her and she loved them! She is a normal puppy so I guess I should feel blessed that she lies and naps on my feet instead of biting them off 

Thanks again for the reality check!


----------



## sugerlump (Oct 6, 2012)

yes it is so nice not to over analyze your puppy and just take her/him as a very affectionate,loving puppy .that will do any thing in the world to make you happy ,just the same way you would make them happy.after all having a lovable puppy is the most wonderful est thing in the world


----------



## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

sugerlump said:


> yes it is so nice not to over analyze your puppy and just take her/him as a very affectionate,loving puppy .that will do any thing in the world to make you happy ,just the same way you would make them happy.after all having a lovable puppy is the most wonderful est thing in the world


Oh absolutely - wouldn't our lives be sad and empty without our four pawed pals


----------



## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

Lola does this when I am drying my hair because she knows I am leaving for work! It breaks my heart. Definitely a show of love and affection for us! Lola also demands to be petted.. She taps with her paw if we aren't petting her enough! Monkey! Cute though..


----------



## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

sugerlump said:


> yes it is so nice not to over analyze your puppy and just take her/him as a very affectionate,loving puppy .that will do any thing in the world to make you happy ,just the same way you would make them happy.after all having a lovable puppy is the most wonderful est thing in the world


To be honest I wish I had thought like this when I brought Dudley home, I was so concerned with doing everything right and following advice that I think I probably spoilt a lot of the early puppy days worrying about everything, ensuring he didn't become too dominant etc (which he seemed to be at times but was probably just typical naughty puppy behaviour). Now I am still worrying that I have caused him to be too anxious in some situations! the fact that he barks at every noise, has a bit of separation anxiety, seems to have a bit of canine OCD etc - having said that when out he is still as confident as ever and loves everyone and every dog - oh and yes he does put his head on my feet sometimes and I love that.


----------

