If your German shepherd is sitting on your lap, you may be wondering why and what you can do about it.
So, why is my German shepherd sitting on my lap?
We all know that dogs like to sit on our lap because we make them feel safe and secure. But why?
Well, there are multiple reasons why your German Shepherd is sitting on your lap like scent marking, separation anxiety, breed’s behavior, or being stressed out or fearful of something.
There are several things you should consider when trying to understand why your German shepherd is sitting on your lap. Depending on the cause, there are many things you can do about it.
Why is My German Shepherd Sitting on my lap?
There are different reasons why your German shepherd sits on your lap has many clues.
There are several possible reasons for your German shepherd to do this and signs to look for.
German Shepherd Sitting on you to seek your attention
The reason your German shepherd is sitting on your lap may be that it is looking for attention.
It’s more likely if you do this when you’ve not focused for a while. It is even more so if you sit on your lap while doing things like taking a walk or feeding.
He is dominating
One way dogs in the wild can express their dominance over one another is by increasing their height over the rest of the pack. If your German shepherd is trying to assert his dominance over you, it may be doing so by sitting on your lap or lying in a higher position than you.
You need to prevent this from happening so that your German shepherd can see you as its leader. It helps to facilitate controlling and reducing disobedience. You can do this by taking the time to train your German shepherd to be in a higher position than you and to listen to your command.
To spread its fragrance
Your German shepherd may try to spread its scent on you so that other dogs can smell it. This is a way for other dogs to tell you that you belong to it to keep you away.
German shepherds are too loyal to their owners and at the same time quite possessive as well.
Habituated to Sitting on Your lap
You may inadvertently be taught to sit on your lap. This is most likely if you give them what they want, such as treats or attention when you sit on your lap.
Instead, it helps to train and reward you for not paying attention to it while sitting on your lap and sitting elsewhere.
Separation anxiety
Separation anxiety is the biggest problem we will have when we can’t spend some quality time with our dogs. The reason your German shepherd is sitting on your lap may be due to some separation anxiety.
Also Read: German shepherd Separation Anxiety: Symptoms and Medication
Here your German shepherd does not like to be alone and worries when he is alone.
This may be the reason if your German shepherd is too anxious when you go out. Ways it can show anxiety when you are away are moving, crying, or destructive.
Best Toys to Keep Your German shepherd Engaged
When Your German shepherd Sitting on Your Lap
When trying to understand why it sits on your lap, it helps to consider when you first start doing it.
If it is not always sitting on your lap and it starts to do suddenly, it helps to examine what else happened while you started doing it.
Some things to consider:
- If you move home
- If someone else gets away
- If its schedule changes
- If you start working different hours
When he does
It also helps to take into account the time spent sitting on your lap.
If in some cases and at times you feel like sitting on your lap, there may be an external cause for it.
There are a few things to consider when it comes to sitting on your lap only when you are normally fed or when you are not paying much attention.
How to get your German Shepherd to stop sitting on your lap
There are many things you can do to prevent your German Shepherd from sitting on your lap, which I will mention below.
You can check out your German Shepherd Training Book on Amazon to get more tips on how to train your GSD.
Ignore it
If your German Shepherd is sitting on your lap and seeking attention, as it often happens, then the best way to stop it is to leave and ignore it completely.
This means you have to remove it, wait until it calms down, the reward for behaving, and then sit back. If it tries to sit on you again, repeat the process.
Don’t train for it
It’s always good to train your German Shepherd not to sit on your lap by teaching him to sit on the floor while you sit.
You can do this by sitting or lying on it while trying to sit on your lap, and then gradually teach it to stay there longer and longer.
Avoid encouraging this behavior
It can be a context in which you encourage the behavior by giving it what it wants when it does.
Instead of giving it the items you want, teach it to sit or lie down somewhere, and then give it a gift instead.
During puppyhood, it would be comfortable but once he grows tall and started putting on some weight, it would become so difficult.
Distract him
Another option you have is to give your German shepherd distracting things. You can do this by chewing or giving toys to play with.
German Shepherd Sitting Postures
Final Thoughts
German Shepherds sat on you for a number of reasons mentioned above. As long as they do not overdo it, this behavior will not cause so much concern.
As long as your dog is comfortable sitting on your lap, that’s fine. But when it bothers you a lot, you can always ask for professional help.
This type of behavior does not bother most dogs owners. For them, it was a way for their dog to show their affection and most of them liked it.
But dog owners are still curious as to why their dog is sitting on them.