Tales of Canine Cluelessness in the Human Personal Space Department as Shared by Dog Lovers
A foster dog moved into a home like it owned the place, and suddenly “personal space” became a myth everybody pretended not to notice. You could swear the dog understood the concept, then immediately chose violence, or at least chosen cuddles, by plastering itself to whoever was closest.
Here’s the messy part: personal space changes by dog, and even by season. Some dogs tolerate each other on the sofa or bed, keeping just enough distance to avoid body contact, while other dog besties sleep pressed together when it’s cool enough. And if the dog decides you are the favorite human, one cool evening can turn into full-on body contact, but when it gets hot, they downgrade to the “one-foot-on-the-body” strategy.
It gets even funnier at mealtimes, when they “social distance” with the precision of a tiny snack diplomat.
Dogs know it, but they ignore it.
Dogs ABSOLUTELY "…understand the concept of personal space…"
Thank the gods they also totally ignore it…
They will plaster themselves on you. That's their concept of personal space.
Personal space depends on the dog or human. I’ve had foster dogs that simply tolerate my dogs or vice versa.
These dogs won’t get too close to each other on the sofa or bed. Dogs that like each other will sleep with their bodies touching when temperatures allow for it.
If a dog likes a human, she will plaster herself to the human when temperatures are cool enough. If it is hot, a mere foot on the body will suffice.
Word of advice: Don't test it with an unknown dog.
My advice is, if you're not sure of the answer to your question, don't test an unknown dog’s personal space to find out.
Seems like they get the concept of personal space, but only during mealtimes!
Sometimes. At feeding time, they seem to prefer to social distance. Sometimes they also do this with a favorite chew toy.
This user hit the nail on the head. Doggos should be treated like kids.
Cuddles are the best thing in the world, meaning your fur baby loves you! Why would you want to change anything about that?
Once you get a fur baby, you say goodbye to personal space; they are just showing you how much they appreciate you. Of course, they understand—they are a lot smarter than we think. Fur babies are like children.
That’s when the foster dog’s “plaster yourself to me” policy starts making the humans wonder if they even signed up for personal space in the first place.
And if your dog keeps facing away from you, it might be about trust, not attitude, like the owners discuss behind dogs facing away from their humans.
Then feeding time hits, and suddenly the same dog that glued itself to a person is doing the most impressive social distancing act with a chew toy in hand.
Meanwhile, the dogs who sleep with bodies touching make it clear that “boundaries” are basically temperature-based and friendship-based in this household.
And if you’re tempted to test an unknown dog’s personal space, that’s the moment the whole “who’s boss” theory gets put to the test fast.
Some dogs do understand our personal space. But if yours don't, well, you know who's boss.
Either way, it's up to the dog owner if they want to address this issue. Some don't really mind and even welcome those warm cuddles. Others embrace the opportunity to gently train their furry companions to respect boundaries while nurturing the bond they share.
Regardless of the approach, what remains true is the enduring love and companionship between humans and their fur buddies.
Nobody really wins when your fur baby treats your lap like it’s public property.
For more “why won’t you stop?” chaos, read how a tenant tried to decode a dog that circles and bites.
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