Do you have a dog that follows you to the bathroom? This is a common aspect for many dog owners.
In this article, we will discuss why some dogs seem determined to follow their humans into the bathroom and what can be done about it!
A dog can follow you to the bathroom for several reasons. It can be for no reason at all or because they are gregarious and social creatures. Some breeds are more oriented to this behavior. It could also be even your reaction to the dog. There are other reasons like boredom, companionship, anxiety, or even lack of the concept of privacy. Sometimes it could just be that the dog is protective about you or curious, supportive, etc.
Why Does Your Dog Follow You To The Bathroom?
Dogs have been known to follow their owners to the bathroom for a number of reasons.
Whatever the reason, it can be pretty amusing (or frustrating if you don’t like it) to watch your dog try and keep up with you every time you go into the bathroom.
Let us take a look at the reasons why dogs follow their owners to the bathroom. So read on if you want to find out more!
Just Like That:
Have you ever been walking through your house and suddenly felt a pair of eyes on you? You turn around and see your dog right behind you, staring at you as if they’re waiting for something.
And then it hits you – they’re following you to the bathroom! So why do dogs always follow their owners to the bathroom? As it turns out, it can be for no reason and just a casual routine. It can be ‘just like that’ with no intention or expectation.
Dogs Are Gregarious Species:
Dogs are social animals with a strong pack mentality. This means that they feel the need to be close to their pack, which in most cases is their human family now.
One of the ways dogs show their attachment to us is by following us around, even into the bathroom. While some people may find it embarrassing, there’s actually a lot of attachment coming through from the dog.
Breed Instinct:
If you’re headed to the bathroom, does your furry friend tag along? You’re not alone. Many dog owners have reported that their pup likes to join them in the restroom. One theory is that dogs herd by nature.
They may see following their owner into the bathroom as an opportunity to herd. Some dogs herd by instinct. For example the collies or the shepherds.
They are called ‘Velcro’ dogs. In these cases, the dogs’ instinct to follow you is greater than other dogs. They would like to huddle and be with you on an instinctive basis.
Based On Your Reaction:
Do you ever react positively to your dog when you come out of the bathroom? You’re not alone! In fact, a recent study found that many pet owners react this way.
Dogs are often seen as loyal and loving, and it’s no wonder that some people feel happy when they see them. If you’re one of those people, then your dog simply follows you because you react positively to your dog.
The dog begins to think it’s being appreciated for it and that it’s good to do it again.
Bored:
Come out of the bathroom and you see your dog standing watch outside the door. There’s actually a much more interesting reason why dogs follow their people into the bathroom.
Dogs can follow you to the bathroom simply because they are bored and lack mental stimulation. So they follow you as a simple activity.
While it may be amusing for pet owners, it’s important to remember that dogs need lots of stimulation and exercise or they can become restless.
So it’s important you get your dog to exercise and get the daily dose of activity.
Companionship:
Your dog is following you even to the bathroom and you wonder why? It’s almost like they’re providing you with some much-needed companionship.
Since you like it when they are around, they think you want them with you even when you go to the bathroom. So they want to be with you, follow you, and be your companion wherever you go.
As faithful friend, they want to be your companion at every stage and everywhere.
Separation Anxiety:
It’s not unusual for a dog to follow its owner to the bathroom. In fact, many dogs do it because they’re anxious and want to be near their owner.
If your dog is always following you to the bathroom, there’s probably a good reason why. Find out more about why dogs follow their owners to the bathroom and what you can do to help them feel better.
Separation anxiety in dogs is a very common problem that can cause a lot of stress for the dog. It could be that your dog doesn’t get to see you much and follows you to the bathroom when you are at home.
Luckily, there are some things you can do to help alleviate your dog’s anxiety and make them feel better like spending more time with your dog.
No Concept Of Privacy:
Every dog owner has been there-you’re taking a bathroom break and your dog is right outside.
You may have wondered why your dog is so interested in what goes on in the bathroom, and it turns out there’s a good reason- dogs have no concept of privacy!
Though it may seem strange to us, for dogs the bathroom is just another room in the house where they can see and interact with their humans.
So they don’t find anything wrong in following you to the bathroom.
Dogs Don’t Like Being Alone:
Do you ever feel like your dog is constantly following you around? Well, there’s a good reason for that!
Dogs hate being alone, and so they will follow their owners wherever they go in order to avoid being left by themselves.
This can be especially true in the bathroom, where dogs may feel insecure and anxious without their owner present.
By understanding why your dog follows you to the bathroom, you can better train them and help make them feel more comfortable when spending time by themselves.
Protective:
You might be wondering why your furry friend is so interested in what you’re doing behind closed doors.
The answer: Dogs are protective of their owners and want to make sure everything is okay. Since they don’t know what you are up to behind those doors, they feel staying right outside the door will guard you.
They would like to be available to you by being right outside and ready for anything.
Curious:
Dogs are curious by nature. They want to know what’s going on and they follow their humans around to see what they’re up to. So, it’s not surprising that your dog likes to come with you to the bathroom.
“What is all the noise from the flush?” might be something that triggers the dog’s curiosity. Or, the dog wants to know where you are going and what you are doing.
So the dog decides to follow you and ascertain for itself. Just to satisfy its curiosity.
Supportive:
Dogs have been known to follow their owners around pretty much everywhere, but why do they insist on joining us in the bathroom?
Turns out there’s a good reason for it – dogs are just trying to be supportive! Dogs have an instinctual sense of knowing when their humans need them, and so they follow us into the bathroom as a way of showing that they care.
They want you to know they will be there for you as your loyal and faithful friend.
Love:
There’s no doubt that dogs love their owners – they follow us around everywhere and seem to be constantly happy when we’re around. They always seem to be happy to see us and love spending time with us.
Dogs are highly social animals that love being close to their pack- which for them includes their owner.
Dogs will follow their owners to the bathroom because they want to be close to them and feel like they’re a part of what’s going on.
Insecurity:
I’m sure you’ve experienced this before – you’re in the bathroom, doing your business, and suddenly you hear a scratching at the door.
You know that whoever is on the other side of that door is your dog, waiting patiently for you to come out. Some experts say it’s because dogs feel insecure without their owners nearby.
Dogs want to be around you and when you move out from your desk or from the living room they want to follow you and be wherever you are which makes them feel secure because they probably treat you as a leader of the pack.
Dogs Get To Know You:
Dogs are the most loyal companions a person can have. They are always happy to see you, whether you’ve been gone for five minutes or five hours.
One of the ways dogs show their affection is by following you around constantly. Have you ever wondered why your dog follows you to the bathroom?
It’s because they’re getting to know you by sniffing! Dogs use their sense of smell to learn about everything around them, so following you to the bathroom is one way for them to learn more about their human companion.
Since their sense of smell is very good, they know you are okay and safe behind those closed doors too.
Walking Time:
Did you use the toilet before taking the dog for a walk? Well, then you have your answer. The dog thinks it’s walking time if you go to the toilet and so, it follows you thinking that you’re going to take it for a walk right after you come out.
It’s a natural expectation. If you don’t like your dog following you, there are ways in which you can train your dog to stay back.
Is My Dog Following Me To The Bathroom Normal?
Dogs are known as “man’s best friend” for a reason. They’re loyal, loving, and always happy to see us. But did you know that your dog may also be following you to the bathroom?
Believe it or not, this is actually perfectly normal behavior for dogs. However, if you feel that the dog is following you because of separation anxiety then you should be acting on helping your dog get over its anxiety to be away from you.
It is neither good for your dog nor for you, that your dog goes through separation anxiety.
What Can You Do About Your Dog Following You To The Bathroom?
There are several ways of handling your dog following you to the bathroom.
- You can try leaving a treat for your dog before you go to the bathroom.
- You can stop talking to your dog or appreciating it or expressing any love when it is waiting outside the bathroom for you.
- Teach your dog to stay when you get up to go to the bathroom. Rewarded for staying after you come back.
- You can also give your dog its favorite toy to distract it before going to the bathroom so that the dog is engaged or busy with its toy.
- You can also toss a treat in the opposite direction of where you are going so that your dog gets busy going towards the treat while you can go to the bathroom.
- Training your dog from a young age will help it because it will not go through any separation anxiety or feel alone when you leave it and go to the bathroom.
- Try to spend more time with your dog so that your dog does not feel that you are leaving it and going away.
- Walk around inside the house so that your dog doesn’t get up each time to follow you and your dog knows that you’re going to come back.
- Close the door of your bedroom so that your dog does not follow you inside and up to the bathroom.
- You can also try using a barrier to prevent your dog from following you to the bathroom and slowly do away with the barrier so that the dog knows it should not be followed. You can reward the dog for waiting outside.
Wrapping Up:
Dogs follow their owners to the bathroom for a variety of reasons. It could be that your dog is anxious or expects a reward. If this behavior is because of anxiety, it will need to be addressed by a professional trainer.
If it is not anxiety and you are not annoyed by it, then you don’t have to really do anything about it. Else, you can think of training your dog with a treat, a toy, or a reward which is pretty easy.
