Dogs have a variety of awkward behaviours mostly resulting from psychological and mental issues. Your dog following you to the bathroom is also among the weird and absurd behaviours. This is sometimes normal and sometimes abnormal. They may follow you out of curiosity or maybe they like to see you get a shower. But sometimes, they may do this out of behavioural issues. He may feel anxious about the thought of being “left out”. However, with proper training, this habit can be stopped. It is not always easy to understand your pup’s behaviour. Providing them with treats and kisses makes them delighted. Yet, they can behave subtly at times.
Dogs love to be with you all the time and the major part of it includes the bathroom tips. There are several reasons for following you to the bathroom. Mostly, it may deal with mental issues or animal instinct.
Why do dogs follow you to the bathroom?
Breed traits:
Breeds like Velcro dogs prefer following their owners, if possible to the bathroom too. They always prefer being close to you so that they can keep you safe from any possible danger. For centuries, these breeds were trained to work with the people. Even the Labradors follow their owners. They may also prefer sniffing things in the bathroom like lotion, or other house cleaning products.
Socializing themselves:
As a puppy, dogs will always prefer being close to you as much as possible. This is a habit of young dogs. The weird habit they enrol in is that they try to imitate you since adolescence. If you don’t allow your dogs to the bathroom, they might sit near the door of the bathroom and keep whining. They start recognizing you as their parent and would follow whatever you ask them to do. These social pets start developing trust in you and would do anything to keep that trust. They become very protective and would go to any extend to protect you.
Lack of concept of privacy:
The dogs never give privacy to their owners. They do not want to leave you alone at any time, not even while going to the bathroom. They forget about the boundaries as they think of themselves to be their child. These lovely animals do not want to be left alone and are always curious as to why you go to the restroom. Their curiosity is a part of their pack mentality. They repeat their same routine every day and always look forward to grabbing an opportunity for doing some activity. This activity also includes following their owners to the bathroom.
They want attention:
Dogs enjoy the attention you give them. Therefore, if you don’t allow them to go to the bathroom with you, they might be annoyed. With all the care and attention you give them, they turn out to be the most adorable pet you can ever find. Over time you will develop a good bonding along with a great deal of reinforcement. But too much attention can also change their behaviour. They can become stubborn at times. To avoid such situations, proper training is necessary. Only then, you will be able to enjoy your privacy.
They hate being alone:
Just like humans, dogs do not like being left alone. What they prefer more is their companionship with humans. This is a pack behaviour inherited from the wolves a long time back. Dogs bond with humans just the same manner as human kids. It has been observed that the bonding of dogs with humans has recently upgraded with new domestications. Being the most sensitive animals, they will always stay close to protect you from any upcoming danger. However, they do not understand your private time in the bathroom and may follow you there too. Sometimes, this habit of being left alone causes separation anxiety, fear aggression and other behavioural issues.
They are supportive:
Being followed by your dog to the restroom is an act of support for them. There may be some issue in the washroom since you happen to use it daily. Modern-day dogs understand human behaviour much better. They follow you in there so that you can have a faithful friend by your side when you face any problem. The dogs adapt to your gestures, language and tone of your voice. This way they can study your movements.
They like staring at their owners and helping them: Sometimes, dogs tend to do certain behaviours like sitting and staring at their owners. They want to make sure that their connection with you is strong enough. This emotional connection might be awkward for you but it means a lot to him. Dogs have immense values for their resources to be sure of their and their owner’s survival. They also feel obliged to follow you while you go to the bathroom. Just like they patrol their territory, the owner’s house also becomes a part of the “territory”.
Separation Anxiety:
Dogs can develop separation anxiety as a result of being left alone. Following you around every time or trying to spend time with can be a result of insecurity. This erratic behaviour may turn out destructive at times, like when you are in the bathroom. They can be very stressed when they find you entering the bathroom. If the dog is unable to properly socialize itself in the world, it may also be victims of such anxiety. In case you find any such abnormal behaviour of your dog, reach out to your Veterinarian.
Boredom: When your dog sees you going to the bathroom, he may get bored. They require lots of physical and mental stimulation. If not provided, they can grow stressed, frustrated or even become destructive. To avoid that, you can bring him toys to play with. The toys will not only keep him engaged but also help him positively release his energy. Dogs have their way of getting rid of their boredom. They develop habits like chewing shoes, destroying furniture, become restless or bark continuously. Their boredom may also result in digging your garden.
Sign of illness:
Sometimes, your dog may follow you everywhere you go because he is unwell. These innocent animals cannot help themselves when they are ill. Therefore, they depend upon their owners to take care of them. Sometimes they also become very clingy. This can also be due to some ailment. To avoid such circumstances, try taking your dog to a recommended veterinarian for quick diagnosis and treatment. However, these behaviours can purely be a matter of love.
They love smells:
Dogs are always sniffing things. But, it is surprising how they end up going to the bathroom. There are a variety of things to sniff in the bathroom, like soaps, lotion and other house cleaning products. So, another reason for following you to the bathroom maybe because they adore the scent of humans. They also prefer sniffing dirty towels and shaving creams. Sometimes, they spread the litter only to sniff from the garbage. You can try reducing this behavior through training.
Trying to be useful:
What dogs want the most is being useful to their owners. They like leaning on your legs or holding a broken toilet-paper in their mouth. By looking at your body language, they may realise that something is wrong with you. In that case, your dog will do everything possible to brighten up your mood. He will behave in the most innocent way possible to comfort you like bringing a toy to the bathroom or picking up a towel from the ground. In this way, he tries to show his affection and love.
As a dog owner, you should always be ready to face absurd behaviours from them, including their following you to the bathroom. This cannot always be stopped as it is a part of their nature inherited. Their behaviour is very innocent and natural. The abnormal behaviours they do are only to protect you and keep you company. You can be very sure about such behaviour because it is completely harmless, but only to some extent. However, you can train him to not follow you to the bathroom every time you go.
Conclusion
Keeping him away from you may not always turn out that well. You can train your dog from a young age to avoid him from getting depressed. You can go out for some time and leave him alone to stimulate him in that way. Gradually, when he grows, the act of your leaving will not affect him. But sometimes, you should accept his madness and become a total weirdo, just like him. A dog interactive toy is also a useful way to divert your dog’s attention from your absence. You can also keep the television or radio on to keep him engaged. Such methods will help you solve the weird behavioural problems of your dog.
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