You get comfortable on the couch or in bed, your dog curls up beside you, and a few minutes later four legs straighten out and shove you toward the edge. Some dogs push with their paws, some with their back legs, and some lean their whole back into you until you move.
It can feel rude, but there is usually a simple reason. Dogs sleep a lot, they care about where they sleep, and they use their bodies to adjust that space the same way we fluff a pillow or kick off a blanket.
Dogs take their sleep seriously
An adult dog sleeps somewhere between 8 and 14 hours a day, with many dogs averaging around 11 hours, according to the Sleep Foundation. Giant breeds, puppies and older dogs often sleep even more. Much of that is broken into naps, so your dog is lying down and getting up many times a day.
With that much time spent resting, a dog wants a spot that feels right. When something in that spot is wrong, such as too much heat or not enough room, the quickest fix is to push.
Common reasons your dog pushes you away
It wants more room
Many dogs like to stretch out fully when they sleep. A dog that started curled in a ball may relax into a long sprawl a few minutes later, and your body is in the way. Pushing with the legs is simply how a dog makes space. It is the same thing dogs do to each other when they share a bed.
It is too warm
Dogs cool themselves mainly by panting and through the pads of their feet. They cannot sweat across their skin the way people do. A human body next to them, plus blankets and a soft mattress, can make them warm quickly. The American Kennel Club notes that dogs often sleep on their backs or sprawled out to cool down, and that thick-coated dogs often choose cool floors. A dog that pushes you away and then flops onto its side or back is often just trying to lose some heat.
It wants to stretch
Dogs stretch a lot when they settle down and when they wake up. A long stretch with the legs straight out can land right in your ribs. If the push comes with a groan, a yawn or a long, slow stretch, it is most likely a stretch rather than a message.
It is dreaming or moving in its sleep
Sleeping dogs often twitch, paddle their legs, or kick. If your dog pushes you while its eyes are closed and its legs are moving in a running motion, it is probably dreaming. You do not need to wake it.
It wants to be left alone for now
Sometimes the push really does mean “give me some space.” A dog that was happy to cuddle a minute ago may be ready to sleep and not want to be touched or petted. Pushing with a paw can be a polite way of saying stop. Watch the rest of the body. A dog that wants space may also turn its head away, lick its lips, yawn, or show the whites of its eyes while looking at you sideways, which trainers call “whale eye.”
It is protecting its spot
Some dogs guard places as well as toys or food. A favorite corner of the bed or couch is one of the most common places dogs guard. Pushing on its own is not a problem. It becomes a concern when the dog also goes stiff, stares, growls, lifts a lip or snaps when you try to sit or lie down near it.
Touch hurts
A dog in pain may push away hands or bodies that press on a sore spot. Arthritis is the most common cause in older dogs, but injuries, back problems and stomach pain can do the same thing. The American Animal Hospital Association lists trouble lying down, reluctance to be touched, and changes in how a dog rests among the signs of pain in dogs.
Pushing after being woken up
Some dogs react strongly when they are touched or bumped while deeply asleep. They may jump up, push, growl or even snap before they are fully awake. Animal shelters such as Battersea in the United Kingdom call this sleep startle. It is common in retired racing Greyhounds and in dogs that spent a long time in kennels or shelters, but any dog can have it.
A dog with sleep startle is reacting before it has had time to think, so punishing it does not help and can make it more nervous. Instead:
- Say your dog’s name and wait for it to look at you before you touch it.
- Give it its own bed, so you are less likely to roll onto it during the night.
- Teach children and visitors not to touch or hug a sleeping dog.
Is sharing your bed a problem?
Many people sleep with their dogs and enjoy it. A Mayo Clinic study published in 2017 followed 40 healthy adults and their dogs with activity trackers. People whose dog slept in the bedroom but off the bed slept well. People whose dog slept in the bed slept a little less efficiently. If your dog keeps pushing you to the edge of the mattress, a dog bed on the floor next to yours can give both of you better sleep without leaving your dog out of the room.
When to talk to your vet
Pushing because of heat, space or a stretch is normal. Call your vet if:
- The pushing is new, especially in an older dog.
- Your dog yelps, flinches or growls when you touch a certain part of its body.
- It has trouble lying down, getting up, or settling, or it keeps changing position.
- It is limping, stiff in the mornings, or no longer jumping onto furniture.
- It suddenly starts guarding its sleeping spot when it never did before.
If your dog growls, snaps or bites over its sleeping spot, a certified trainer or veterinary behaviorist can help. Teaching a “place” or “off” cue gives you a calm way to move your dog without pulling or pushing it.
How to share space with a pushy sleeper
- Give your dog a bed of its own near yours, so it can stretch out when it wants to.
- Keep the room cool, and offer a cooling mat or bare floor in warm weather.
- Let your dog choose how close to lie. If it moves away or pushes, let it.
- Pet a resting dog briefly, then stop and see whether it leans in for more or moves away.
