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Does your dog try to sleep with you? It’s great to sleep with your fur baby. There’s nothing better than snuggling with your fur baby as you sleep! However, does your dog sleep under the covers?
The blankets provide a soothing weight that helps calm anxiety and even chronic pain. You can create a comforting environment for them with a weighted blanket for dogs.
If so, you may wonder why your dog sleeps under the sheets and blankets! We’ve put some information together to help you learn what may cause a dog to do this! Let’s get started!
1. It’s Like a Den
Wild canines usually make a den to sleep in and raise their young. Their den also acts as a shelter that keeps them dry and warm. Dogs and their wild cousins sometimes dig a hole to create a den. In some cases, these may only be temporary shelters where female dogs give birth.
For this reason, your fur baby may create a “den” in the covers on your bed. Your dog may feel safe and secure here, much as he would have in his mother’s den. Your dog finds security in the covers!
2. The Bedding Smells Like You
Another reason your dog may burrow into the covers is because they smell like you! Your scent is left on the bedding, whether you can smell it or not. With their magnificent sense of smell, dogs can smell your scent on the sheets and blankets.
Dogs are very scent-oriented and have over 300 million scent receptors in their noses! They associate scents with one another, too. That’s one reason dogs sniff one another’s rear ends when they meet. They’re learning who the other dog is and more.
So, your dog may feel comfortable, safe, and secure when he’s burrowed into bedding that smells like you!
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Ask a Vet Live Now3. Your Dog is Cold
Is the house cold due to air conditioning or winter weather? Are you having cold, rainy weather? If so, your dog may be burrowing into the covers to stay warm!
When puppies are young, they pile up on one another to stay warm. And wolves and other wild canines do the same thing to stay warm. So, your dog has a natural instinct to find warm with other warm beings, including you!
Your canine companion may show other signs he’s cold, such as:
- Whining
- Shivering
- Looking anxious
- Searching for a comfortable spot
So, it could be your fur baby is just trying to stay warm when he burrows into the covers!
4. Hiding from Loud Noises
Just as dogs have highly sensitive noses, they also have very sensitive ears. If a dog hears loud or scary sounds, he may try to find a place that muffles the sound and offers someplace to hide. He might choose your bedding to hide in!
The reason is that bedding provides an extra layer against sounds. It can muffle sound and hide. Your fur baby may dive for the covers if he hears a loud sound unexpectedly, such as thunder, fireworks, a car alarm, and other loud sounds.
Dogs have such sensitive ears that they can hear thunder coming long before we even know a storm is on the way. That is unless you use a weather app to watch the weather!
5. Be Near You
Another reason your dog may burrow into the covers is to be close to you. He may do this whether or not he’s cold. Most dogs want to be as close to their pet parents as possible.
So, if you have an affectionate, loyal dog, he may want to be close to you, even at night. And dogs love to have close contact with the persons or other dogs they love. For this reason, dogs will snuggle with their canine friends and pet parents!
6. The Dog Feels Fearful
Does that feel fearful and suffer from anxiety may also want to dig down into the covers with you. The reason is they find comfort in your nearness and want to be petted.
You may find this in dogs who have separation anxiety and/or are lonely. They just don’t want to be away from you.
In addition, between you and your body heat and the cover of the bedding, your dog may feel he’s in a safe den or cocoon. This may also help to calm fear and anxiety. It’s a bit like the weighted blankets some humans like to use at night. The blankets provide a soothing weight that helps calm anxiety and even chronic pain.
7. It’s Your Dog’s Breed
Certain dog breeds have a strong instinct to burrow and be close to others. This behavior is often found in Dachshunds and Beagles. Huskies also tend to be burrowers when they’re seeking warmth in the cold.
So, diving into the covers could be part of the instincts of your dog’s breed! Even so, we’re pretty sure that if your dog likes to dig down into the covers, it’s because he ultimately wants to be close to you!
8. Medical Conditions
Some dogs who go looking for a warm place to sleep may suffer from medical conditions. These can include:
- Hypothyroidism
- Old age
- A cold (much like we get)
- And more
If your dog all of a sudden begins to dig down into the covers, then you should watch for other signs he could have a medical condition. If anything seems amiss, be sure to get an appointment with the vet.
Is it Dangerous to Let Your Dog Sleep Under the Covers?
In most cases, it’s perfectly safe to let your dog sleep under the covers. But there are some considerations to keep in mind:
- Ensure the blanket’s not tightly wrapped around the dog.
- Keep the covers lose and light enough that your canine companion can get out when he wants to
- Brachycephalic dogs may have trouble breathing under the covers (these are dogs that have short muzzles and flat faces)
- Senior dogs may find it difficult to get out of the covers
- Young puppies could become trapped in the pile of blankets and sheets or find it difficult to breathe
Summing It Up
So, there you have it! These are a few of the reasons that your dog may be burrowing into the covers! In most cases, this is normal behavior, and it’s nothing to worry about. However, if your fur baby shows any concerning symptoms, then do call the vet. Your dog needs to be checked for any underlying health issue that may cause him to feel cold.
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Julie
Julie is a graduate of the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, where she studied Animal science. Though contrary to the opinion of her parents she was meant to study pharmacy, but she was in love with animals especially cats. Julie currently works in an animal research institute (NGO) in California and loves spending quality time with her little cat. She has the passion for making research about animals, how they survive, their way of life among others and publishes it. Julie is also happily married with two kids.
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