Why Does My Dog Sleep on My Clothes?
Is there anything as cute as your paw-some little friend sleeping? How about when you can tell they’re dreaming because they make small yaps and look like they’re sleep running? Adorable! A sleeping dog is cute but when they wake up and you realise they’ve slept on your newly washed clothes, it can be quite frustrating. So, why does your dog sleep on your clothes? Continue reading to find out.
Reasons why your dog sleeps on your clothes
There are three main reasons why your dog has chosen to sleep on your clothes rather than a dog bed during nap times, and they are:
Separation anxiety
Your scent
Clothes are comfortable
Separation anxiety
As a dog parent, you’ll know just how much your pup loves you. They’re desperately excited whenever you come home from work, socialising or shopping, and they adore going for walkies and playing with you. This also means that they miss you just as much whenever you’re not there, and it shows whenever they want a nap.
If you’re at work throughout the day and find that your pup is napping on your clothes while you’re away from the house, it could be down to separation anxiety. They miss you and want to be near you, so finding a personal possession of yours, like clothes, is a great way of providing comfort to them. It can help to calm their nerves and anxiety, and let them ease off into a paw-fect sleep!
You will also see this in babies who miss their mum or dad whenever they leave a room. Poor pups!
Your pup’s separation anxiety is also tied into another reason why they’ll sleep on your clothes.
Your scent
Your scent plays a huge role in calming your pup whenever they’re missing you and feeling anxious. Your clothes obviously carry your own personal scent, which your dog can smell easily.
Much like a newborn baby who wants to be with their mother, a dog with separation anxiety will look for your scent when missing you. That generally means finding your clothing or a blanket you use quite often. When they’ve found the scent on your clothes, it’s very common for them to curl up and enjoy a snooze right there.
Clothes are comfortable
The final reason why your dog sleeps on your clothes is because they’re probably just very comfortable. Why would your pup sleep on the same old boring bed (that’s probably very comfortable!) when they could curl up on a pile of freshly washed clothes?
If you’ve noticed that you’re coming home to crumpled-up clothes covered in dog hair, then try to redirect your pup’s attention elsewhere with a different item they can cuddle up with. Try a pillow, cushion or blanket, for example.
Whenever you head out of the house without your dog, leave the item out and in the open for them to easily find. This way your dog can have something of yours that’s really just for them, and your clothes get to stay clean and fresh in future!
What you can do to get them back on their bed
If you’d rather they weren’t dependent on an item like a cushion, clothing or a blanket, you can always try to get your pup back on their bed at nap and bedtimes.
First of all, you could get them their very own blanket that they can call theirs, and use that to snuggle up with while you’re in and out of the house. Another good idea is to get a soft and comfortable bed with raised edges, so they can properly burrow their heads in and enjoy a restful sleep. This will play a large part in helping them get over any anxiety they have whenever you leave the house.
You can also try putting clean clothes away straight away, resolving not to leave out any dirty clothing. Instead, place anything that needs washing into a closed laundry basket, keeping their little paws away!
Sleep gifts at Yappy
To help your pup feel comfortable and happy during nap times and bedtimes, get them a super comfortable dog bed from Yappy!
Enhance their comfort with a paw-fect dog blanket to keep them cuddled up at night. You could also throw it on the couch so they can sleep right next to you during your movie night.
Cushions can also provide more comfort and a pleasing aesthetic feel to your home. And, if they’re ever staying out for a sleepover somewhere else, or you’re heading away for the weekend together, pick up an overnight bag to carry all of their essentials.
If you’d like to know more about what Yappy offers, don’t hesitate to contact us on help@yappy.com.
Yappy.com is a personalised pet product shop for dog and cat lovers, simply select a breed and icon and add your pet’s name to create a personalised shop just for you and your pet.