If your dog has the habit of sleeping in the bathroom, he does it for some good reasons. In this post, we’ll learn more.
The Place Where He Sleeps Is Too Bright or Too Noisy
Dogs who are anxious or stressed may have trouble sleeping. This is often the case if your dog’s sleeping place is too noisy or bright. The sounds and lights from his surroundings can be very distracting.
That can easily make your dog stress up as he constantly is in an alert state. He will simply not want to sleep in his own bed and will seek out a quiet and dark place to sleep, such as the bathroom.
The tranquility from the bathroom will allow him to fall asleep without being startled.
Something Fascinating About the Bathroom That Attracts Your Dog
Dogs are curious animals. It is in their nature to explore new things and places. When they discover something interesting, their curiosity can easily get the best of them.
That is why your dog will want to stay and sleep in the bathroom as he finds the place to be “special” unlike his sleeping couch or bed.
Apart from the tranquil, cooling and darkness of the room, the enclosure of the bathtub provides the perfect cover for him to stay in.
He feels the security and protection when he is in the bathroom.
Your Scent in the Bathroom Intrigues Him to Sleep There
The bathroom is where your dog can easily find you, as you’ll be taking a shower, brushing your teeth, urinating, and defecating there.
When he stays and sleeps in the bathroom, he can be sure that he will get to see you every day, which makes him happy.
Aside from that, your scent fills the room, making him feel your presence at all times.
This clingy behavior is usually the case if your dog suffers from separation anxiety and is worried that you will abandon him, which explains why he is so attached to you.
In the past, you may have left your dog alone in the house while you were away for a business trip. This may explain his anxiety about your return.
He feels safe and secure in the bathroom since he knows you’ll be going there when you get home.
You can always see his eyes gazing at you from behind the door of the bathroom. If he cannot be with you, he will try to go to your bed and sit there.
In order to ease your dog’s anxiety, you must make sure that you spend enough time with him at home.
Set up a routine for your dog so that he knows when you will be home to play with him or take him on a walk.
Your Dog Feels Unsafe in His Environment
This can happen when you have adopted a dominant dog and your dog is starting to feel discomfort with his present.
As a result of his stress, anxiety, and fear, he will try to stay away from the dominant dog.
That is when you will find him hiding and sleeping in the bathroom as that will keep him out of sight from the dominant dog.
To address this issue, you will need to do two things:
1. Make your dog feel comfortable. You can do this by getting him a crate where he can retreat whenever he feels stressed or anxious.
2. As you slowly introduce him to the dominant dog, make sure you are present in the room with him. The main goal is to make him believe that he is safe and protected with your presence.
You will need to give your dog some extra attention and love so that he will feel confident interacting with the more dominant dog.
You won’t have a problem with your dog getting along with other household dogs once he has gained confidence.
It’s Too Hot Where He Sleeps
If you find your dog only starts sleeping in the bathroom when the weather is getting hot, it could be that he is feeling too hot and is looking for a way to cool himself down.
As the bathroom is usually a cooler place, especially when your dog rests in the cold bathtub, it is understandable why he would choose the bathroom as his sleeping place.
Look out for signs such as excessive salivation and rapid panting to find out if your dog has an overheating condition and find ways to keep him cool at night.
What are the best ways to keep your dog cool at night?
- Providing your dog with an air-conditioned room to sleep in.
- Make sure your dog has a fan directed at him at night.
- Ensure that he is lying on a slightly moist towel.
- Make sure he gets enough water to stay hydrated.
- Giving him the freedom to choose where he wants to sleep (that is when he will choose the bathroom as his resting place).
The Bed He Sleeps in Is Too Small for Him
If your dog is still sleeping on the bed that you had got for him when he was still a puppy, it’s time to buy him another bed.
The small and crappy bed is making him feel so uncomfortable and that makes him search for a more cozy place to rest on.
This is when he will spend the night in the bathroom as the enclosure of the bathtub is bigger than the bed that you had got for him.
Therefore, to ensure the right size bed for your dog, it is necessary to know how big he will grow.
The best way to predict your puppy’s adult height is to measure his height when he is 6 months old and have this figure multiplied by 100 and then divided by 75 to determine his adult height.
This way of calculation is based on the assumption that by the time puppies reach the age of 6 months, they have already reached about 75% of their adult height.
Water Is Readily Available in the Bathroom for Him
This is often the case when you are not giving your dog sufficient water to quench his thirst. By sleeping in the bathroom, he gets to drink water from the tap as and when he needs water.
According to a veterinarian, a dog’s daily water requirement is about an ounce of fluid for every pound of his body weight on a daily basis.
If your dog seems to be thirsty or dehydrated, he will exhibit signs such as panting, fatigue, puffy eyes, a dry nose, sticky gum and thick saliva. So keep a lookout for these signals that your dog is sending out to you that he is dehydrated.
It is therefore imperative that your dog always has access to clean drinking water.
If your dog is an active breed such as Border Collie and Siberian Husky, he must be given enough water (more than the standard requirement stated above).
It Becomes a Habit for Him to Sleep in the Bathroom
Dogs are creatures of habit, and their habits can sometimes be hard to break.
If you let your dog sleep in the bathroom on a regular basis, you will find it hard to keep him out of there as he would have made it a habit for him.
This will make him keep going back to his “favorite” spot at night to take a rest.
In fact, dogs like to follow a routine and dislike uncertainty which explains why your dog loves to eat at the same place and time daily.
Therefore, you should never allow your dog to do anything that you do not want him to perform.
If your dog is practicing some habit that you do not want to encourage, correct him immediately and do not let it become a routine for him.