Why Does My Dog Kick Me When I Lie Down?

To answer the question you have been having pertaining to your dog, which is “Why Does My Dog Kick Me When I Lie Down?” read this article to find out.

There are many reasons why dogs might kick their owners when lying down.

In order to prevent this and better understand your dog’s needs, it’s important to identify and eliminate the source of the problem. 

Learn how your dog reacts when you lie down and the steps you can take to ensure this doesn’t happen with your pet. All of this can be found right here in this article, so keep reading.

What Happens When A Dog Kicks?

If you are a dog owner, you may notice that any time your pet falls asleep, they keep their legs moving. At times, you may be able to see their paws flapping back and forth as they fall asleep or wake up from a nap. 

When a dog has a really active dream life, they may end up kicking their legs as if they are chasing after something or reaching for something that is just out of reach.

Dogs act just like humans; they dream as humans do. 

Sometimes it is about either catching their prey or revisiting something that happened during the day. 

The important thing to note is that dogs are dreaming about events that aren’t occurring in real life. In the case that your dog’s normal movements are becoming a problem for you, do know that your dog isn’t doing it on purpose.

The scientific explanation Why does your dog kicks you when you lie down

Do you know that even if your pup doesn’t have claws, there’s often some force behind that little nudge? Dogs’ sleep habits are different from ours, and most of these habits are thought to be geared towards keeping them safe when they’re resting at night. 

Here’s one reason why your pet might nudge you awake from time to time. Your dog wants to check on you. 

If you’re sleeping on a couch or a bed, it’s possible that your pooch is concerned about whether or not you’re breathing or if something has happened to make you stop breathing while asleep. 

Some dogs will actually place their nose close to your mouth and sniff deeply while they rest beside you, hoping they can tell whether or not anything is wrong with their human companion as they slumber peacefully nearby. 

This behavior may also extend to other members of your family. 

ALSO READ: Why Do Pitbulls Smile?

Does your child snore? Is someone else in danger of suffocating in their sleep? It could very well be that your canine companion simply wants to check up on everyone before they go back to sleep for another few hours. 

Your dog needs more room than you do. As humans, we like to stretch out and take up all of our space when we lay down for a nap or at night before going to bed, but many dogs aren’t used to having so much space all to themselves, especially since many people keep their pets confined indoors during the most part of each day.

If you’ve got a large breed dog, such as an Irish Wolfhound or Great Dane, the chances are good that your pooch would feel better if he had just a bit more room to stretch out when he sleeps, so find that space he is in need of.

Now that you have seen this reason, if you have not, you can try moving over into another area of the couch or bed (if possible) to give him just enough extra room without taking away too much from yourself.

Top-Certified Reasons on “Why Does My Dog Kick Me When I Lie Down?”

Some reasons why your dog will likely kick you at night could be because he has lots of pent-up energy and adrenaline after a long day of play or training, so it’s not uncommon for them to move around while they’re asleep even if you sleep in the same bed with them. 

However, if your pup starts kicking or growling at night, there could be more serious underlying causes for their behavior. Below are some of those researched reasons:

• Playing

Dogs play at night for different reasons, but one of them is for your attention. As previously stated, dogs are very social creatures, and they’re looking to have fun with you.

If you don’t seem like you want to play at night, they might kick you as a means of getting your attention so that they can enjoy their favorite pastime: playing!

• Excited

As you may have heard before, dogs can sense some of your feelings and thoughts through your voice, actions, and scent. Because they’re such highly-intelligent animals with acute senses, they can pick up on even more than that. In fact, they may be able to tell when you’re excited, and that’s why they might kick at night.

By learning why your pup kicks while you sleep (and how to stop it), you can avoid interruptions in the future.

• Dream

Dog kicks at night are one of those things you can’t always avoid, even if you’re an experienced pet owner, and this could be caused by the dreams they are having during their sleep.

When your puppy stretches and yawns, it can be hard to know whether he’s just getting comfortable or trying to communicate something. 

• Marking Territory

Most dogs will normally kick at night due to an over-sensitive sense of smell or being bothered by something they can’t see. 

In these cases, it is a good idea to make your dog as comfortable as possible and try to minimize any potential stress factors in their lives (for example, low trips outside at night or separation from you). 

You may also want to consider consulting with a veterinarian if your problems persist.

• Muscle Spasms

Dogs have to frequently exercise their muscles as they do not get much physical activity throughout a normal day. 

When you’re in a lying position, and your pet is too, if it kicks you, there could be two reasons behind it – excessive exercise or muscle spasms. 

To understand why my dog kicked me at night, seek advice from a veterinarian for immediate medical attention. The muscle spasms could also be caused by an injury or health problem which needs immediate medication by a veterinary doctor.

ALSO READ: Why Does My Dog Do Things He Knows Is Wrong?

Conclusion on Why Does My Dog Kick Me When I Lie Down

Dogs love to be right next to their owners. When they’re lying down, they often don’t realize how much space their legs can take up in bed. 

Dogs usually kick with their hind legs, so some dogs will end up pushing you with their back legs if you are lying on your side. 

This is a natural behavior and one that shouldn’t be discouraged as it means your furry friend loves being near you.

Sources on Why Does My Dog Kick Me When I Lie Down

• https://www.qualitydogresources.com/why-does-my-dog-kick-me-when-lying-down/