9 Reasons Why Your Whippet Lays On You So Much + 5 Tips

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A good cuddle here and there is always nice. But when your whippet decides to lay on you all the time it can become a little much.

Is it normal for whippets to lay on you so much or is something going on?

Why Does My Whippet Lay On Me:

Your whippet lays on you because it provides them warmth, comfort and security as well as getting them attention. If your whippet lays on you often it’s because they learned it was ‘good’ behavior based on the fact they got attention each time they did it in the past.

In this post you’ll discover:

9 real reasons why your whippet lays on you
A bonus reason that only relates to female whippets
5 tips to help get your whippet to lay on you less (Tip #3 is great if you want to still enjoy cuddling every now and then!)
And much more

Let’s jump right in.

Table of Contents

9 Reasons Why Your Whippet Lays On You

1) Attention Seeking

The simplest and likely most common reason why your whippet lays on you is for attention.

Whether they’re tired of playing with their toys by themselves or if they feel like you haven’t given them enough attention in the last 5 minutes.

If your pup wants attention they’ll go through many different ways to try to get you to interact with them.

One of them certainly being laying on you.

If they plop their body right on top of yours you don’t have many other options than to simply pay attention to them.

2) Learned It Was ‘Good’ Behavior

When pups are little they quickly figure out what gets them what they want.

And your pup only really wants two things in this world.

Food/water and your attention.

So if your whippet has always gotten attention and affection whenever they’ve laid on you in the past they’ll want to continue doing it.

Unintentionally they’ve learned that laying on you was ‘good’ behavior that they should keep doing.

Which means even though they aren’t the small puppy they once were.

They’re still likely to lay on you when they become grown adults.

And become your not-so-little lap dog!

3) Scent Spreading

Like all dogs, your whippet uses their scent to communicate with other animals.

They likely use their scent to try and communicate with you and your family as well.

And when your whippet lays on you they might be spreading their scent to communicate with other dogs, inside or outside your family, or with you.

Dogs have sweat glands in their paw pads which release pheromones when they spread them on something.

So, if your whippet is laying on you a lot they might be trying to leave their scent on you.

This could be for reasons like claiming you as their territory to communicate with other dogs or pets.

Or it could be that they’re trying to claim the spot you’re sitting in as theirs.

Scent spreading is very common in dogs and could be one of the reasons why your whippet likes to lay on you.

4) Showing Favoritism

Just as humans can show favoritism, dogs do the same.

If your whippet has always been your only pet and then a new baby or pet comes into your home they may start to lay on you more.

In this instance they’re trying to show the new family members that they’re still the favorite and that they have a special bond with you.

This is especially common if the new family member is a puppy or another dog.

Your whippet may feel like they need to protect their position as your favorite and will lay on you more to showcase that bond.

On the other hand, your whippet might be laying on you to show you that you’re their favorite.

When your pup lies on you it can also be a sign of affection.

They love being cuddled up next to you and enjoy being close to you so much more than lying on the floor by themselves.

5) Comforting Themselves & You

Your whippet is far better at picking up on your emotions that you probably realize.

Not only can they get a good reading of how you’re feeling based on your body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions.

But they can also smell your emotions.

And your pup will change how they feel based on how they think you’re feeling.

So if they detect that you’re feeling particularly sad or upset, they’ll feel that way too.

Which could be one of the reasons your whippet is laying on you.

To not only comfort themselves with how they’re feeling, but also comfort you.

It’s really a win-win as both of you likely feel better after a good cuddle.

6) Snuggle Time

Your whippet loves being close to you and there’s no way for them to get closer to you than when they’re laying right on top of you.

They love physical contact and just being in your presence.

After all, they’ve been alone all day, the last thing they want to do once you come home is continue lying by themselves!

So instead they want to be as close to you as possible and what better way than by laying on top of you.

It also doesn’t hurt that this is usually when you start petting them and giving them the love and attention they’ve been wanting all day!

Plus, it’s a great way to get some extra warmth on those cold winter days or nights.

7) To Stop You From Moving

This one is pretty self explanatory but definitely worth mentioning.

Your whippet may lay on you to stop you from moving, especially if you’re about to leave the house without them.

They want to make it as difficult as possible for you to get up and leave them behind.

They’re probably also super comfortable and don’t want you to move and ruin it.

It’s their way of trying to get you to sit still so your cuddle time can continue.

8) To Feel Warm, Safe & Secure

Your whippet may also lay on you to feel warm, safe and secure.

Whippets are known for being one of the more skittish, nervous breeds so laying on top of you or super close by would ease their anxious feelings.

Not to mention they don’t have a super thick coat so the added warmth they get from your body probably feels really nice too.

This is especially common in puppies who are still trying to figure out the world around them.

They feel more comfortable and safe when they’re close to you and that’s why they’ll often lay on top of you for as long as you’ll allow.

9) If Female Whippet – Possibly In Heat

If your whippet is a female and she’s been laying on you more than usual, it’s possible that she may be in heat.

During this time, your pup will be more affectionate and want to be close to you as much as possible.

She’ll also likely be constantly trying to get your attention and may hump your leg or anything else she can get her paws on.

If you think your whippet is in heat, it’s best to take her to the vet to make sure she’s not pregnant and to get checked out.

If she is in heat the clingy phase of her heat cycle only lasts roughly 9 days long.

So you should see her acting normally again after a couple weeks.

5 Ways To Get Your Whippet To Lay On You Less

If you don’t mind your whippet laying on you, you can ignore the tips below.

But if you’re finding they’re laying on you too much and you’d like to reduce how often they do it, the 5 tips below should be helpful.

1) No Pats Or Praise

This one may be difficult for some people but if you want them to stop it’s important to not give your whippet any pats or praise when they lay on you.

You don’t want to accidentally reward them for this behavior or they’ll only do it more often.

So instead, try to ignore them or gently push them off of you if they’re being particularly clingy.

This way they’ll start to realize that this isn’t the behavior you want from them and they’ll hopefully stop doing it.

It may take a little while for this to work as it’s likely a habit for them now, but overtime they’ll learn it’s not a ‘good’ behavior.

2) More Activity Throughout The Day

If your whippet is constantly trying to lay on you, it may be because they’re bored or have too much energy.

One way to help with this is to make sure they’re getting enough activity and exercise throughout the day.

This could mean anything from going on more walks/runs to playing fetch in the backyard more often.

You could also try training them to do tricks or other activities that will help use up some of their pent up energy.

The more they’re able to burn off their excess energy, the less likely they’ll be to lay on you as much.

Plus, it’s great for their overall health and wellbeing!

3) Train An “Off” Command

Another way to help stop your whippet from laying on you all the time is to train them an “off” command.

This is a pretty simple behavior to train and can be done with any type of treat your pup likes.

The idea is that you’ll put the treat in front of their nose and then say “off” as you move it away from their face toward the ground.

They’ll either get down themselves or need a little push to get them moving off.

Do this a few times each day until they start responding to the command consistently.

4) Give Them a Comfy Dog Bed

If your whippet doesn’t have a comfortable place of their own they may choose to lie on you more than you’d like.

A simple way to fix this is by getting them a bed of their own that they enjoy resting in.

Pair that with also giving them a piece of your clothing to cuddle with and it could become their new favorite hang out spot.

We haven’t written a post about the best dog beds for whippets quite yet but we do have one about their close relative, greyhounds.

You can check it out here —> The Top 12 Best Dog Beds For Greyhounds [Full Guide]

5) More Quality 1-On-1 Time

If life has gotten busy lately, your whippet might be lying on you more to let you know they’ve been feeling isolated and miss you.

One way to help with this is by trying to make more time for quality, one-on-one interactions with them.

This could be anything from more/longer walks, adventurous hikes, trips to the dog park, to playing a little more fetch together.

Even just a few minutes of your undivided attention can make a big difference in how they’re feeling and reduce how clingy they’re behaving.

Other posts you might find interesting:

8 Reasons Why Your Whippet Is So Lazy + 4 Helpful Tips

9 Weird Reasons Whippets Stop Eating + 6 Helpful Tips

9 Real Reasons Why Your Whippet Grunts & Groans + 4 Tips

Sources:

Whippet

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