Why do dogs lay across the threshold?

[Romy]

Just something I've noticed that both Strider and Charlie do.

When they lay down to sleep at night, Strider will often choose to lay on the doormat with his back against the front door. He chooses it over the orthopedic foam bed, the couches, chairs, sheepskin in the corner, mat in the kitchen, etc.

I tried switching different doormats through, and moving the doormat to different places to see if that was it but he like laying there regardless. Even on newspaper.

Charlie will lay there if Strider doesn't, and that's usually only when I shut him in our bedroom at night.

Do other people's dogs do it? Is it a territory thing? I kind of get the feeling he wants to either regulate who is coming in, or just know if someone comes in the house and that's the main portal.

 

[GlassOnion]

Sheeba always slept in a variety of places.

1) On the landing of the stairs that over looked the hallway that lead to the rest of the house if someone was upstairs on the computer.

2) In the foyer by the main entrance door and in the junction of aforementioned hallway if someone was in the den watching TV.

3) At the end of the hallway where all three bedrooms led off of if we were all in our bedrooms.

4) At the very bottom of the stairs so she could overlook all areas of the house at once.


I assume it's a territory/guarding thing. If someone was upstairs she'd invariably lay on that landing until the person came down, and then she'd move to whatever other area she needed to to adjust for the person moving about.

 

[Renee750il]

Bimmer sleeps where he can watch the most doors. He's done that ever since he was a pup. He'll lay on the bed for awhile, but always moves to his guard station once I'm asleep.

Kharma lays beside me until I'm asleep, then curls on the foot of the bed facing the door.

Tallulah just snuggles as close as she can get, lol.

 

[misfitz]

I think it's a guarding thing. Sienna does the same thing. Although sometimes it's because the kitten has kicked her out of her bed.

 

[Maura]

Yea, I think he is playing guard.

 

[ACooper]

Orson is very big on "regulating" who comes in and out of our house........whether it be night or day. That said, he won't sacrifice his comfort, LOL, the couch is close enough to the door and he can make it there in less than 1 second, LOL

He has a bed in our bedroom, but anytime he attempts to sleep up there, he rarely makes it a whole night.........he's too restless and wants to check on things downstairs, so the couch it is most of the time

I'd say it's a "holding down the fort" thing

 

[Amanda885]

guard and watch dog role kicking in? hehe
mine does that sometimes as well..it's funny when they wont move

 

[Dogs6]

Fudge nearly always sleeps at or near a door. When he sleeps in my bedroom he always sleeps at the door, unless he is put in his crate (or sleeping on the bed lol). When I am in the living room he sleeps on the very edge of the sofa which is right in front of the door (we have a very small living room and a very large sofa) and when he was a pup and had to sleep in the Kitchen at night he would lie outside my bedroom door until my parents put him in the kitchen.

I think it is more of a resource gaurding thing where he is trying to regulate who YOU talk to because when I was in my bedroom he was trying to gaurd ME. Or in CM talk he thinks he is the Alpha . I found it interesting as well. Where does Strider sleep in your bedroom because thar would show if it was just that door or you that he was trying to know about.

Another thing is that he could just want to make sure that you didn't go anywhere without him.