Bulldogs are adorable big boys/girls but they are also badasses as they were originally used to literally battle bulls and regardless of their fearless behavior, these bad boys can also be super affectionate.

However, the dog spontaneously sitting on you can be quite unexpected although it can be the cutest thing to experience as a pet-parent.

So what does your Bulldog mean when it sits on you?

It means your Bulldog accepts you as its family and spreads its scent on you as a way to mark you. So that the doggo can let everyone else know that you are its territory. Although, it sounds like the dog is being dominant, in reality, it means the dog loves and trusts you and therefore, it submits to you while also being protective of you.

So, that is the main reason as to why your Bulldog sits on you. However, once the dog marked you like that, it sitting on you can mean a few more things.

In other words, the dog might try to tell you things by sitting on you. So let me tell you about them.

Here they are:

01 – Asking for attention

This is a simple reason why your Bulldog might sit on you. You see, Bulldogs use a number of ways to tell you that it wants attention such as by being hyperactive or barking excessively. That is to say, sitting on you is also one of those ways.

Just make sure to never ignore the dog when it sits on you like that. Always show affection and give cuddles when it asks for attention. That way, the dog will feel loved and therefore, behave well like a good boy.

02 – Being jealous

If you notice your Bulldog sitting on you when you either pet other dogs or interact with other people, that could mean the dog is getting jealous and tries to get all your attention towards it.

This is in fact, a good sign that your doggo really loves. So, this is actually a reason to be happy. However, try to balance out doing both, giving the dog attention and doing whatever it is that you are doing, petting other dogs or just talking with other humans.

03 – Feeling pain

Your Bulldog might be having a pain or a discomfort. It can be due to a sickness or an injury. Most likely, it should be a minor one. So, the dog comes to you for relief.

Ensure bringing the doggo for regular visits to the vet’s office for check-ups. So that any health issues can be detected.

However, in the meantime, check whether the dog shows symptoms of sicknesses or an injury. If you notice them, seek veterinary help ASAP.

Here are some common sigs the dog will show if it is having a sickness

• Fainting
• Drooling excessively
• Coughing
• Foaming around the mouth
• Decreased range of motion
• Weight loss
• Weight gain
• Overly swaying
• Thinning and balding hair
• Lethargy
• Urinating too much
• Cloudy eyes
• Losing appetite
• No desire for walking, jumping or climbing stairs
• Worn and abnormal toenails
• Wobbling
• Stiffening
• Vomiting
• Difficulty in breathing
• Diarrhea

Visit this post for more information about Bulldogs such as their size, health issues, diet and more.

04 – Guarding you

When your Bulldog feels that something might hurt you, it sits on you to protect or guard you although there is nothing really around to put you in danger.

This mostly can happen in public places where there are so many unfamiliar things to the dog such as strangers. You see, when a Bulldog sees something it does not know, it usually considers them as threats.

So, the first thing, the dog does when it senses danger is starting to guard you from those possible threats.

05 – For its own good (And yours too)

Sometimes, the dog sits on you to see what you are doing. You are your Bulldog’s provider of foods, maintenance and love. So the dog keeps tabs on you to see when you make it foods or gives attention and affection.

This is partially for the dog’s own benefit as it can know when to expect foods and other rewards and make sure whether you are making foods for you or it.

However, your Bulldog sitting on you can also mean the dog is monitoring you to protect you (like I said in the above section). You see, When the dog is with you or rather sitting on you, it knows all your movements and therefore, can ensure it can protect you.

06 – Separation-anxiety

Do you leave your Bulldog at home for too long? or Did someone of your family moved out and no longer lives with you in the house?

Well, if one of the above two is true, it can cause the dog to have separation-anxiety.

When you leave your Bulldog at home for a long period of time, it starts having many negative emotions such as loneliness, stress and anxiety. Then, once you got home, the dog will sit on you to let you know that it missed you and wants you all to itself now that you are home.

This is one of the ways how a Bulldog copes with its negative emotions.

07 – Behavior of the Breed

Most smaller dog-breeds normally sit on their owner for warmth and cuddles which is why they are called “Lap dogs” since they fit perfectly on your lap. Also, this makes these dogs feel more secure as the added height gives a confidence boost.

But Bulldogs are not small dogs, they are a medium-sized dog breed. So why do they sit on you? Well, sometimes, in a Bulldog’s mind, it can think of itself as a small dog despite the physical appearance.

So, due to this small dog mentality, these big boys act as if they are not big at all and therefore, they sit on you.

Also, often times, a Bulldog can mature physically faster than mentally. This means the dog is still a puppy in its head which is why it behaves like a puppy. So sitting on you is normal to it.

08 – Fear or phobia

Whenever the dog feels scared, it surely comes to you or even sits on you. It is usually due to a fear or a phobia the dog has. You see, fears are different from one Bulldog to another. So, you have to examine the dog and figure out what fear your Bulldog has,

But let me give you a couple of examples.

• If the dog sits on you while it is thundering outside, that may mean the dog is scared of loud noises. So it comes to you.
• If the dog comes to you and sits on you while the lights are turned off at night and you are lying on the bed, that could mean the dog might have gotten scared of a shadow of a furniture or just the darkness in general.

How to know whether Your Bulldog Is Showing dominance or submission by sitting on you?

If your Bulldog tries to show dominance while siting on you, it will firstly show aggression by growling, snapping, staring intensely at you and showing its teeth. On the other hand, if the dog is being submissive, it acts even-tempered and shows no signs of aggression.

When the doggo is being submissive and polite, that is adorable whereas being aggressive and dominant is certainly not.

This ill-behavior mostly can occur due to poor training. If you have not trained your Bulldog to obey your commands from a young age, the dog can show aggressive and dominant behavior.

However, it is not too late. Even an older dog can be trained to be well-mannered such as by using Positive reinforcement training.

Final Thought

There are many reasons as to why a Bulldog sits on its owner but most of those reasons are utterly cute such as the ones where the dog is asking for your attention or guarding you.

However, on the other hand, you should be more concerned about the reasons where the dog is in pain or having separation-anxiety. For example, if your Bulldog seems to be having a sickness, bring him/her to the vet quickly.

Overall, your dog sitting on you is surely not a bad thing. So, show as much love and attention as you can.

Nonetheless, if your Bulldog starts showing dominance while sitting on you, then it can not be considered as good behavior. So, training is required to deal with it.

All in all, just cuddle and love the dog as might as you can, regardless whether the dog sits on you or not because after all, raising a Bulldog means showing love, providing quality maintenance, proper training, good socialization and guidance.

Featured image credit: Image by Alexandr Ivanov from Pixabay