Dog Sleeping Outside Bedroom Door? Heres What It Might Mean!

Okay, so my dog, Buddy, he's a golden retriever, and for the longest time, he'd sleep right outside my bedroom door. Every. Single. Night. I tripped over him more times than I care to admit. I was always wondering, "Why there, Buddy? Why not your comfy bed?" So, I did a bit of digging and experimenting.

My Little Experiment

First, I just watched him. I paid attention to his routine before bed. He'd follow me around, tail wagging, as I got ready for bed. Then, I'd go into my room, and he'd plop down right outside the door.

Next, I tried moving his bed. I put it closer to my room, thinking maybe he just wanted to be near me. Nope. He'd sniff it, then go back to his spot by the door.

• Attempt 1: Moved the bed. Failed.
• Attempt 2: Left the door slightly open. Nope.

Then, I started reading up on it. I found some stuff online about dogs being pack animals and wanting to protect their "pack leader" (that's me, I guess!). Some articles said it could be separation anxiety, or maybe he just wanted to be the first to know if anything was happening.

It's like he had his own job. Guard duty!

I tried giving him a really good workout before bed, long walk and lot of play to see if maybe tire him out.

After that day's play, I closed my door as usual, and you know what? He whined a little at first, but then he settled down... in his bed! It wasn't right next to the door, but it was close enough. Progress!

I kept up the routine. Lots of exercise, a predictable bedtime routine, and making sure he had a comfy spot near (but not blocking!) my door. It took a few nights, but he finally started sleeping in his own bed more often. He still occasionally parks himself outside the door, especially if he's feeling a bit anxious or if there's a thunderstorm, but it's not an every-night thing anymore.

So, I guess the answer, at least for Buddy, was a combination of wanting to be close, feeling like he had a "job" to do, and maybe a little bit of anxiety. Now, I don't trip over him nearly as much, and he seems just as happy. Everybody wins!