Why Does My Dog Sit Outside The Shower? (8 Reasons And Solutions)

Dogs aren’t just always happy to see us, they are also always eager to please us. However, dogs can also be a little weird. For example, my mom’s little Yorkie will sometimes get up from his bed, jump in my mom’s lap and bury his head into her.  My mom is convinced he’s seeing ghosts or something, but I’m pretty sure he’s burying his head in her because he loves her. No matter the reason though, it’s funny and a little strange to see.

Dogs also have some quirky behaviors that can be a little gross for us owners. Like how some dogs lick their owner on the nose. Eww! Of course, they make up for it by being so sweet and lovable!

To best care for our lovable goofballs, we dog owners need to be aware of their odd behaviors. Knowing if what they are doing is weird and dangerous or weird and lovable is the first step to knowing what to do when your dog starts acting strange.

So, what about those of us who have a dog that likes to sit outside the shower? Why does my dog sit outside the shower? As you can imagine, there’s more than one reason a dog could be doing this.

The most common reasons your dog is sitting outside your shower are: To protect you, she loves you and wants your attention, she’s trying to stay close, she has separation anxiety, you trained her to, she’s curious about what you’re doing, or she happens to be in the bathroom for a totally different reason.

Protection

Your dog may see you as vulnerable when you’re in the shower, and as your best friend, she may feel like she needs to protect you. After all, you can’t see what’s going on around you, and since you’re naked with water in your face, you’re not able to defend yourself if something were to happen.

So, don’t be surprised to learn that your good girl might be sitting outside the shower to make sure nothing happens to you while you’re in such a vulnerable position. 

Love And Attention

Your dog just loves you! And I’m certain she wants to be near you! Dogs are highly social animals, who enjoy being around their favorite people. In fact, dogs thrive when their owners pay them attention and show them affection.

If you find your dog sitting outside your shower, be sure you’re giving her plenty of affection and attention throughout the day.

She Is Used To Being Close To You

If your dog has been with you everywhere since you got her, then likely, she’s just trying to keep staying close to you. After all, she’s used to it now and wants to follow her routine.

As for sitting outside the shower, if you let her follow you everywhere from when you first got her, then this too probably started when she was a puppy. Maybe she initially followed you into the bathroom out of curiosity, but now, this behavior has become ingrained over time and she’s just used to doing it.

Separation Anxiety

One possibility that could point to a serious problem is that your dog suffers from separation anxiety. If you’ve noticed that your dog follows you around everywhere you go and always wants to be near you, this could be the reason why she’s sitting outside your shower.

Dogs with separation anxiety often become agitated and/or stressed when they’re away from their owner, so sitting outside the shower may make her feel better. If your dog has separation anxiety, there are likely many other signs that she’s suffering.

Unfortunately, many of those other signs can result in destruction (floors and furniture) or annoyed neighbors (howling). So, if your dog is sitting outside the shower due to separation anxiety, this is probably the least of your (and her) issues.

You (Mistakenly) Taught Her To

You may also have encouraged this behavior without realizing it. For example, if your dog happened to be in the bathroom while you showered and you got out and showered (no pun intended) her with praise and extra head pats, she probably enjoyed it.

Being quick to pick up on what gets them what they want, dogs will keep behaving that way until they are trained otherwise.

So, while your dog might be craving love and attention (see above) when she’s sitting outside the shower, the opposite could be true too. She knows (or expects) to get love and attention when as soon as you get out!

She’s Curious About What You’re Up To 

Let’s face it – dogs are curious animals. For a while, I had to get up very early in the morning for online meetings. My dog Duke, tired as he was, would drag himself out of bed and lay under the desk in the office curious about what the heck I was up to.

After a while, he learned I wasn’t doing anything exciting, and certainly not anything worth getting up so early for, so he stopped. But it was clear that for several months he was curious about what I was doing.

Your dog may want to know what’s going on when she hears the water running in the bathroom. She may not be entirely sure what a ‘shower’ is, but she knows that it means you’re busy doing something in there. And she wants to make sure she’s not missing out!

She’s In The Bathroom For A Different Reason

At times it sure seems like dogs do almost everything for our benefit, but of course, that isn’t true. Your dog might not even care that you’re in the shower, rather she could be trying to get some peace and quiet away from some rowdy kids, or maybe she’s trying to warm up, or it could be something else entirely.

If your dog is in the bathroom while you happen to be in the shower and not because you are in the shower, you’ll likely see her acting on these reasons other times too. Maybe she’ll go to sleep under the bed to get some Zs from the kids or lay her on you to warm up. Likely, whatever her motive is will show itself in some other behavior of hers.

What If My Dog Suddenly Starts Sitting Outside The Shower?

If your dog suddenly starts sitting outside the shower, it could be because one of the issues above suddenly came up. Or, like with other sudden behavior changes in dogs, it could be because your dog is sick or injured.

Dogs are excellent at hiding medical issues from us, but often we can tell something is wrong when their behavior suddenly (and sometimes drastically) changes.

So, if your dog suddenly starts sitting outside your shower, watch for other behavior changes and signs of health problems.

Is It Okay For My Dog To Sit Outside My Shower?

It depends on why your dog is sitting outside the shower, but unless it is because of a serious problem such as separation anxiety or a medical issue then it is probably okay for your dog to be there.

However, you have to be okay with your dog sitting outside the shower too. If you don’t like your good girl there for whatever reason, then it really isn’t okay and you’ll need to take steps to make sure she no longer does so.

How Do I Stop My Dog Sitting Outside The Shower?

As I said, there’s probably nothing wrong with your dog sitting outside your shower, but if you don’t like it, and you’re looking for ways to stop your four-legged friend from camping out, then I do have a few tips to help. 

First, figure out why your dog is hanging out right next to your shower. If she has separation anxiety or a medical issue, your approach is going to be very different than if your dog is just trying to get your attention or you (accidentally) trained her to be there.

One way to stop your dog from sitting outside the shower is to simply ignore her. If she’s used to getting lots of pets and ‘good girls’ from you every time she sits outside the shower door, she’ll likely keep doing it in hopes of getting more attention. But if you act like she’s not even there, she will likely eventually get bored and move on. 

Of course, ignoring your dog isn’t always easy, so if it were me, I’d opt for a little bit more proactive and effective way to stop my dog from sitting outside the shower. Personally, I’d use the basic commands my dogs already know like ‘go on’ or ‘go to (place)’.

If your dog knows that there’s a specific place you want her to be when you’re in the shower (like her bed or crate), she’ll be less likely to hover near the shower hoping for attention. And even if she starts coming into the bathroom, a quick reminder with one of these commands should be enough to send her back to her spot. 

Finally, if nothing else is working you could try talking to your vet. Of course, there’s one thing that is easy for you to take advantage of too…the door! Use the obvious and easy fix for this one – simply close the bathroom door so your pooch can’t get near the shower while you’re in there.

Summary: Why Do Dogs Sit Outside The Shower?

You love your dog, and you love a nice wake-up shower in the morning. But lately, it seems like your dog loves your shower too. In fact, she’s been sitting outside the shower curtain every time you hop in.

Why does she do this? Is she just being nosey? Does she have separation anxiety? Or are you Encouraging her too much?

We explored the likely explanations for your dog being sitting outside your shower such as:

• She’s protecting you
• She loves you and wants attention
• She’s used to being close to you
• She has separation anxiety
• You trained her to
• She’s curious about what you’re up to
• She’s in the bathroom for another reason

There are a few different things you can do if you want your dog to stop sitting outside the shower door while you’re washing and waking up. From ignoring her completely (even though that can be tough!) To training her with basic commands, there are options available depending on what will work best for both you and your furry friend.

Whichever route you decide to go down, remember that consistency is key – if you give in even once, it’ll make it that much harder next time around!