Who needs an audience when you’re on the loo? According to your puppy, you do.
It can be a little awkward if you have a puppy who follows you to the bathroom, but rest assured it’s actually pretty normal. It’s simply a pure act of love from your puppy.
In this article, we’ll look into the reasons that your puppy follows you to the bathroom, if you should be worried about their toilet-following habits, and how to stop your puppy following you to the toilet. Everyone needs privacy, there’s no judgement.
If you need help with your puppy’s toilet training or are looking for a full puppy training programme, look no further than the Zigzag puppy training app. You’ll receive the right lessons according to your puppy’s breed, and their stage of emotional development. Don’t worry, we’ll hold your hand every step the way and you’ll be in a thriving community of other puppy owners to talk to. Our team of professional dog trainers will also be happy to chat to you anytime you need via the in-app chat through the highs and lows. And the very lows.
Why does my puppy follow me to the bathroom?
It’s quite simple. Your puppy follows you to the bathroom because they like to be around you. At this stage, they might feel scared to be on their own, or feel like they might miss out on some fun as well as some other reasons.
In this case, the only thing they could miss out on is a big smelly surprise – but it’s enough for them to want to stick close by for it. This is perfectly normal and a very common puppy behaviour…your puppy isn’t that much of a weirdo.
You have a great bond with your puppy
Puppies form an attachment to their caregivers, so being around you at all times actually feels like a reward to them. Just being in your presence is enough to make your puppy feel like they’re on cloud nine; falling asleep on the floor, or sitting on your feet when you’re using the loo is fine and dandy with them.
Scared when they’re alone
Being on their own can make a puppy feel anxious or scared, so following you to the bathroom seems like the best way for them to feel safe. This is particularly true in very young puppies who have only just left their mother and littermates, so don’t be surprised if your new puppy wants to be with you in the toilet.
Following as a survival method
Your puppy’s existence is entirely dependent on you. They are absolutely defenseless when they’re young. In the wild, they would have stayed in the den with their littermates to avoid predators. Therefore, it stands to reason that they would feel safer if they could always keep an eye on you and you on them, so that you would protect them from anything scary…like the vacuum cleaner.
Our article about dog domestication has loads more information about this somewhat controversial, yet fascinating topic.
Your puppy has FOMO
Puppies are naturally curious and exploratory; which means they can FOMO ( the dreaded ‘fear of missing out’). Who knows what delights you could be up to in the bathroom – they simply need to be involved!
Bathrooms also have a lot of funny smells… referring to shampoos and soap, of course. They also have plenty of fun things to pick up and put in their mouths to explore like washcloths, towels, and toilet paper!
Should I be concerned about my puppy following me to the bathroom?
No, not at all! Following you and wanting to be with you is a very common part of puppy behaviour. It does not mean your puppy has separation anxiety, it means you have a perfectly normal puppy!
Read more about puppy home alone time in our guide to puppy separation anxiety to be well-prepared and to make your puppy as comfortable and happy as possible.
How to stop my puppy from following me to the bathroom
If you’d rather not have an audience when you go to the toilet, then you’ll need to teach your puppy to be okay on their own for a few minutes. Here are a number of ways that you can stop your puppy following you to the toilet:
Teach them to stay
Teaching your puppy to wait or stay when you go to the toilet or bathroom is a useful way of getting some privacy. Teaching them this lesson can also be used for other activities like waiting while you grab a towel to wipe their muddy paws after a walk, or wanting them to wait before crossing the road with you.
Stay with us – we’ve got a full guide on teaching a puppy to stay.
Give them something fun to do
Food will always be a way to your puppy’s heart…and learning skills. Give your puppy a deliciously loaded lickimat, chew, stuffed Kong or other filled puzzle toy, so they have something to occupy them when you’re nipping to the loo.
Pop them down for a nap
Puppies need to sleep a lot when they’re young. However, they sometimes struggle to put themselves down due to that FOMO thing we talked about earlier. Popping them in their bed, crate or playpen means you can get some peace and quiet while you answer the call of nature.
Put them in a puppy proof area
Wherever you choose to leave your puppy while to go for a poo, make sure it’s safe to leave them there! You want to puppy proof the area by using baby gates, a crate, or a playpen, so that they don’t end up in a pickle like eating things they shouldn’t or having a toilet training accident somewhere.
Be consistent and reliable
If you don’t want your puppy joining you when you go to the toilet, it’s important that you stay consistent when teaching them the throne room is not for puppies. It’s pretty simple thinking, but not staying consistent can confuse them.
If sometimes you don’t mind them keeping your feet warm when you’re busy with your business (we’re all human…we might enjoy this sometimes), but sometimes you DO mind, it sends out mixed signals to your puppy that are difficult to keep up with for them.. Puppies thrive on routines and structure as it gives them security and confidence, so you definitely want to try your best to help them out with this.
Puppies who follow their owners to the bathroom are just behaving like puppies, we promise! It really is a normal part of canine behaviour to want to be with you, and not necessarily cause for concern. Your puppy will have a strong attachment to you and likely wants to be close to you at all times…puppies are also nosey and want to know what you’re up to all the time, every second of the day. While this behaviour is generally harmless, we do understand that it might make some people feel uncomfortable, and they don’t appreciate an audience when they use the bathroom.
If you have a puppy that’s always following you to the toilet, don’t worry. As you saw, there are many things you can do to prevent it. Remember to create a puppy proofed space to encourage their independence with food toys, and try teaching them to stay with positive reinforcement training.
Now that we hear you’ve got a puppy that sometimes feels worried, our guides on getting a puppy into a perfect nighttime routine, or how to stop a puppy from crying at night will be good help.
If you’re struggling with other things you didn’t expect, don’t forget, we have a team of professional dog trainers free to talk to you 24/7 in the Zigzag app – day or night. You’ll also have access to a full puppy training programme made specifically for your puppy with great tips and tricks to deal with any topic you can think of, and even those who didn’t come to mind yet.
