Why do dogs watch you undress or while in the shower?

One thing that humans have but that dogs rarely do is a basic understanding of the concepts of privacy and personal space-and that some things are better performed without an audience! This usually holds true for us in situations such as getting undressed, changing clothes or having a shower, but as many dog owners will verify, dogs have no concept of the human need for privacy and will often stare very hard when we are getting changed or are naked!

This can of course be both confusing, amusing and unnerving in equal measure-and if your dog is one of the many that stares at you or is determined to sit and watch you when you are in the shower, you probably want to know why!

In this article, we will examine why some dogs seem so determined to stare when we get undressed or have a bath or shower, how they interpret such behaviour, and what it all means! Read on to learn more.

Wocha doing?

Dogs are of course very inquisitive animals, and many dogs will follow their owners from room to room as they move about the house, in the hope of earning a treat or simply from fear of missing out! This is especially likely to be the case if you are doing something different like getting changed or planning to have a bath or shower, and your dog might be fascinated to watch you out of a very innocent interest, and not because they are trying to freak you out!

Novelty

Unless you spend a lot of time wandering around naked at home, your dog won’t be used to seeing you without your clothes on-and novelty is of course very entertaining to dogs! Your dog does of course get to know you very well and know what is normal for you, and because getting changed or getting into the bath or shower is something that we only do a couple of times a day, this is likely to be interesting to your dog, and break up the routine of their day a little.

This is particularly true if your dog likes to watch you when you are in the shower or bath-add their naked owner to splashing water and soap suds and even maybe a little singing, and the novelty value to your dog should not be underestimated!

Where’s your coat?

Another thing to think about is the fact that your dog of course wears their fur coat all the time, and cannot take it off at will. So when your dog sees you removing your “fur” equivalent, this is something that is unusual and unique to them, and that they have no frame of reference for.

Whether they think this is odd, fascinating or simply interesting is something that we will never know-but dogs continually look to their owners for direction and reassurance, and so changing your appearance dramatically in this respect will certainly get their attention!

Water can be fascinating for dogs

If your dog seems to have a particular penchant for watching you in the bath or shower (or even trying to accompany you, in some cases!) the fact that you are messing about in water might be a source of particular fascination for them. Some dog breeds have a natural affinity for water-like the Newfoundland-and any kind of water that is running or splashing around might be notably interesting or enticing for them, particularly if you look as if you are having fun with it!

Company

Dogs are highly social animals that are at their happiest when they have someone around for company and reassurance, even if this is just the presence of someone in the same room or house. Given a choice, your dog will probably want to be in the same room as you most of the time, and as mentioned above, they have no frame of reference for things such as privacy, personal space and the common taboo of being naked with an audience. Accompanying you when you are in the nude is no big deal to your dog!

Cues and changes

Finally, dogs are also very good at picking up on the subtle cues that indicate change within the home, and what this might mean for your dog directly-such as if you get up to go into the kitchen at any point in the run-up to the dog’s mealtimes, they will soon come to associate this with potentially getting fed.

The same is true when you put on a hat or coat, which your dog will read as either time for walkies or that you are going out, and this does of course naturally apply in other situations too.

If your dog is used to you coming home and getting changed to take them for their walk, or getting changed because you are going out somewhere else, your dog will soon get used to the fact that this is likely to be what you are up to. They pick up on such cues and begin to learn and predict them quickly, and when this happens, they will want to stick close to find out what is happening.