Living under the same roof as a dog is like having a second shadow that follows you everywhere. Dogs love to walk their owner from room to room and enjoy their presence. For them, intimacy is a somewhat abstract concept, if not nonexistent. But why do dogs follow us to the bathroom?
1. They Want to Be Included in Your Activities
Dogs can form strong bonds with their owners, and with that, they want to be included in everything you do, no matter what—even the bathroom is fair game. Dogs don’t think of you going to the bathroom as an off-limit activity for them or a private matter; the bathroom is simply another room they want to follow you into because it looks like another activity to participate in with you. After all, going to the bathroom can be considered an activity, right?
2. They Are Curious
Dogs are instinctively curious creatures and don’t like to be excluded in anything, so when you trot to the bathroom, your dog wants to know what you’re doing in there (sitting on the toilet is not an obvious event to dogs). Of course, sitting on the toilet is not the only thing you do in the bathroom. They are curious about everything you do, like taking a bath, showering, putting on makeup, brushing your teeth, etc. A bathroom is a place they know you frequent, and they want to see what’s up.
3. They Are Protecting You
As creepy as it may seem, your dog is not spying on you while you relieve yourself or showering. Instead, they are there to protect you. They know you go to this room often, and your dog interprets that room as your territory, so in their eyes, it needs to be protected. Regarding your dog’s point of view, something could be lurking in there that they need to save you from. When you think about it, it’s a cute behavior!
4. They Love Your Company
One of the sweetest reasons is your dog just loves you to pieces and cannot stand the thought of not being near you. Dogs are naturally sociable animals, and they long to be in your company, no matter where you are. That’s why they are sad when you leave and excited when you return—just because you’re going to the bathroom doesn’t mean they don’t want to follow along to simply be in your presence.
5. They Love to Smell Different Scents
We all know the bathroom can have an unpleasant scent, but your dog doesn’t care. However, bathrooms can have all sorts of scents, like shampoo, hairspray, lotions, and a whole slew of other scents. Dogs have an extraordinary sense of smell and can have a field day smelling all the different scents in a bathroom, so this alone could be the reason why they’ve followed you into that room.