3 Reasons Your Dog Always Checks on You When You're Showering

If given the time, resources, and opposable thumbs, my dog would surgically attach herself to me. I’ll admit, the feeling is mutual. We are equally obsessed with each other, but she often takes it to an extreme: following me into the bathroom, sniffing my clothes immediately after I take them off, even poking her nose around the shower curtain when I dare abandon her (aka bathe myself). So, what is it? Our codependence? My undeniable allure? Does she think I go to Narnia when I disappear from view? Why, exactly, does my dog insist on checking on me while I’m in the shower?

It seems to be a common phenomena: Many pets are only interested in the tub or shower while their human is in it. On the other hand, if there is any indication that the water is running for them, they will run away, hide, even tremble at the impending torture (aka being clean). If this sounds familiar, here are a few reasons why your dog might be checking on you in the shower.

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They’re just curious.

“Some dogs like to know what their people are doing and what they are up to,” says Valli Parthasarathy, who is co-owner of and veterinary behavior specialist at Synergy Veterinary Behavior in Portland, Oregon. Dogs learn through smell and, simply put, the shower is a smelly place. Your dog may be drawn to the bounty of olfactory stimuli, and poking their head in is a way for them to appreciate the bouquet! 

If they seem particularly interested in your scent post-shower, it could be for a similar reason: You smell different and they’re familiarizing themselves. Like scent, taste helps inform your dog’s understanding of the world, which is why your pup’s curiosity may extend to licking the water off your legs post-bath. Compliments to the chef!

They miss you.

Dogs are social creatures, though their social norms are quite different from our own. (See: butt-sniffing.) Your dog’s instinct to, say, follow you into the bathroom is their way of bonding. Dogs have an innate desire for protection and security, but, unfortunately, no measured understanding of the concepts of privacy or personal space. Parthasarathy says a dog’s habit of checking in while you’re showering isn’t an immediate cause for concern. However, she adds, “For some dogs, it can indicate increased anxiety around being separated from their people.”

A dog’s separation anxiety can manifest in many different ways (whining, pawing, barking, excessive salivation). But, as one 2018 study found, it typically indicates your dog is experiencing one of two things: fear or frustration. The study authors found that “frequent barking during separation may signal more frustration than fear in dogs,” So, if your dog’s shower supervision is accompanied by vocalizations, they’re probably just having FOMO. 

They like the attention.

It’s hard not to notice your dog’s nose snuffling its way around the shower curtain. So, unintentionally or not, you may be reinforcing the behavior. Do you talk to them when they check on your mid-shower? Give them pets? Engage in a game of peek-a-boo and poke your head out of the shower to look back at them? As the American Kennel Club (AKC) suggests, attention to your pet’s behavior will reinforce that behavior. Chances are you’ve given your dog some form of attention when they’ve come to check on you in the shower, which encourages them to continue to come check on you any time you are there. From your dog’s perspective: If not praise, why praise-shaped?

What if you don’t like the attention?

Maybe it was cute the first few times, but now you’d just like a little privacy when you are literally naked in the shower. If your dog is getting a bit too nosy about your bath time, start by ignoring them. I know, I know. Easier said than done. But dogs are of the mind that any attention is good attention.

If you’re willing to take a more proactive step, try reinforcing the opposite behavior and reward them for staying outside the bathroom while you’re in it. If your dog’s behavior becomes concerning, Parthasarathy recommends consulting your vet or working with a specialized trainer. And if all else fails, you can always, you know, shut the bathroom door.