diff --git a/CODEOWNERS b/CODEOWNERS
index 2fc030453f..d94c34c019 100644
--- a/CODEOWNERS
+++ b/CODEOWNERS
@@ -427,6 +427,7 @@ esphome/components/veml7700/* @latonita
 esphome/components/version/* @esphome/core
 esphome/components/voice_assistant/* @jesserockz
 esphome/components/wake_on_lan/* @clydebarrow @willwill2will54
+esphome/components/watchdog/* @oarcher
 esphome/components/waveshare_epaper/* @clydebarrow
 esphome/components/web_server_base/* @OttoWinter
 esphome/components/web_server_idf/* @dentra
diff --git a/esphome/components/http_request/__init__.py b/esphome/components/http_request/__init__.py
index 3ca97b9611..0407bbd326 100644
--- a/esphome/components/http_request/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/http_request/__init__.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ from esphome.const import (
 from esphome.core import CORE, Lambda
 
 DEPENDENCIES = ["network"]
-AUTO_LOAD = ["json"]
+AUTO_LOAD = ["json", "watchdog"]
 
 http_request_ns = cg.esphome_ns.namespace("http_request")
 HttpRequestComponent = http_request_ns.class_("HttpRequestComponent", cg.Component)
diff --git a/esphome/components/http_request/http_request_arduino.cpp b/esphome/components/http_request/http_request_arduino.cpp
index 95b1cdc38e..2148d92ad2 100644
--- a/esphome/components/http_request/http_request_arduino.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/http_request/http_request_arduino.cpp
@@ -3,12 +3,12 @@
 #ifdef USE_ARDUINO
 
 #include "esphome/components/network/util.h"
+#include "esphome/components/watchdog/watchdog.h"
+
 #include "esphome/core/application.h"
 #include "esphome/core/defines.h"
 #include "esphome/core/log.h"
 
-#include "watchdog.h"
-
 namespace esphome {
 namespace http_request {
 
diff --git a/esphome/components/http_request/http_request_idf.cpp b/esphome/components/http_request/http_request_idf.cpp
index 4fe5585723..3819f5544e 100644
--- a/esphome/components/http_request/http_request_idf.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/http_request/http_request_idf.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 #ifdef USE_ESP_IDF
 
 #include "esphome/components/network/util.h"
+#include "esphome/components/watchdog/watchdog.h"
+
 #include "esphome/core/application.h"
 #include "esphome/core/defines.h"
 #include "esphome/core/log.h"
@@ -11,8 +13,6 @@
 #include "esp_crt_bundle.h"
 #endif
 
-#include "watchdog.h"
-
 namespace esphome {
 namespace http_request {
 
diff --git a/esphome/components/http_request/ota/ota_http_request.cpp b/esphome/components/http_request/ota/ota_http_request.cpp
index dcc783ea47..1553de0bc1 100644
--- a/esphome/components/http_request/ota/ota_http_request.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/http_request/ota/ota_http_request.cpp
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 #include "ota_http_request.h"
-#include "../watchdog.h"
 
 #include "esphome/core/application.h"
 #include "esphome/core/defines.h"
 #include "esphome/core/log.h"
 
 #include "esphome/components/md5/md5.h"
+#include "esphome/components/watchdog/watchdog.h"
 #include "esphome/components/ota/ota_backend.h"
 #include "esphome/components/ota/ota_backend_arduino_esp32.h"
 #include "esphome/components/ota/ota_backend_arduino_esp8266.h"
diff --git a/esphome/components/watchdog/__init__.py b/esphome/components/watchdog/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6fb87e45a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/esphome/components/watchdog/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+CODEOWNERS = ["@oarcher"]
diff --git a/esphome/components/http_request/watchdog.cpp b/esphome/components/watchdog/watchdog.cpp
similarity index 96%
rename from esphome/components/http_request/watchdog.cpp
rename to esphome/components/watchdog/watchdog.cpp
index a8519c59ed..3a94a658e8 100644
--- a/esphome/components/http_request/watchdog.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/watchdog/watchdog.cpp
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 #endif
 
 namespace esphome {
-namespace http_request {
 namespace watchdog {
 
 static const char *const TAG = "http_request.watchdog";
@@ -72,5 +71,4 @@ uint32_t WatchdogManager::get_timeout_() {
 }
 
 }  // namespace watchdog
-}  // namespace http_request
 }  // namespace esphome
diff --git a/esphome/components/http_request/watchdog.h b/esphome/components/watchdog/watchdog.h
similarity index 88%
rename from esphome/components/http_request/watchdog.h
rename to esphome/components/watchdog/watchdog.h
index 9b54ae6c82..899ec3fde0 100644
--- a/esphome/components/http_request/watchdog.h
+++ b/esphome/components/watchdog/watchdog.h
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 #include <cstdint>
 
 namespace esphome {
-namespace http_request {
 namespace watchdog {
 
 class WatchdogManager {
@@ -22,5 +21,4 @@ class WatchdogManager {
 };
 
 }  // namespace watchdog
-}  // namespace http_request
 }  // namespace esphome