Have you ever thought that the sitting position of a dog can actually mirror something?

Sloppy Sitting is not always what it looks like. It may look funny, maybe your dog is only lazy or relaxed, or just tired. And it could be so, if it happens occasionally. But if it becomes regular it’s worth thinking about it.

I’m sure you want to keep your dog healthy and fit for many years. The proper sitting position (see left pic) is when your dog’s legs are kept close to their body and positioned equally on both sides. Their hip is straight, knees and hocks are parallel. This posture helps them to engage all their muscles, ligaments properly in preparation for when they want to stand up.

When it is different to the normal condition and shows specific signs, we call it Sloppy/Lazy Sitting (see right pic).

Is it a problem if my dog likes to sit that way? No, not at all, if your dog can sit in a proper sitting position when you tell it to. If not, don’t bother, try it another day, maybe your dog was tired at the first time especially after a big walk or run. But please, never force it. It could be a bad habit, too. Especially after a surgery or past injuries when they need to deal with the pain.

You can help them by having corrected this with a professional. Puppies also like sitting in this position and there is nothing wrong about it. Later, when they grow up and develop enough muscles they will be able to sit in a proper way. Support your puppy to teach the correct position as it is always more difficult to correct an issue when it already developed.

And there are those dogs, who need help with a problem to be located. It is advised to consult your vet, your orthopedic vet or a rehab professional to identify the one thing amongst the plenty. This form of sitting is a typical posture of a possible hip dysplasia, luxating patella, weak hind limb, weak core and a lot of other health related reasons. It could also be their knee or hock joints or spinal issues. But trust me, there is always a reason.

Our aim is to find it and correct it with the best possible treatment so that we limit the risk and the damage for the coming years.

Sloppy / Lazy Sitting position