Ask your dog to sit and check out their posture. Do they sit squarely on their hocks? Do they sit with one leg extended forward or to the side? Does your dog sit rolled on one hip? Does your dog avoid sitting altogether?

The way a dog sits can give you some clues about their musculoskeletal health. It can also reflect how the dog has been trained to sit or the surface in which the dog is asked to sit e.g. wet grass, hot bitumen, or slippery floors.

Mechanics of a sit

Let’s look at Dog 1 to understand the mechanics of a “normal” sit for a dog.

The action of sitting involves flexing three joints:

1. Hip
2. Stifle (knee joint)
3. Tarsus (hock).

When a dog sits “properly”, their weight is distributed symmetrically over both hips. Likewise, the dog’s weight is borne symmetrically over both shoulders so their vertebral column is straight. When sitting properly, the muscles of both sides of the dog’s body are working evenly.

“Abnormal” sit postures for a dog

Dog 2 is sitting abnormally. Notice that neither the tarsus nor the stifle are fully flexed and the dog is not weight bearing symmetrically on their hips or shoulders. The dog’s weight is shifted to the left shoulder to compensate for the lack of symmetry in the hind quarters. Over time, the compensatory

With dogs 3 and 4 neither of them are weight bearing symmetrically on their hips. They have also moved their forelimbs toward their tail to adjust their centre of gravity. Note the muscle tone in the shoulders to compensate for the shift in the dogs’ weight.

How to improve the way your dog sits?

Training

For some dogs the way they sit is the way they have been trained. Young puppies particularly will sit with their weight distributed unevenly. As the puppy matures, if they are rewarded for sitting squarely, this becomes habituated. However, if you continue to reward the dog for “sloppy” sits, then this becomes the norm.

Environment

Check the surface on which your dog is sitting. If the ground is uneven or unpleasant in some way to the dog, then this may affect the way they sit. Test the dog on different surfaces to rule out environmental factors.

Vet diagnosis

If your dog’s sit posture is not related to training, the environment or has only recently occurred, then it is advisable to seek veterinary advice for a diagnosis. Your vet can determine if your dog sits this way due to their conformation or a health condition.

Massage and physical therapy

Following a vet diagnosis, a canine massage and physical therapy treatment can help the dog by:

• Improving the dogs’ muscle memory (proprioception) in the hind limbs.

• Improving the muscle tone in the hind quarters by reducing muscle knots or scar tissue. This will help improve the dogs’ posture.

• Increasing joint mobility in the hind limbs by reducing pain and discomfort.

• Reducing tension and discomfort in the compensatory muscles of the shoulder, neck, back and chest.

• Providing a tailored home maintenance programme.

• Offering advice on the dog’s lifestyle including nutrition to improve their musculoskeletal health.

If you have noticed your dog as an abnormal sitting posture, feel free to contact me for tips on rewarding a “proper” square sit or send me a photo of how your dog sits for some advice.

Until next time, enjoy your dogs.

Sources:

Hourdebaight, Jean-Pierre 2004, Canine Massage: A complete reference manual 2nd edition, Dogwise Publishing, Wenatchee WA, USA

Robertson, Julia 2010, The complete dog massage manual, Veloce Publishing Limited, Dorset UK

Millis, D.L, Levine, D & Taylor R.A (ed) 2004 Canine Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy, Elsevier Inc, Missouri USA