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Sloppy Sit: Does Your Pup Have Good Posture?
- Michelle Shadwick, CCAS
- Oct 7, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 6, 2024
Do you have a sloppy sitter?
Good posture isn't just for people—it’s important for dogs, too! Whether you have a lazy lounger or a speedy sport dog, posture plays a big role in your dog’s overall health.
What IS good dog posture?
We have to know what normal is, so we can tell when someething is off.
As a rule, we want the following criteria:
back in a straight line
muzzle level
front and rear legs a neutral width apart
wrists and elbows in a line
knees over the toes
ankles forward or vertical
Let’s dive into the three key positions: the Square Sit, Square Stand, and Sphinx Down.
Let’s go!
1. Square Sit
A Square Sit is when your dog sits with their back straight, and their paws neatly tucked under their body. In this position, your dog should look balanced, with weight evenly distributed. No flopping to one side, no legs sticking out in weird angles—just a tidy, "pretty" sit.
My dog's back legs are splayed out
The sloppy sit is when the dog sits on their hip, which may look cute but can lead to uneven muscle development and strain on their joints over time. So, a Square Sit is not just about looks, it's about your dog’s health!
This is a big red flag for me as a fitness trainer. It's a sign the dog needs more strength in their abdominal and low back muscles, or a potential knee, hip or ankle injury.
This adorable goldendoodle is in the perfect sloppy sit. (Don't worry, she owns a friend of mine and is very capable of a square sit when she wants to.) See how she has her knee sticking out? She's actually sitting on her hip and not her butt. Although it's ok for a few seconds, it's very bad for her muscles and joints over time. Correct this immediately or get your dog into a relaxed down.
How to help: Encourage your dog to sit by gently luring them into position. Use treats to reward them when they sit squarely on their back legs with paws forward. Use a prop, platform or yoga mat to give your dog a boundary and keep them from cheating. Practice makes perfect, don't give up!
Does your pup have a sloppy sit? Leave us a comment!
2. Square Stand
The Square Stand is another posture that can make a big difference in your dog’s fitness. This is when your dog stands with all four paws under their body, looking strong and stable. You want their weight balanced evenly on all paws—no leaning or slouching!
A good Square Stand helps build strong core muscles and is great for preparing your dog for more advanced fitness moves. Plus, it’s handy for grooming and vet exams.
My dog is "high in the rear"
We also see a lot of dogs with a "roached" or arched back and their rear feet tucked under their belly. This is a sign of low back or hip pain or weak abdominal and spinal muscles.
See how this hound's back legs are tucked under his belly? And his back is arched? This was before we started our fitness program.
This is the same dog, a little bit after we started fitness training.
His back legs are extended now so his ankles are vertical. And his topline is more level.
We did a lot of work on posture poses and position changes.
How to help: Use a treat to lure your dog's front paws on a balance bar, yoga mat or narrow foot target. When the front legs are right, train the rear legs. Ask your dog to put their rear paws on the balance bar and reward when their ankles are straight. Then put them together! Are all four paws in line, and is their back nice and straight?
Reward them when they nail it!
3. Sphinx Down
A Sphinx Down is a graceful position where your dog lays down with their body straight, legs tucked under them, and head held high—just like the majestic sphinx! This down is great for core strength and encourages even muscle development.
Dogs often do a “lazy down,” where they flop to one side with their legs kicked out. While this is comfy for them, and acceptable when they are resting, it doesn’t do much for their posture. The Sphinx Down helps your dog stay aligned and strong.
See how this dog's spine is curved, his hips are rotated out, his toes are too far forward and he's weight shifting to the side.
He's also relaxing and chewing on a toy. This is ok for short term relaxed dogs. But he should do a proper sphinx down before we start training.
How to help: Start by luring your dog into a down position. Adjust your reward to get your dog in this position. Keep their legs neatly under them and use treats to encourage them to hold the pose. Over time, they’ll get used to this healthier way of lying down!
Who cares? Why is this important?
We always train static before dynamic.
Huh?
To get a perfect tuck sit, your dog first needs to master the Square Stand and Square Sit separately. Once they’ve got those down, you can put it all together. Breaking the movement into smaller steps helps set your dog up for success!
Every exercise we do starts with good posture. If your dog exercises with sloppy form, it won’t be as effective and could even lead to injury.
Small changes in posture are often the first signs of other issues. Catching them early can save you a ton of money on surgery, treatments, rehab, and dreaded crate rest!
Notice how this dog is holding his right elbow away from his body, but the left arm is in correct position?
This dog has arthritis in the right elbow and applying direct pressure when laying down is painful.
We manage with shoulder strengthening exercises, joint supplements and anti-inflammatories from our rehab vet.
Notice how this dog has her toe a little too far in front of her knee?
This posture change, plus other signs, prompted a vet visit. She's not giving me correct posture because it's painful.
She had very mild swelling in her knee, visible on x-ray, and discomfort in the knee on exam. Rehab vet prescribed rest, sedatives and pain meds. 4 weeks later she's back to her normal shenanigans. We avoided a potentially serious CCL injury and surgery.
Catching these signs early can save you thousands of dollars in surgery, rehab, and a lot of inconvenience from crate rest.
Position Changes
You and your dog have the static posture poses, now it's time to add dynamic movements.
Changing positions between a sit, stand and down using proper posture is the best way to improve your dog's topline and core.
Try these foundation fitness exercises!
Tuck sit to kick back stand with proper form:
Stand to sphinx down:
Push up (sphinx down to square sit)
Summary
Good posture can make a big difference in your dog’s health and fitness. Position changes between a Square Sit, Square Stand, and Sphinx Down, help your dog build strength, balance, and avoid injury. Plus, they’ll look extra fancy doing it!
Ready to take your dog’s posture and fitness to the next level? Try an Online Canine Conditioning Course today!
Not quite ready to invest yet?
for more fun tips, free video tutorials and class discounts!
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