Sloppy Sitting

One thing I commonly hear in my office is, “my dog sits crooked!” 🐶 Us animal chiropractors have a name for that- it’s called sloppy sitting (also known as a puppy sit or lazy sit)! This is when a dog sits to one side, with their other leg kicked out.

Is this something to worry about? It depends! 👉 Sloppy sitting can be completely normal in puppies, as they are a whole lot more flexible! As the puppy grows, the joints, ligaments, and bones strengthen, and that flexibility is replaced by sturdy, weight bearing joints that support the body and ensure that your dog can run around and jump without issue.

As your dog reaches 1-2 years of age, sloppy sitting is something it should have outgrown. If your dog hasn’t outgrown it, there’s a number of issues that we can look at as the cause- knee injuries, luxating patellas, hip issues, and scar tissue from knee injuries and surgeries, like this sweet girl Maggie who has had two TPLO surgeries, just to name a few!

It’s important to remember that sloppy sitting is a symptom of another musculoskeletal issue, so digging in and finding the root cause can be very important in the way of preventing other injuries long term! When an adult dog is chronically sloppy sitting, it’s a telltale sign that something is causing them discomfort, and they sit in a way to alleviate pressure on his joints and spine.