If you’ve ever noticed your dog sitting in weird positions, you’ve probably asked yourself “why do Pugs sit like humans?” The first time I saw Mindy my black Pug sitting this way, it not only made me laugh, but I wanted to know what caused the behavior.
Why Do Pugs Sit Like Humans?
Pugs are top heavy dogs and this is why you might see them sitting in different positions. It’s a learned behavior and they most likely picked it up from watching how you sit and mimics you.
This behavior has been going on for ages, in fact, you don’t have to search the Internet for a long time before you see a funny video, pictures, or memes of dogs with their legs out in front of them as humans.
The funniest pictures of dogs sitting like humans are the ones where there is a TV in front of them or one that is lounging on a recliner. Yes, some Pugs love watching TV, but they don’t see images as we do.
Dog Sitting Upright Behavior
Dogs with long hind legs such as the Great Dane are notorious for sitting upright like humans. However, smaller dogs like Pugs can also be caught in the upright position.
If you’ve ever seen your Pug sitting like this, it definitely doesn’t look comfortable. However, this human-like posture helps relieves stress on your pooches back and hips.
This position offers support for the canine’s lumbar region and helps center their chest, where Pugs carry most of their weight. However, this sitting position has been known to be common in dogs that suffer from hip problems such as hip dysplasia.
Hip Dysplasia is a painful health condition that prevents the hip bones from sitting properly in the hip sockets. (source)
If your Pug has hip problems, you may notice that they will have difficulty sitting in one position for too long. They may continually try different sitting and lying positions, due to hip stress, in fact, pug hip problems are extremely common.
Other people believe that dogs adopt different sitting positions to help them be higher up off the ground. For example, a dog that is riding in the car may try different sitting positions so they can see outside the window.
A dog trying to sit higher off the ground can also be a sign of feeling more territorial. Of course, this most likely isn’t the case with a Pug, as they are less likely to display signs of dominance.
In fact, Pugs are not aggressive dogs, and this is what makes them great family pets. Just be ready for a dog that loves sitting on your feet, and follows you around everywhere you go.
Dogs are pretty smart and they will try several different sitting positions such as sitting on their side, which is also known as the lazy sit, slouch, or frog sit. This doesn’t look like the human upright position, but it’s not the normal way a dog will sit.
Pugs Sitting Like Humans How Does It Look?
Here is a picture of a Pug sitting comfortably on a couch. You’ll notice that their legs are out in front of them as humans.
Here’s one more look of a different Pug sitting like a human. You’ll notice that this dog sits with legs splayed or are just hanging out in front of them.
These are funny pictures and most likely the owners encourage the behavior because they laugh at their pups when they see them.
Some dogs just prefer sitting this way because they know their owners love it. As long as they don’t sit like that on a daily basis, it should be fine.
Like humans, dogs need to take care of their back and maintain healthy postures to ensure a life of free back pain and stiffness.
Canine Frog Sit Vs Canine Human Sit
Some pet owners become confused with the human sit vs the frog sit. That’s why I wanted to quickly describe the difference between the two canine sitting positions.
Human Sit
As you can see from the images above your dog is sitting in an upright position that resembles a human. Just like some humans, dogs don’t have good posture when sitting straight up.
Frog Sit
A dog sitting like a frog will consist of your dog lying on the floor with his legs behind him like a frog. If this is your first time seeing your dog lie like this, it’s easy to become concerned, however, there’s usually no need to call your vet.
Unless you notice that your dog is in pain, the frog-leg position is very common and has even been given a cutesy name as the “sploot.”
Should You Be Concerned About Your Pug Sitting Down Like A Human?
If you start noticing your dog sitting weird all of a sudden, you need to take them to the veterinarian to have them examined. Especially if you have an older Pug that just started sitting upright all of a sudden.
Hopefully, the vet will be able to determine if they have a hip problem in a standard examination.
If not, they may suggest taking x-rays to see if there are any issues with your Pug’s skeleton. Once they determine the cause of the problem, they will be able to address how to deal with it.
Most dogs will just require physio and hydrotherapy, which are common ways to build up your pug hind leg weakness or sore joints. These treatment options are usually used for mild luxating patella or hip dysplasia issues.
If your Pug has serious hip problems, you may need to consider an expensive surgery before the problem gets worse. This type of surgery can be extremely expensive, especially, if you don’t have pet insurance.
That being said, most dogs that sit like humans will NOT require any surgery. As long as your Pug doesn’t sit upright every day, there really is nothing to worry about.
That being said, try encouraging your dog to sit normally like a dog. Turn the human sitting into a trick or fun game.
Getting your Pug to sit like a dog, can save your Pug’s hips a lot of pain and will be easier on your pocket strings in the long run.
Read this article if you still need to teach your Pug how to sit.
Final Word About Dogs Sitting Upright
If you notice your Pug sitting like a human, there’s a chance that they think it’s extremely comfortable. Maybe they are trying to get a reaction out of you, after all, Pugs are clown dogs and love attention.
It’s okay to laugh at your pooch’s sitting position. As long as your pup doesn’t sit like this every day, it’s not a problem. You also need to ensure they are not sitting strangely because they are dealing with an underlying illness or injury.
References And Further Reading
Wag – Why Do Some Dogs Sit Like Humans?