Laying Down Funny

[Chula]

This might be a stupid question. Lately when Chula goes into lay down position she sort of twists her back half so that her feet aren't under her. She starts with a normal lay down but almost immediately shifts so that she doesn't have to lay on her own back feet.

And of course I wonder if this means something in her gut is bothering her when her feet mash up against it.

Does your dog "lay down" with feet under?

[Druid_Ian]

just looked at both our dogs neither have back legs under them, Meishka the Akita even sits strangely, so i dont think its a problem

[Chula]

I noticed in a lot of pictures that huskies sit funny. I see Chula sitting funny sometimes too. It's like their limbs are the wrong length for their bodies to "sit".

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

Mine always lie like that it's more comfy for them I think

[jmscott]

Dogs are just like people. Sometimes they will just sit down whichever way they feel comfortable, even if it doesn't promote good "posture" lol.

[Chula]

I know its a silly question and I'm sure a more experienced dog owner wouldnt bat an eye. I'm just hyper sensitive to changes in her because of her previous dietary indiscretions.

[Elyse]

Yep - mine sometimes does that too. Sounds normal - don't worry about it!

[Chula]

When she had the obstruction/torsion. she would have trouble getting comfy. A lot of sitting and then readjustment of position. I hope someday I can relax and not assume she's always got something jammed in her intestines.

[Bambi92]

Sasha and Dozer do that too Sashas starting sitting like Dozer with her legs out the side like she's sitting on her hip sort of lol. They find strange positions comfortable lol

[Stormy]

It is normal. All this panicking is not going to do you or her any good

[Chula]

I'm not panicked. I'm asking questions because I don't know what is normal. Getting answers helps me feel less anxious. When you've seen your puppy more or less comatose from pain at 15 weeks its hard not to notice when things change. Particularly since she won't stop eating things on walks. She finds them and has them in her mouth and swallowed before I can even say leave it. She is truly a challenge.

I'm at the point where I dont know what to do but muzzle her outside. She's always on a short leash but since I'm supposedly not supposed to walk her on cement because its bad for her joints, we walk on grass and grass hides things. She knows the commands, she knows she's not supposed to eat these things, but she does it anyway.

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

I'm not panicked. I'm asking questions because I don't know what is normal. Getting answers helps me feel less anxious. When you've seen your puppy more or less comatose from pain at 15 weeks its hard not to notice when things change. Particularly since she won't stop eating things on walks. She finds them and has them in her mouth and swallowed before I can even say leave it. She is truly a challenge.

I'm at the point where I dont know what to do but muzzle her outside. She's always on a short leash but since I'm supposedly not supposed to walk her on cement because its bad for her joints, we walk on grass and grass hides things. She knows the commands, she knows she's not supposed to eat these things, but she does it anyway.

walking on cement wont hurt so long as shes getting to walk on some grass during her walks , if she wont leave stuff on walks i would look at getting her a baskerville muzzle

[Stormy]

I'm not panicked. I'm asking questions because I don't know what is normal. Getting answers helps me feel less anxious. When you've seen your puppy more or less comatose from pain at 15 weeks its hard not to notice when things change. Particularly since she won't stop eating things on walks. She finds them and has them in her mouth and swallowed before I can even say leave it. She is truly a challenge.

I'm at the point where I dont know what to do but muzzle her outside. She's always on a short leash but since I'm supposedly not supposed to walk her on cement because its bad for her joints, we walk on grass and grass hides things. She knows the commands, she knows she's not supposed to eat these things, but she does it anyway.

Yes my male was exactly the same and also was so ill from swallowing some massive toy thing he found somewhere. All i am saying is if you panick at everything you will end up worried all the time and not enjoy her for the puppy she is. Its a bit like kids to they get up to mischief but you cant wrap them in cotton wool it is not good for them. Also yes she may know she should not eat these things etc etc but she is a puppy! She is so young still dont put to much on her is all im saying

[Chula]

I wish I didn't worry, but I'm not sure there is a way to stop that short of drugs! I really don't think I'm panicked though, just very cautious.

 

She will leave some things on walks - wood, sticks, pine cones, flowers, big pieces of plastic, etc so I know she KNOWS the command. But lord help us if she finds a piece of paper or tissue or cloth. I don't know what her obsession is with those things. If it was just being naughty I wouldn't be as concerned about it, but it's not just being naughty, it's putting her health/life at risk. It didn't help that my vet told me they almost never do just one abdominal surgery on a dog - that if a dog has that tendency, they will probably always have it. She pooped out something non-foodish this morning, like stuffing to something. Sigh. At least it is coming out. I've started giving her a greenies pill pocket after she eats something she isn't supposed to because it has glycerin in it and I hope it helps stuff slide through better.

[Stormy]

Yeah Shadow is still a nightmare for eating things if he finds any food even in wrappers he will eat it and wont chew it normally to. He used to try and eat stones as a puppy or infact anything tbh lol he still picks up tissue paper etc but just wrips it up now rather than eating it like he used to. On walks shadow is ALWAYS looking for things he can eat on the floor makes it hard around here as its litter central!! I just watch him at all times. Skye is the opposite unless its anything dead like birds or rabbits laying about... hmm lol

[CARRINGTON]

Balto lays like that. Even though he is forced to lay so he can do puppy push ups in puppy class as soon as he does it his feet go to the side.

[Removed #5]

Back to the original question.  When mine are "laying at attention" they have their feet under them and normally have their heads up.  When they're in relax mode, they do what you describe and have their back feet kicked out to one side and their heads down on their front paws.  When it's crash time, they're normally down on their sides unless it's cool, in which case they curl up.

 

Believe me, I understand the anxiety.  When Sasha had blood in her feces and was really down for a week to ten days or so, I was more than a little anxious and when she perked up I still watched her for a while to make sure everything was okay.  Em,I've noticed what Stormy was commenting on - while you preface your questions as curiosity for some reason they come across as "Panic mode", I've learned to read them differently and can tell the difference between your curiosity and anxiety --- and no, don't ask me what the difference is.

[CARRINGTON]

Yeah Shadow is still a nightmare for eating things if he finds any food even in wrappers he will eat it and wont chew it normally to. He used to try and eat stones as a puppy or infact anything tbh lol he still picks up tissue paper etc but just wrips it up now rather than eating it like he used to. On walks shadow is ALWAYS looking for things he can eat on the floor makes it hard around here as its litter central!! I just watch him at all times. Skye is the opposite unless its anything dead like birds or rabbits laying about... hmm lol

Balto is like shadow, when we go for walks he is all up in the litter and since where I live is a college town there are alcohol bottles and fast food everywhere and for some reason Balto seems to always go for the alcohol bottles

[Stormy]

Balto is like shadow, when we go for walks he is all up in the litter and since where I live is a college town there are alcohol bottles and fast food everywhere and for some reason Balto seems to always go for the alcohol bottles

Oh dear, he wont go after alcohol bottles but he goes after ALL food. He luckily nowadays has a bullet proof stomach but i do try my best to keep him from eating anything as you never know whats in things!!!

 

Here is how Skye lays any the same?

[Chula]

I hope y'all never really see me panic then! This is nothing. I really do have an anxiety disorder, so it's not just something I can control by someone telling me not to be anxious. I have anxiety meds, but I don't need to be popping Xanax on a regular basis. 

 

Also, to clarify - my OH is about the most laid back person in the world when it comes to stuff like this. He never thinks anything is wrong so I have to be the person who pays attention and notices because he just won't. If I had taken his advice/direction when she actually had a problem, she would probably have died, or at least had a much more painful experience. So I can't ask him if he thinks things are normal because he just gets annoyed and rolls his eyes and we end up arguing because I hate being dismissed when I am being sincere. The good thing about a forum is if my questions are annoying, people can choose not to read or answer! This is really the only place I have to take my questions. Remember that I am a first time dog owner who was told by her OH that he was awesome at raising dogs - unfortunately he's never home so I have to do it and I'm truly a fish out of water, but I am trying my best. Really, really trying to the point of exhaustion because I have NO life outside of the dog and work and cleaning/cooking/laundry.

 

As for garbage - we live in a large townhouse community (for 10 more days!) and people put their garbage out behind their enclosed patios. Squirrels, raccoon,  feral cats, who knows what else, knock over the bins and drag garbage out, so there is A LOT of garbage for her to get into. I cannot wait until we don't live there anymore. 

[LittleLuka]

yeah Luka lays like that all the time and sits weird. silly huskies...

[Chula]

Hahahaha! I love the pics of her laying on her back. So cute. Yes, she lays like the first picture. I only asked because she starts in a more sphinx like position, but adjusts because she's not comfortable, and she did a lot of adjusting when she got sick.

[Stormy]

I hope y'all never really see me panic then! This is nothing. I really do have an anxiety disorder, so it's not just something I can control by someone telling me not to be anxious. I have anxiety meds, but I don't need to be popping Xanax on a regular basis. 

 

Also, to clarify - my OH is about the most laid back person in the world when it comes to stuff like this. He never thinks anything is wrong so I have to be the person who pays attention and notices because he just won't. If I had taken his advice/direction when she actually had a problem, she would probably have died, or at least had a much more painful experience. So I can't ask him if he thinks things are normal because he just gets annoyed and rolls his eyes and we end up arguing because I hate being dismissed when I am being sincere. The good thing about a forum is if my questions are annoying, people can choose not to read or answer! This is really the only place I have to take my questions. Remember that I am a first time dog owner who was told by her OH that he was awesome at raising dogs - unfortunately he's never home so I have to do it and I'm truly a fish out of water, but I am trying my best. Really, really trying to the point of exhaustion because I have NO life outside of the dog and work and cleaning/cooking/laundry.

 

As for garbage - we live in a large townhouse community (for 10 more days!) and people put their garbage out behind their enclosed patios. Squirrels, raccoon,  feral cats, who knows what else, knock over the bins and drag garbage out, so there is A LOT of garbage for her to get into. I cannot wait until we don't live there anymore. 

Im not having a go at you atall please dont see my comments like that I just didn't want you to panick everytime something happens im not saying dont ask atall It is what we are here for !! 

[CARRINGTON]

Hahahaha! I love the pics of her laying on her back. So cute. Yes, she lays like the first picture. I only asked because she starts in a more sphinx like position, but adjusts because she's not comfortable, and she did a lot of adjusting when she got sick.

Yes the sphinx position is the position that Balto has to lay in for puppy class and he will lay like that but as soon as he gets the treat and sometimes not even then he kicks his legs out from under him. I think it is normal behavior, but you can always push on her belly and if she yelps or seems very uncomfortable then it is a good idea to call your vet and ask what you should do (I think my vet knows my name by heart and possibly what day of the week I am going to call with questions).

[Chula]

Yes the sphinx position is the position that Balto has to lay in for puppy class and he will lay like that but as soon as he gets the treat and sometimes not even then he kicks his legs out from under him. I think it is normal behavior, but you can always push on her belly and if she yelps or seems very uncomfortable then it is a good idea to call your vet and ask what you should do (I think my vet knows my name by heart and possibly what day of the week I am going to call with questions).

 

 LoL! Yeah, instead of calling my vet, I come here, because I'm pretty sure y'all know more about dog behavior than she does!