Strange sudden sitting?

[SkellysPet]

Hi everyone, 

Our lovely grey Skelly is 5 years old and for the past 2 days she has been sitting! We find it very curious as she's never just sat down before unless she had an itch to get to and we haven't trained her how to sit (we taught her how to lie down though). But all of a sudden she will be mooching around the flat and take a little sit down to watch us cooking or working and start back up again. Everything else in her behaviour is fine but we're curious to know if anyone else has experienced this before? 

[greysmom]

Sounds like somebody taught herself that sitting is fun!  

Dogs aren't static behaviorally.  They mature and change over time, just like other intelligent creatures.  Studies have shown they have the intelligence of about a 3 year old toddler, so they are plenty capable of figuring things out and doing new things.

The only thing you may want to keep an eye on is if she is suddenly doing this because of a physical change - some arthritis in her back or hips, hind end weakness, some sort of soft tissue issue in her legs.  At 5 years old she's not old, but there could definitely be changes beginning to show.

[Scoutsmom]

My girl, Tess, taught herself to sit when she was 8.  We spent some time at a house with a ramp going up to the back door near where we people sat and talked.  One day I glanced over to her and saw she was sitting!  evidently having her rump higher than her front made it more comfortable.  She continued doing it more and more often, then moved to doing it on the grass.  Now she does it everywhere whenever she feels like it.  I've tried to get her to do it on command but she isn't interested.

[SkellysPet]

It's the strangest thing! We've had her for a little less than 6 months now and we weren't sure if it was a new silly side of her personality we hadn't seen before. She does it on the sofa (the wrong way around as well facing the back wall haha) and on her bed. 

Fingers crossed it's just one of her funny quirks/a new trick and nothing more sinister! 

[Feefee147]

Haha yes! Mine too, but it took a while. He doesn't do it a great deal, he's too lazy for that and would rather be lying down :-) 

I read somewhere that if you have an ex racer their bottom and back muscles start to relax and so they can physically sit, whereas before when newly retired they couldn't.  But I don't know how true that is. 

It's a bizarre sight, isn't it! 

[HeyRunDog]

The only time Grace sits is so she can look out of the back window of the car. Goodness knows what the driver behind thinks when he sees a greyhound's head suddenly appear looking straight at him.

[Gatorade]

That is so interesting! I'm assuming she seems to enjoy it? I once had a trainer convinced she could teach my grey Gator how to sit. She failed. Good for Skelly!

[SkellysPet]

Haha! I love these stories of silly sitters. 

Really interesting about their back legs become less tight - definitely makes sense! 

I managed to be quick enough to take a picture of her latest sitdown to share. I do think Skelly looks quite pleased with herself

[cleptogrey]

Also check out the tail position. Tucked under as not to propell them when it's out straight behind. 

[SkellysPet]

8 hours ago, cleptogrey said:

Also check out the tail position. Tucked under as not to propell them when it's out straight behind. 

Unfortunately when we got Skelly her tail was amputated (we were told by the shelter she broke it during her racing days). But she definitely got what little she has left of it tucked in when she's sitting

[GreyhndHomecare]

Lily sits the regular way (kind of a perch/hover), and "side-saddle," as well.