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POSTURE 101
FITNESS FUNDAMENTALS
Good posture in a sit, down, and stand is the foundation of everything else. If you know what to look for here, you'll know what to look for in every exercise that follows.
WHY POSTURE MATTERS
Every movement your dog makes starts from a position, and if that starting position is off, everything downstream is affected. A sloppy sit or down applies uneven forces to joints that shouldn't have to work that hard just to stand up. Over time, poor posture can lead to incorrect muscle activation, imbalances, reduced performance, and increased injury risk. In working and sporting dogs especially, this can lead to time on crate rest, longer rehab, or shortened careers.
Good posture isn't just for show dogs. It's how you protect your dog's joints, build the right muscles, and make sure they're performing at their full potential.
WHY DOGS SIT SLOPPY
Most of the time, a sloppy sit, down, or unbalanced stand is simply a sign of weak hindquarter and core musculature. If a dog has never been asked to hold a square position, they default to whatever is easiest, the same way we slouch at a desk without thinking about it.
Occasionally, sloppy posture has a physical cause, pain, altered range of motion, or conformational difference that makes certain positions difficult or painful. If your dog suddenly starts sitting differently when they normally don't, that's worth a veterinary conversation.
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Never force a position. If your dog is unable or unwilling to achieve correct posture, don't push them into it. A sports medicine vet or certified canine rehabilitation professional can assess what's actually going on and build a plan that's right for your dog.
WHAT CORRECT POSTURE LOOKS LIKE
POSITION 1
SIT
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Front legs under shoulders and nearly perpendicular to the floor
Hips level and rocked forward with core engaged
Toes pointed forward, hocks and knees aligned from both front and side view
Knees directly over or slightly behind toes
Symmetrical positioning on both sides
Neutral spine and neutral head position
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POSITION 2
DOWN
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Hips square; not rolled to one side
Knees directly over or slightly behind toes
Elbows tucked in under shoulders; not splayed out to the side
Neutral spine — no rounding or kyphosis
Head parallel to the spine
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POSITION 3
STAND
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Front legs and hocks parallel to each other, perpendicular to the ground
Weight distribution approximately 60% front, 40% hind
Even weight distribution across both front feet and both hind feet
Topline flat with neutral head position
Hip position symmetrical
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CORRECTING POSTURE
FLOORING
Work on non-slip surfaces — carpet, grass, dirt, platforms. Slippery floors make it nearly impossible to hold correct position.
SMALLER SURFACE
Use a surface or just wider than your dog's hocks so they have no choice but to keep their legs close. Objects on either side, like sitting between cinder blocks, work too.
REWARD PLACEMENT
Too close and they'll rock back; too far and they'll lean forward. Lure just enough forward and up to extend the spine and bring knees over toes.
SEPARATE CUES
Use "down" for a posture down and "settle" for relaxed lounging so your dog knows what's being asked each time.
Conformation matters. Some dogs, especially those with longer backs than legs, will always have some spinal curvature in a sit or down. That's not a training failure, it's anatomy. Raising their front feet on a platform can help. A fitness or sports medicine professional can tell you what's realistic for your dog's build.
Consistency is everything. Every time you ask for a sit or down, whether it's at the start of a training session or waiting at a doorway, reinforce correct posture. It won't happen overnight, but it will happen. At first, a few seconds of good posture is a win. Build endurance slowly, adding a second or two at a time. The foundation you build here will show up in every exercise that follows.