Pembroke Welsh Corgis have broken the internet once again with their adorable butts. But this time, it’s with a stretch called the “sploot.” What is splooting and why do dogs like to sploot? Is it safe? And do only corgis sploot? You are about to learn more about dog stretches than you ever imagined.
What Is A Sploot?
According to the newest Urban Dictionary, it is a type of stretch with a dog’s hind legs straight out behind them. It might be brief, and some dogs might do it for a long time. But it isn’t a new thing. Many dog owners called it turkey legs, drumsticks, or even frog legs until the internet named it. No matter what you call it, there’s no denying that it’s adorable.
Where did this name come from? Like most things in the modern age, the name sploot started on social media. It’s hard to pin down precisely who used it first. However, it’s widely accepted that it means a dog that is laid out “splat” and is “cute.” AKA, your dog is not sploot. But did you know that there is more than one way to sploot?
The Full Sploot
The first and most common splooting is when your dog stretches and even drags its belly across the ground using its front legs. In the process, they will kick their back legs out and pull them just a bit. And once your dog finds a good spot, it will rest in this position with back legs out, and front paws stretched.
Side Sploot
The next method of splooting is when your dog does the same stretching but doesn’t keep the legs straight. Instead, they kick their legs out to the sides. When your dog does this, they might keep both legs out or lay on one. This side sploot is a favorite among German Shepherds.
Half Sploot
And finally, your dog could stretch out their legs but decide to lay on one leg. So your dog will have one hind leg straight behind them, and the other disappears under their bodies. They are creating a cute and lopsided effect, so get your camera ready, dog lovers.
Why Do Dogs Sploot?
What is splooting and why do dogs like to sploot is a complicated question. We know that splooting is a good stretch, but why do they want to do it? One simple reason is that they like to do it.
To our furry friends, splooting is like our morning stretch right before getting out of bed in the morning. It feels great on our muscles, increases blood circulation, and increases energy. But could there be other reasons for doing it?
Hip Joints Stretch
Some dogs could have hip problems and will try to relieve pain by stretching. Doing this will bring blood flow to the area and temporarily relieve tension. It feels good, and your dog can relax more while doing it.
Body Temperature
On a hot day, you might see more dog sploots on cold surfaces. Grass, tile floors, and any other cool surface are free-game for splooting. These sploots will cool your dog’s stomach and keep them refreshed all summer. You might even try it to cool off.
Nursing Relief
For a nursing mother, splooting could give momma a break. Cool surfaces on the mother’s teats could relieve nursing pains. And it can prevent the puppies from nursing during weaning time.
Do All Dogs Sploot?
What is splooting and why do dogs like to sploot has you wondering, who else sploots? While the Corgi sploot is the most famous on Instagram, they don’t run a monopoly on it. All breeds of dog sploots at some point in their lives. Golden Retrievers, Pugs, French Bulldogs, and everything in between. Large and small breeds alike. And it’s not only dogs that do it. Cats sploot, dogs sploot, and even wild animals sploot. Squirrels, raccoons, bears, rabbits, and even pigs love to sploot. If you Google the sploot position, you will see all kinds of animals.
Do All Ages Of Dogs Sploot?
You might have noticed that your puppy used to sploot all the time. It made for adorable pictures and lots of laughs. But as your dog ages, they might stop doing it as much, especially in large breeds. Most of this is due to young dogs having a lot more flexibility. And as our dog’s age, they lose this ability. But smaller dogs sploot and may never stop splooting as long as they stay in good health.
Is Splooting A Cause For Concern?
It’s not a crime to get into a comfortable position. But if you notice your dog having problems, splooting could worsen them. If your dog has health conditions like canine hip dysplasia, arthritis, ataxia, or other injuries, splooting could make it worse. It’s also not a good idea to let your dog sploot after surgeries involving the stomach or groin area. This is because splooting stretches the hip joints to such an extent that older dogs might have problems getting back up.
If you notice your dog limping, showing signs of pain, or developing a rash, it might be best to stop splooting. But your dog isn’t oblivious to splooting being a problem, and you shouldn’t have to do anything to prevent it. And since it’s such a vulnerable position, you should never try to make your dog stop manually.
Instead, if you start to see your dog sploots in times where they shouldn’t, the best way to stop it is by redirection. Calling them over in calm ways to sit next to you is the best option. In this way, your dog won’t get too excited and stand up too quickly, causing more pain.
How To Keep Your Dog’s Joints Healthy
If you want to keep the sploots coming, you will want to care for your dog’s joints well. And here’s how to prevent a medical condition.
Weight Management
An overweight dog has a lot of pressure on the joints. The back, legs, hips, and feet are at higher risk of wear and tear in overweight dogs. So if you want to keep your dog in good health, keep them within their healthy weight zones. Ask your vet about the ideal weight for your dog’s breed and size to make sure to stay within the healthy zones.
Supplements
Another way you can support your dog’s joints is by giving them supplements. Things like Cosequin, fish oil, and glucosamine help support aging dog’s joints. But lubricating and strengthening the joints, your dog could sploot for the rest of his life. You can find these in treat form and most senior dog food. But these supplements can only do so much.
Exercise
And we all know that the pinnacle of all health is due to exercise. You can feed your dog the best food and giving them all the supplements in the world. But nothing works better than keeping your dog in great physical shape. Regular walks, play, and swimming will keep your dog in the best shape of its life.
Genetics
Finally, genetics play a massive part in how long your dog will sploot for. We mentioned that most large dogs don’t sploot for very long before they lose the ability. But some dog breeds are predisposed to joint issues that could affect splooting. Dogs that are prone to hip dysplasia, ataxia, or arthritis naturally won’t be capable of doing this stretch for long.
There is good news, though. If you get your puppy from a reputable breeder, they likely have tested for these diseases. So if your dog passed all of the joint checks, they will most likely sploot for longer.
Are There Other Stretches Dogs Can Do?
Let’s face it. Dogs just love to stretch. They will do it when they are happy, sad, sleepy, and first thing in the morning. And you can help your dog stretch as well. The dog massage business has boomed in the last 15 years, and you can learn to massage and stretch your dog at home.
Simple things like petting your dog, rubbing his ears, and scratching his tummy are great. But you can also help your dog stretch to stay limber, almost like dog yoga. And if you are trying to help your dog stretch in the same way as splooting, you can do rear legs stretches.
While your dog is standing, support it from under the chest with one hand. Then with the other, grab only one of your dog’s knees. Once your dog is relaxed, gently pull the dog’s back behind its tail. Repeat this a few times to loosen up the hip joints and muscles, and do the same for the other leg.
After practicing a few times, your senior dog will love this stretch. And you will love the bonding time and health benefits to your best friend.
And That’s Splooting
What is splooting and why do dogs like to sploot? It’s a comfortable and natural way for your dog to stretch. And if you get your camera out, we bet you could dedicate a whole Instagram to animals of all kinds splooting their cute butts. So move over Corgi lovers because we are going to redefine the sploot.
Below is a Pinterest-friendly photo…. so you can pin it to your Doodle Board!
