What is a Sploot? Why do dogs sploot?

There’s nothing cuter than a dog simply being their normal doggy selves. Dogs generally just have a derpy personality that simply endears them to us. But did you know that they can up this cuteness level by a huge factor by doing a simple pose? Well, if you haven’t heard of it yet, or haven’t spent too much time on the internet, let us introduce you to something called the sploot.

The sploot is a unique pose dogs do that has become so famous online that a relatively nonsensical term was made just for it. But what is the sploot? Why do dogs do it? Is it an indication of something going on with your dog’s overall health? Why is it so darn cute? We’ll look into this and more, so read on.

What is a Sploot?

Corgi sploot — credit: Reddit user batmanman1990

If you don’t hang out with corgis too often or aren’t the type to stare at cute dog photos on Reddit, then you’re probably scratching your head right now. Splooting, sometimes called the silly stretch or the frog legs, is a type of relaxed pose where the dog lies on its belly and its hind legs are splayed outwards lazily. This pose is certainly unique, because normally when a dog is lying down, its legs are tucked underneath their torso, rather than stretched out. The term sploot is pretty much a cutesy, onomatopoeic word invented for this uniquely cute pose.

Although the sploot is most common amongst corgis, other dog breeds do this as well, particularly ones with short, stubby legs, including bulldogs and pugs. Larger breeds are known to do the sploot from time to time as well, though puppies do this pose more often compared to adults. Other animals, including cats and in one documented case, a polar bear, are known to do the sploot, too.

Why do Dogs Sploot?

golden retriever sploot — credit: Reddit user theyseemescrollin1998

Despite it having such a unique name, splooting is a normal action for many animals, particularly dogs with flexible hips and legs. But why bother doing it at all, aside from giving you’re a really cute photo op with your pet? There are plenty of reasons why dogs sploot, and here are just a few of them:

They Need to Stay Cool

If it’s particularly hot outside, or if your dog has been running around recently, they may do the sploot as a way to cool themselves off. Dogs don’t sweat as humans do, so in order to cool off, they pant, but sometimes it’s not nearly enough to cool down quickly. This is why some dogs would prefer to press their bellies on the cold floor, and the sploot is perfect for this. The sploot allows them to touch as much of the cool floor as possible without their pesky legs getting in the way.

They Need a Good Stretch

Much like their human owners, pet dogs need a good stretch every once in a while. Because of the way a sploot is done, your dog is able to do an all-body stretch whenever they sploot, and on top of that, it’s also very comfortable and a great way for them to relax. Of course, if they’re in pain, dogs might want to sploot in order to relieve pressure from their joints.

They’re Probably Just Young and Flexible

puppy sploot — credit: reddit user kidnamedkid

Dogs sploot more frequently when they’re younger, simply because their hips and legs are more flexible during their early years. When they’re young, doing a sploot can also help strengthen their hip flexors, allowing them to avoid certain age-related problems when they become much older. If you really want to help your pet out, you can help them stretch out while they’re splooting, to strengthen their hips and legs further.

Different Kinds of Splooting

Splooting is very unique in that certain dogs can tweak it based on their preferences. Some dogs are just not as flexible as others, or they want to stretch out one part of their body more than the other. There’s also a couple of variations to the famous sploot, and here they are:

The Full Sploot, or the Classic Sploot

cute sploot — credit: Reddit user generalreposti_bot

This one is the most well-documented kind of sploot and is what the term was actually made for. The full sploot is characterized by the dog having both its hind legs stretched out completely behind them. This provides the most surface area on their torso when they want to cool off and has the biggest amount of stretch for their entire body.

The Half Sploot

The half sploot is a sploot where one hind leg is stretched out, while the other is kept underneath the torso. It’s generally a good alternative for older dogs who still want to sploot but is not as flexible as they used to.

The Side Sploot

Not to be confused with the half sploot, the side sploot involves one leg stretched out, while the other is tucked inside their body. Unlike the half sploot, however, the side sploot involves the dog’s hips touching the ground as well. This is usually a transition pose between the sploot and lying down on their side.

The Back Sploot

Is Splooting a Symptom of Hip Dysplasia?

Although splooting is a cute display that can be posted online for people to appreciate, it can be a sign of something more sinister going on with the animal. Splooting itself can be uncomfortable for dogs that aren’t flexible enough to do it, since it involves moving their legs and hips at certain angles that it normally won’t. Think of someone doing the splits. It might look uncomfortable to the average person, but if someone has been doing it for a while and they’re flexible enough, it can be done without damage.

That said, if your dog suddenly does the sploot when it usually doesn’t, then you might want to take your dog to the vet. They might have hip dysplasia. Canine hip dysplasia happens when the dog’s leg bones would no longer fit into the hip bones. Splooting itself isn’t a cause of hip dysplasia, but rather a symptom of it. It is usually genetic, though a number of environmental factors could contribute to it. If you think your dog has hip dysplasia, it’s best to have a professional look at it.

When Splooting Becomes a Symptom

Aside from hip dysplasia, a dog might also start splooting if it’s suffering from an injury, or if it’s old enough, it might also be suffering from arthritis. If your dog does splooting naturally, it’s nothing more than a cute pose, but when you notice your dog having problems alongside splooting, then you might have a health problem in your hands.

The trick to spotting symptoms early is by simply being as observant as you can. If you notice your dog doing things it doesn’t normally do, then chances are, there’s something wrong. Here are just a few things to look out for if the sploot your dog does is a sign of something bad:

Limping

If your dog suddenly finds it difficult to walk around, or has started walking with a limp, then it probably has hip problems. A dog who can’t put weight on their hips won’t be able to walk well and would rather just lay down most of the time. If your pet does have hip dysplasia, it’ll try to relieve the pressure on its hip by doing a sploot, and while it’s walking, it’ll keep that affected leg raised, hence the limp.

Decreased Activity

A normally energetic dog that suddenly decides to lay down all day every day might be a sign that it’s not having a good time while moving around. Again, this can be a sign of hip dysplasia, but also arthritis or some other leg or hip injury, like a torn ligament on one of its hind legs.

Decreased Appetite

Another sign of a healthy animal is a good, healthy appetite. If your normally food-motivated dog has decided to stop eating as much or has decided to sploot right where the food is, but doesn’t actually touch its dog bowl, then it might be having digestive or tooth problems.

Rashes or Inflammation

Rashes or certain skin allergies can feel hot for some dogs, and they may try to cool themselves up by simply splooting. As we’ve mentioned before, splooting allows as much of the dog’s belly to touch the cold floor, giving them the chance to cool down much faster. If your dog is not the flexible type or doesn’t like to sploot beforehand and it suddenly starts splooting, check its skin. If you notice any allergies or rashes, then you should have your dog checked.

Inflammation could also make your dog feel warm, particularly in the area where it’s injured, so it’ll also try to put that body part on somewhere much cooler. Usually, that means the floor.