Frog Legs or Freak Legs?

32 Comments March 5, 2013 peacelovefoster

Johnnie does this really odd thing with her hind legs, something I’ve never seen a dog do before. She folds them under when she’s sitting up like she’s kneeling! I know many frog-leg-loving canines when they are lying down, but Johnnie folds her legs like this when she’s sitting. It’s one of the strangest thing I’ve ever seen! It sometimes seems like it’s even more comfortable to her than sitting “normally.” Does anyone else’s dog sit like this?

It’s gotten to the point where when she does it randomly, often times with only one leg, I ask her, “Why you taking a knee, Johnnie girl?” (We all talk to our dogs, let’s be honest.)

One perk to this weird sitting habit is easy access to muddy paws for cleaning purposes!

She is such a goofball, and it always makes us laugh. . . which is a hint to tomorrow’s Why You Want Me Wednesday! See you guys then!

To add your own little knee-sitting Johnnie Cash to your family, email peacelovefoster@gmail.com.

32 thoughts on “Frog Legs or Freak Legs?”

Hannah k.

How funny! Unfortunately, we don’t have any froglegs in the house, but Tess does “take a knee” on occasions, but I’ve never seen a dog “kneel.” Too cute!

March 5, 2013 at 7:25 am Reply
Karen Wagner

That is hilarious! I don’t have a dog but know many people that do and have never seen a pup sit like that! So funny!LOL Have a great day! xoxo

March 5, 2013 at 7:47 am Reply
Queen of Zoom

Nope, we have frog legs here, and a number of sloppy sit versions, but nothing like that! :)

March 5, 2013 at 8:14 am Reply
Foster Dad

She thinks she is a football player taking a knee. Maybe we should start calling her Johnny U

March 5, 2013 at 8:58 am Reply
- nevie b.
  
  foster dad for the win comment
  
  March 5, 2013 at 9:44 am Reply
ilovecats

Aww. A friend of mine had a dog that sat like that but he had hip surgery after being hit by a car. I has no idea dogs could sit like that naturally.

March 5, 2013 at 9:08 am Reply
Amy Jo

My pittie girl does the frog legs and she also sits exactly like this too! I found that she started doing it after she injured her ACL and I always just assumed it was more comfortable for her. She does it so much that I didn’t even realize it was a rare thing.

March 5, 2013 at 9:25 am Reply
- Hillary
  
  I have a 15 month old bully who just recently started sitting like this (with both legs and sometimes with just his left) and is in so much pain when not on medication. One vet said from the xrays that it was hip displaysia, but I am almost certain it was from an injury. How did your girl recover from her ACL injury?
  
  June 11, 2015 at 2:34 pm Reply
  - Hillary
    
    The previous post is old but thought I’d give an update since I never did. Not long after I first commented, my bully that used to sit like this eventually became paralyzed in the hind legs and was mentally not himself anymore. This all happened in about 2 months. He was in pain and he just wasn’t there in his head. He would stand and face the wall with his head against it and not move at all. During his last week, he could not walk, only drag his back legs and he would use the restroom on himself. We ran so many tests and tried steroids but nothing worked. I ended up having to put him to sleep on July 16, 2015. I haven’t heard of any other cases that ended like this but I just wanted to share. I have no pictures of how he sat because I couldn’t bare looking at the bad ones once he was gone.
    
    October 2, 2018 at 2:01 pm
  - Beeker
    
    So sorry for your puppy’s loss. :( When your dog was going through this, did you ever originally think UTI? Our 15 week old puppy just started sitting “back legs sploot with front part of his body normal upward sit.” Additionally she is wanting to go outside and pee every 30 minutes and when she goes…she goes like 5 times (or appears to) instead of what she used to do…1 long pee squat. We thought UTI but testing is negative. Also…all blood work was normal. She’s on an anti-inflammatory right now….which h has made her a bit more playful…but she’s still not the same.
    
    Did they figure out what caused the paralysis? Which heartworm meds was your dog on? Heartguard? Simparico Trio? Etc? Thank you.
    
    September 11, 2022 at 4:05 pm
Harper Kubicek

I’ve never seen that before! She’s just practicing her yoga positions :)

March 5, 2013 at 9:58 am Reply
Andrea Joy

Beau does this! He gets down in that position when he’s standing and we give him a good butt scratch. I think I also have a photo on instagram of him doing the one-legged version. I’ll tag you so you can see it. You’re not alone, Johnnie! Too funny.

March 5, 2013 at 10:00 am Reply
And Foster Makes 5

Our dogs do the frog leg lay down, but not the frog leg sit! Not to be a worry wart, but do you think there’s anything causing her discomfort, that would make her lay like that? It’s super-adorable, however!

March 5, 2013 at 10:26 am Reply
- peacelovefoster
  
  Yeah, I’ve definitely thought about it. She still runs/jumps/bounces/usually sits normally though, so I’m not sure what to look for!
  
  March 5, 2013 at 10:44 am Reply
Mr. and Mrs. and Nola Kisses

So cute. Laynie had pittie frog legs, but she never did the kneeling position. :)

March 5, 2013 at 12:31 pm Reply
Will and Eko

Just when I thought I’d seen it all. Eko used to do frog legs as a young pup when he would lay down, but I have never seen a dog kneeling. Guess I can cross that one off the list! I would maybe ask the vet if there is any reason why sitting normally might cause her discomfort. Or it could just be that she’s unique!

March 5, 2013 at 2:14 pm Reply
kat

my little foster, now in her forever home, does the same thing. I never saw another dog do this before.

March 5, 2013 at 3:41 pm Reply
The Rufus Way

Oh my gosh, Teeny did that too! It is quite possible that they were seperated at birth.

March 5, 2013 at 7:14 pm Reply
Emily @ Our Waldo Bungie

Weirdest. Thing. Ever. But of course, she totally makes it look adorable!

March 6, 2013 at 5:05 pm Reply
jamiebury

I fostered a Rottweiler who use to sit like that. We brought her to the vet and she had severe hip dysplagia in both hips and he felt that was the reason why she was sitting like that. She no longer sat that way after having surgery done. Hopefully that’s not the case with Johnny!

March 7, 2013 at 11:41 am Reply
- peacelovefoster
  
  CRAP haha but thanks for letting me know :-( I’ll talk to the shelter about getting it looked at!
  
  March 7, 2013 at 11:44 am Reply
tonja

Our pittie sits like this all the time so I was curious about it and found your post on a search. It’s super cute, but sounds like it may or may not indicate a problem for later. Glad to see she’s not the only one though…it’s baffling to all the dog people we’ve asked! Thanks!

September 10, 2013 at 2:36 am Reply
Lynn

My border collie also sits like a frog! If you google “Pollywog Frog Dog” you can see some pictures of her, including two of her sittting and a bit of her history including how she got her name and the results of x-rays that were taken to see if she had hip displasia. Your post is my first other “sitting frog dog” that I have come across in the 4 years we’ve had her. Polly lays in lots of very flexible positions, our little “yogi”.

January 10, 2014 at 1:05 am Reply
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Floyd Bailey

Our Sweet Red Pit sits that way too… She is hilarious and looks just like Johnnie Cash. I saw another Red on Pit Bulls and Parolees sitting that way. They did not mention it, but she was definitely sitting on her knees. I have another Pit that is blue but he never has sat that way… She definitely prefers to sit that way… She jumps like a Cat and runs like the wind… so I do not think there is anything wrong with her hips. She is just over a year old.

February 28, 2015 at 5:38 pm Reply
Sheena

My 7 mo old pittie sits the same way. I had her hips x-rayed at 4 months and the vet said there was nothing wrong. Curious if you had the shelter ever look into Johnnie’s silly sit?

March 18, 2015 at 7:33 pm Reply
Pattihopkins

My girl sits like this all the time never did she sit any other way I have been trying to find other dogs that’s it this way I’m so glad I finally seen this picture if I could figure out how to post a picture I would do it

October 2, 2018 at 9:58 am Reply
Karen Byrne

My Staffordshire Terrier turned 1 yesterday and she has always keeled liked that on one or both knees. She seems happy, healthy and in very good physical shape. She is a fast runner, plays ball, jumps over creeks, runs along with me bicycle riding and loves to stand tall on her hind legs and pretend ” I am a bear”. I will be keeping an eye out for any pain or abnormalities as she matures. She is such a delight!

August 3, 2019 at 11:21 am Reply
raven

My dog does the same thing. Never have seen another dog do this. She is pointer, pit, and cattle mix. She almost looks odd when she sits normal.

January 5, 2020 at 11:10 am Reply
Cynthia Marks

I have a jack Russell about a yr and a half old and he started sitting like this about 9 10 months ago and idk why he does both legs and sometimes just one does this mean he’s in pain or injured? I doubt he has hip problems he’s still very young but I did get him from people who looked like they didn’t take care of him

October 30, 2020 at 1:09 pm Reply
Gina Gray

My girl Blue kneels also. Strange as hell.

November 17, 2020 at 5:20 am Reply
Sheryl Maiorano

My yorkie has done this since the day I got him at 9 weeks.

I have a yr old great dane that also sits like this

June 7, 2022 at 1:29 pm Reply