Why is my dog doing the downward dog pose so often? Should I worry?

Question

Turbo does the downward dog/praying position sometimes when he’s nervous. A few weeks ago he started doing it more often and seemed to be in a bit of a slump for an hour or so. Since then his behavior, eating, and bowel movements have been normal but he has been doing that pose more often now. Even jumps off the bed in the morning to do it I don’t know how concerned I should be, help! Pet's info: Dog | Yorkshire Terrier | Male | neutered | 2 years and 11 months old | 6.8 lbs

Dr. Elizabeth · Accepted Answer

Hello and thank you for your questions about Turbo. This is one of those scenarios where if he could only talk things would be easier! It's possible there is a medical cause such as a sore back or pain in the abdomen (perhaps from gas??). This could also be behavioral. If you give him positive reinforcement for the behavior or he sees that you like it, he may continue to do it. Unfortunately there is not a great way to know what is the actual cause without visiting the veterinarian who can palpate his spine and abdomen for any obvious causes. I recommend to set up an appointment. You may try a week of probiotics to see if that changes anything. This may help if it is gas in nature. A good brand is Purina FortiFlora. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions. I hope it gets figured out quickly!

Why is my dog doing the downward dog pose so often? Should I worry?

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