Top 6 Reasons Why Australian Shepherds Sploot + Dangers

Pawscessories is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Learn more.

Australian shepherds can do some funny, odd things from time to time and splooting is definitely one of them. Is it normal for australian shepherds to sploot or are they trying to tell you something?

Why Do Australian Shepherds Sploot:

Australian shepherds will sploot because they find it a comfortable position to relax in. They may also do it because they’ve noticed you give them a lot of attention when they sploot. It’s more common when australian shepherds are puppies but some continue to do it throughout their entire lives.

In this post you’ll discover:

The top 6 reasons why australian shepherds sploot
All the different kinds of splooting australian shepherds do
4 potential dangers of what it means or what could happen from your australian shepherd splooting too much
And much more

Let’s jump right in.

What is Splooting?

When your australian shepherd lays flat out on their stomach with their legs sticking out behind them, that’s splooting.

Why so many people find it so amusing to see their aussie sploot is because normally dogs lie down with their back legs tucked underneath them.

So when they lie down like a person with their legs extended, it’s quite funny to see.

It’s mostly only done by australian shepherd puppies but if they learn to really love it you can see them continue to sploot as they get older.

We’ll get into the dangers of this later on.

Truthfully, ‘splooting’ is a completely made up term that caught on when people first started noticing their dog laying like this.

Some other ways people describe their pup lying down like this are:

Frog doggin’
Dog froggin’
Flying superman
Frogging
Pancake flop

6 Reasons Why Australian Shepherds Sploot

1) Enjoying a Nice Stretch

When your australian shepherd sploots, it’s basically to give themselves a good stretch.

This is your dog’s way of doing the same thing you do after you’ve been sitting for a long time and want to get up and do a full body stretch.

Your body gets stiff from staying still for so long which makes you enjoy a good stretch once you stand up.

Similarly, when your dog lies down, their legs are normally tucked underneath their body, so the occasional or frequent sploot helps to stretch out their legs.

It’s an easy way for them to increase their leg mobility.

2) Taking Advantage Of Being Young & Flexible

A sploot is a sign that your dog is young and flexible.

When they’re young, it’s much easier to be able to stretch out like this because their joints are more pliable and easy to move around.

As your australian shepherd gets older, it becomes harder for their body to be able to do such things.

That’s why older dogs tend to lay down with their legs tucked underneath them.

Unless they have hip problems which can result in splooting at an older age.

3) Put Simply: It’s Comfortable

For some aussies, splooting is just plain comfortable.

It’s an easy way for them to lay down and get comfortable with their surroundings.

Some dogs sploot simply because it’s more comfortable than laying with their legs tucked underneath them.

It’s a way for them to feel relaxed.

Just like how you likely have a favorite way to lay in bed for maximum comfort, your aussie’s splooting is one of their most enjoyed relaxing positions.

4) To Help Cool Themselves Down

When it’s a hot summer’s day and your australian shepherd needs help cooling down they may sploot on a tiled floor to cool down their belly.

Standing in the shade can be a nice way to cool down, but it doesn’t create the best cooling effect.

When your pup sploots on something cool like tile, hardwood or cement, their belly and the tops of their thighs will cool down quicker than if they were just standing in the shade.

This is why splooting on tile floors is a common behavior of aussies during warm months of the year.

5) Trying To Get Your Attention?

Sometimes splooting is your australian shepherd’s way of trying to get your attention.

And with splooting in particular, they’re basically lying down in a unique way that gets them noticed.

A sploot is your pup’s way of trying to say: “Hey! Hey! Look at me!”

This is especially common with younger dogs who sploot all the time.

They may have learned that lying down like this brings you over to them and gives them lots of attention.

It’s become a habit of theirs to sploot whenever they’re starting to feel deprived of your attention.

6) It’s a Learned Behavior

If your australian shepherd was hanging out with another dog and saw them sploot, they may be doing it more because they realized how comfortable it was!

Your pup may have learned that splooting is a great way for them to be calm and content too.

This is especially true if they’ve seen the other dog splooting and getting attention for doing it.

They want to copy what their buddies do so they can get that same reaction from you!

The 4 Types Of Aussie Splooting

Normal Sploot

The most typical sploot is when your dog lays down with their belly flat to the ground and their back legs stretched out behind them.

It’s just a regular sploot that can happen at any time, for no apparent reason.

However, it usually happens when they’re tired or just taking a break.

The Side Sploot

A side sploot is when your aussie lays down and stretches one or both of their back legs to the side.

It’s a sploot that changes the position of their body by twisting it sideways.

Their belly may not always touch the ground, but they will usually be laying on one side with their legs stretched out to the side.

This sploot often happens when your pup wants to stretch out but doesn’t feel like laying down with their belly to the ground.

The Upside Down Sploot

An upside down sploot happens when your australian shepherd lays down on their back with all four legs facing up.

This is just a fun sploot that they might do from time to time.

Your pup might get into this splooting position when they want attention, are excited by something in front of them, or to scratch their back.

The Half Sploot

This sploot is when your aussie lays down but only stretches one of their back legs out.

It’s a sploot that keeps one leg tucked in and warm and not fully stretched out like the typical sploot.

Your pup can get into this position when they’re sleeping or want to stretch without having to stretch all the way out.

It’s quite common to see a dog prefer one splooting technique over another.

4 Potential Dangers When Australian Shepherds Sploot

There’s a reason why mostly young pups and little dogs sploot.

It can be harmful to their hips and joints. Especially as they get older and stiffer.

However, if they get used to it as a puppy, they may run into problems performing it when they grow older.

1) Soothing a Skin Irritation

A sploot isn’t always because they like being in a comfortable position; it’s also possible that your australian shepherd has some sort of rash.

If your aussie is splooting all of the sudden when they didn’t used to, it’s a good idea to check their belly for any rashes or skin irritations.

If they have some sort of skin condition or dermatitis then splooting could be your dog’s way to soothe an itch.

2) Injured

When your aussie sploots, they’ll put a lot more weight than usual on their hip flexors and core muscles.

This can be dangerous because it could lead to sprains or overstretching of their joints.

As your pup gets older, they risk injuring their hips, muscles, or tendons when splooting.

They could also be splooting because of a cut/wound on their leg which makes them not want to lie directly on top of it.

3) Hip Dysplasia

Hip dysplasia usually strikes when an aussie gets older. It happens when the hip socket becomes deformed and it starts rubbing on the thigh bone.

If your dog is splooting but doesn’t seem to be in pain you should still mention it to your vet.

4) Possible Arthritis

If your aussie has to sploot every time they get tired because their hips are stiff, this could lead to arthritis development.

When your pup lies in this comfortable, but not very practical position, it can cause arthritic hip joints as they become older.

Frequently Asked Splooting Questions

Is Splooting Bad For Australian Shepherd Puppies?

No, splooting isn’t necessarily bad for your aussie pup.

But, if your splooted pup is in pain or the sploot position puts too much strain on their hips and joints, you should help them cut down on splooting.

Too much of a good thing can become a bad thing.

Which is why it’s best not to let them lie down like this too often. Every once and a while is perfectly fine though.