We’ve all seen hilarious videos of dogs getting up on their hind legs or even engaging in a whole dance with their owner.

Your dog may also display this behavior from time to time and you’ve asked yourself why he does this.

Even if you never taught your dog to stand on its hind legs, it may still do so with you or other dogs.

Standing on your hind legs is a way of communicating with you, and for mostly harmless reasons.

However, you may notice that the dogs were not intended to walk or stand on two legs and that this behavior carries some risk when done involuntarily.

Many tutorials on the internet show you how to teach your dog this trick but this may not be the best idea.

Why do dogs stand on their hind legs?
Dogs can stand on their hind legs for various reasons including attention, affection, fun, or if you have (accidentally) reinforced the behavior in the past.

Different situations are part of a dog’s communication suite and can send a variety of signals.

This is also true for rearing on the hind legs.

Besides barking, there is probably nothing that captures your attention more than a dog on two legs.

This could mean your dog is asking for a pet, a walk, a treat, or whatever else he desires.

We’re also quite tall beings compared to our dogs, so it’s a way of getting close to our faces.

If excess energy is involved, your dog may stand up or jump out of pure excitement.

This usually happens when you come home or when your dog is expecting to throw the ball.

Many dogs also stand on their hind legs just to show you affection.

However, this often happens between dogs and they can appear to be wrestling or dancing with each other.

If you have danced with your dog in the past, he may try to engage you in the activity.

In general, all behaviors that have been reinforced in the past will happen again.

So if you pay attention to your dog’s needs while he’s standing on his hind legs, this will reinforce the behavior and your dog may communicate his demands in the same way in the future.

If you or your family members laugh at any time your dog walks his silly hind leg, he will also be more inclined to do so.

Is it bad for dogs to stand on their hind legs?
It is bad for dogs to stand on their hind legs involuntarily because they are not anatomically equipped for this and may run the risk of injury.

Unlike us, dogs are not meant to stand or walk on two legs.

Only one-third of a dog’s body weight is carried on its hind legs while two-thirds of a dog’s body weight is carried on its front legs.

However, the hind legs are still much stronger and have more muscle mass.

By comparison, most hoofed mammals stand with about 60% of their weight on their front legs and 40% of their weight on their hind legs.

When a dog stands on its hind legs, all of that weight is distributed between its two paws.

This can lead to injuries to the ligaments, tendons, or spine and subsequent pain.

Your dog may also have joint problems that you don’t know about.

Many dogs are diagnosed with hip or elbow dysplasia which occurs when the connecting joints grow abnormally.

Forcing a dog to stand on its hind legs with an underlying condition can be very uncomfortable and may exacerbate the condition.

These risks mostly apply to coercive behavior, so if your dog is doing this voluntarily, he should be fine.

Should you teach your dog to stand on its hind legs?

I don’t recommend teaching your dog to stand on both legs as there is no need to risk injury or cause unnecessary annoyance when there are so many other fun tricks to teach.

Many vets and experts also discourage teaching this dog trick.

Dogs have four legs for a reason. They don’t naturally walk on twos – certainly not for long distances – because it can be uncomfortable and cause them physical injury.

There are many ways in which people can enjoy their dogs that are respectful and do not involve making fun of them.

Elisa Allen, Director of PETA UK

It is also important to note that not all dogs are physically able to perform this trick as it requires a great deal of balance.

I have a list of 9 dog tricks for beginners that also include some advanced ones, so be sure to check it out.

How to prevent your dog from standing on its hind legs
If your dog is keen on standing on its hind legs, the first thing you can do to reduce the behavior is not to reinforce it.

This includes not petting or praising your dog and waiting for him to stand up naturally before giving in to his needs.

Negative attention, i.e. scolding or punishing, is also attention and can reinforce behavior, so it is best to ignore it completely.

In the beginning, show your dog what you want him to do instead of standing on his hind legs.

If you want your dog to “sit,” give him the command and only reward him when he follows.

Your dog will soon learn that there is no point in standing upright and that he will only get attention when all four paws are on the floor.

Excess energy is often a trigger for dogs to stand upright or jump up.

Make sure your dog gets plenty of physical exercises and mental stimulation every day.

This may include teaching your dog tricks as safer which are great brain exercise and bonding opportunities.

Ignoring the behavior while reinforcing the desired posture will certainly reduce the times you see your dog standing on its hind legs.