Dog query II: is there a size limit above which a dog can't scratch his ear standing up?

Factual Questions
1

See hed. Hind leg.

My Golden has to plop itself down on one flank to scratch its ear with its hind leg. A Whippet I saw stood on three legs and did it.

I believe it’s a matter of biomechanics of anatomy and balance of the spacing of the legs in the rectangular base and their length.

A nice bit of useful terminology to think along these lines would be “the area that is defined by the four legs of the dog.”

I kept using the word “wheelbase” to describe this.

Any ideas, on the OP, and secondarily on “wheelbase?”

2

My parents have a 140 lbs. Newfoundland dog and she’s able to scratch her head while standing up. It must be more a matter of shape than size, since dogs don’t get much bigger than that.

3

Ditto on the Newfie. Mine’s the same. I’m thinking it might not be a “wheelbase” question, more of a “desire” question. 'Cause my Newfie is equally likely to scratch his ear with most of his body sprawled on the ground. Just cause he can scratch standing up, doesn’t mean he always wants to.

4

Our St Bernard / Pyrenees mix has a bad hip so can only scratch with his right leg while on the ground.

5

Hmm.

Still no joy on the “wheelbase.” :slight_smile:

ETA: perhaps I thought that that might be the reason when a Great Dane owner pointed out how his male dog, like all Danes, pees in a funny non-leg raise way.

I mean, I saw the dog do it…is that true for all male Danes, to confirm?

6

My parents raised Siberian Huskies, German Shepherds, and English Bulldogs; we spent enormous amounts of time at dog shows. I had a job in high school exercising an Irish Wolfhound. I am currently the proud owner of a 20 pound poodle/Kerry Blue Terrier mix.

I can not remember ever having seen any dog scratch its head while standing up.

7

How does a male Great Dane pee? My black Lab at about 80 lbs. (Yes, he’s about medium sized compared to a GD or Newfie.) only raises his leg to put his mark on something. When he’s just relieving his bladder he stands on all fours and arches his back a little. He also does the scratching on three legs thing. He even shakes hands while standing on his other three legs, which is kinda cute-looking.

8

My female pibble occasionally raises a leg when peeing. It’s a different pee than when she’s emptying her bladder; it’s the “I’m marking this spot for all the other dogs who have been here” pee. My last female dog did the same thing, invariably when she was walking with male dogs. She’d follow along, marking all the same spots they marked.

Also never noticed a dog scratch while standing up. Have always had bully breeds.

9

Animals as large as cattle are quite capable of scratching their ears standing up. There is no size of dog that would be incapable of it.

Some breeds suffer from spine or back problems that might make it impossible, but it certainly not a function of size.