Laika loved to "sit" while not-begging. She also loved to "sit" and look out the window at the outside world. She would "sit" for treats and she would also "sit" to wait for her meals. She especially loved to "sit" in the car and gaze at the passing sights. But, when anyone looked closely at Laika "sitting," they noticed one important thing: she was rarely ever actually sitting at all (hence the use of quotes, of course).
Laika was a quirky, to say the least. Her goofy, excitable personality worked its way into pretty much every aspect of her being. One of the clearest examples of this was her "sitting" posture...which was actually more like hovering, since her posterior never touched the ground (unless she was in full-on relaxation mode). She would basically support herself with only her front paws and rear paws and ankles on the ground, with a little bit of daylight under her bottom. I am not sure exactly why she chose to sit this way, but I do have two theories to explain it; the first involves body mechanics and the second her ever-eager demeanor.
Firstly, several of Laika's well-known physical qualities needed a bit of ground clearance which were provided by her unique posture. Her tail was the most noticeable of these. The "hover" allowed Laika's tail to wag at any speed she liked without being impeded, sliding easily along the floor or ground to produce a loud sweeping sound at higher speeds. Additionally, Laika was a gassy lady, so hovering, not sitting properly, let the exhaust leave the tailpipe and exit out the backside. In combination with the wagging, this could produce a widely dispersed cloud of pollution. I cannot prove that this directly affected her posture, but it seems like a distinct possibility.
Secondly, Laika most likely didn't like to sit on the ground because she was just too expectant and excited to put herself in an inert position. Her hovering-pose usually acted as a means of deceit for her to sneak closer to objects of her desire, such as treats or any food. Sure, it looked like she was sitting nicely and calmly, but this was not the case at all. Due to the weight distribution on her rear paws, Laika's version of "sitting" allowed her to slowly inch forward with a subtle, shimmying shuffle. If I was preparing food, it would look as if she was being magically pulled toward me as she sat. However, this was all part of her plan to hide her eagerness, which developed into advanced levels of anti-begging. Additionally, being in her "seated" position always left Laika prepared for action, whether it be running, leaping or pouncing.
Yesterday's story was a perfect example of evidence supporting these theories. Before jumping through the screen, Laika was "sitting" in front of the balcony door with her tail stiffened and on alert and her body primed for the leap. If she had been bottomed-out, neither of these two would have been possible. By hovering, not sitting, Laika found a way to look stationary, but preserve perfect balance of potential and kinetic energy to fly into action in a heartbeat...or covertly sneak toward a desired treat. Thus, something seemingly as neutral as a posture became a clear statement of her character, as Laika employed her every action to showcase her unique spirit to the world!
Slightly blurry photo of Laika "sitting."
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