How can I tell if a dog has good hips??

[fostermom]

We've been looking at shelter dogs, first for my sister and now for us, mostly young adults. Are there any indicators short of x-raying that would help us in telling whether a dog has reasonably good hips??
The year old dog my sister adopted moved well, did a nice square sit without tucking his legs in tightly to his body so I told her I was pretty comfortable that his hips were ok....was that good advice or not??? We had a pup once who would sit with her legs hanging loosely away from her torso. We had been concerned about that but the vet said that was actually a good sign and when we ultimately had her x-rayed, she rated excellent, so would that consistently be a sign of good hips? One of our other dogs would lay with his legs straight out behind him ...he ended up rating good....would that be an indicator??? If a dog tends to not sit square but rather on one hip, I've always assumed it could be due to bad hips.....so what is fact and what is urban legend???

[Skip]

Originally Posted by fostermom

We've been looking at shelter dogs, first for my sister and now for us, mostly young adults. Are there any indicators short of x-raying that would help us in telling whether a dog has reasonably good hips??
The year old dog my sister adopted moved well, did a nice square sit without tucking his legs in tightly to his body so I told her I was pretty comfortable that his hips were ok....was that good advice or not??? We had a pup once who would sit with her legs hanging loosely away from her torso. We had been concerned about that but the vet said that was actually a good sign and when we ultimately had her x-rayed, she rated excellent, so would that consistently be a sign of good hips? One of our other dogs would lay with his legs straight out behind him ...he ended up rating good....would that be an indicator??? If a dog tends to not sit square but rather on one hip, I've always assumed it could be due to bad hips.....so what is fact and what is urban legend???

In my opinion, all the early crooked sitting (or sitting straight) doesn't mean a whole lot. I just suggest that people do good research on the lines before buying the pup. Since this was an adoption I know that's probably not possible. Sometimes you have to do a lot of hoping. I have prelim x-rays done at 1 year (so far very good with my young dog), then I will get them re-done at 2 years old. What a good vet sees on the x-rays at 2 years old will pretty much tell you what the future has in store.

[rottcrazed]

You really can't tell just by looking unless they are limping, favoring a side on the rear, dragging their rear, etc... and even then at best, you are guessing without an x-ray.

Certain positions in sitting, lying down, getting up, etc... could mean many different things. Could just mean a dog is lazy, which is SO common in Rottweilers. That famous sloppy Rott sit is something us obedience people are always fighting against, yet to the untrained eye, it might say a dog is favoring a hip.

Some say laying in the 'frog legs' position is a sign of good hips, others say it is a sign of bad hips. I have one very lazy puppy in my litter whose rear has outgrown her front (she is 9.5 months old). She sits sloppy every time, on the same hip (dogs always favor one side when it comes to which hip they sit on most by the way - like which side we like to sleep on best). Her owners were so worried about this because their old rott was PTS at 9 due to chronic debilitating arthritis. They are projecting Czar's hips and back onto Kira. Their vet isn't worried and after watching her all weekend for them, I am not. She is lazy, no doubt, and she is growing but she plays, runs, jumps, wrestles without favoring or soreness after.

You would really need to have a dog x-rayed in order to know forsure. There is no other way to go about it!

Kristi

[Miabella]

I don't think the sitting means a whole lot, but I do think that someone with an eye for movement can tell when there is rear end weakness even without an obvious limp or shuffle. I can spot dogs walking down the street or in class who turn out to have hip problems.

Dogs with hip problems tend to be more "on the forehand", meaning that they carry more of their weight on the front end. Their center of balance is farther foreward. I'm not very good at describing it, but it looks like their hind end is just kind of following along, but the motor is up front. It's like front wheel drive vs. rear wheel drive.

Do you know any horse people, especially someone who has done some dressage?

[TBone]

my dog has a very nice strut, while wlaking and running. mine also does the slouch to the side sitting. And I am almost sure my lil male is doing it in a lazy fashion. I keep correcting him, and making him sit straight in the but end. Seems to work sometimes. Its almost like getting my kids to chew with their mouth closed....They keep forgetting...LOL

[ak moose]

I was at the vets office today with my dog and asked him this question. He said the best way to tell is with an x-ray. as stated from other posts. I asked him if there were other indications that might show some signs, like a popping noise, the way he runs, or sits. He told me that the way he sits, with his back paws in front of him stretched all the way outward in front of him can be a sign. I looked down and he was sitting like what he mentioned . So i pointed at him, and said like this, he laughed and said yes
I also read somewhere that if a dog is trotting along and is hopping his back legs forward as in his legs moving together, that might be a sign.

[mfabeyta]

I was starting to get very concerned about my Heidi. She has a lazy sit. And of course everyone is a rottweiler expert where ever you go. People would tell me that she has HD because of it. I called my vet but they said I had to wait until she was 2yrs. She is 1yr and 3 months now. After reading this site I feel better. I am starting to train her to sit the right way. She seems to be picking it up. She'll sit like that for a while to. so I think she is just being lazy. I hope. She is daddys girl.

[brunie's mom]

Originally Posted by Miabella

I don't think the sitting means a whole lot, but I do think that someone with an eye for movement can tell when there is rear end weakness even without an obvious limp or shuffle. I can spot dogs walking down the street or in class who turn out to have hip problems.

Dogs with hip problems tend to be more "on the forehand", meaning that they carry more of their weight on the front end. Their center of balance is farther foreward. I'm not very good at describing it, but it looks like their hind end is just kind of following along, but the motor is up front. It's like front wheel drive vs. rear wheel drive.

Do you know any horse people, especially someone who has done some dressage?

I agree...and experienced eye can often see just by the movement, and the gait that there are problems.
My first Rottie was diagnosed with HD at a young age...and I knew before the x-rays were taken. I've since seen many young dogs with weird gaites or limps, or popping, or stiffness and had owners take them to the vet for x-rays. All were diagnosed with some form of HD or elbow dysplasia.

Bunny hopping when running, more weight and muscle development up front then in the rear, stiffness or slowness getting up after laying down are all signs of HD. The more healthy normal dogs you see running and moving...the easier it is to spot a dog with HD or other problems.

Gina

[Ayoka]

Originally Posted by fostermom

We've been looking at shelter dogs, first for my sister and now for us, mostly young adults. Are there any indicators short of x-raying that would help us in telling whether a dog has reasonably good hips??

I know that here, A friend of mine was lookng at a dog at the shelter and ultimately wanted the dog for flyball the dog "looked" fine. She was on good terms with the Shelter Staff and was actually able to take the dog to the vet (on her $) for x-rays. The vet does a lot of the local OFA x-rays and many vets referr to him for orthopedic surgery so she was willling to take his word. It turned out the dog (at a year(ish)) was severyely dysplastic. In the end I believe the Shelter opted to have him put down because of the severity of the HD at such a young age and the number of helthy dogs needing good homes.

I know it cost her a little but it was worth it to her to know what she might have been getting into and the dog wouldn'y suffer through a short lifetime of pain. Maybe you could ask to do the same on your own $$ if it's important to you to get a healthy dog?

A lot of things cause limping, hopping etc, muscle imbalaces, bad knes, so I would be leary to go on a hunch. Watching a dog might suggest something is wrong, and certain people have the eye (I spotted a dog walking wrong in one of the classes I helped out with who turned out to have HD) but only the actual x-ray could tell you for sure.

[debbiej]

all of the above, and structural problems as well, like too straight hocks, roach back, pivoting feet as opposed to that nice rottie sway.

[julsquincy]

Definitely the bunny hop when running, and more developed front muscle than back.

My guy was diagnosed with sever hip dysplasia at 9mo (hip replaced at 2yo) and had an extreme 'hip swishing' motion when he walked. X-rays confirmed the HD but after seeing him walk, the Vet had a pretty good idea it was HD.

[jlhnokc]

Jaycee limped off and on for a couple months at around 5 months of age, I had her xrayed by the best ortho vet around and they said her hips looked good, but wanted to rexray at 1 yr. Her limping was gone completely, but there was still something in her movement I just didn't like. When I had her spayed a few months ago I had them xray (my vet also does OFA xrays) and sure enough she is moderate to severe HD in her right hip. And still she has no limping, but she does things that I can just tell. So, depending on the dogs age I think will also factor into things. If it's a young dog, an xray may not help. But if a dog over a year, I would definetly get xrays first.

[zorro13]

I always have my eye out for spotting lameness as I own a horse. you could also video tape the dog's movements. have someone trot the dog, video both side views. have someone trot the dog to you and away from you, again video tape that. and then move on to a faster pace, a run. also, to better your own eye, start to take notice of other dogs gaits and how they move.

[SABELLESMOM]

Originally Posted by Miabella

...I do think that someone with an eye for movement can tell when there is rear end weakness even without an obvious limp or shuffle. I can spot dogs walking down the street or in class who turn out to have hip problems.

Dogs with hip problems tend to be more "on the forehand", meaning that they carry more of their weight on the front end. Their center of balance is farther foreward. I'm not very good at describing it, but it looks like their hind end is just kind of following along, but the motor is up front. It's like front wheel drive vs. rear wheel drive.

Excellent! Perfect description. Let me add, Rave frog sits... and has excellent hips. Luckily we do agility not obedience, right?

Sometimes the dogs natural stance can be an indicator. I'd be a bit leary of a dog who stands with his back feet tucked in even slightly... if it was routine. Dogs with good hips often "stretch out" in their stance, naturally, on their own. (Tho, it can be taught to a show dog.)

You might not have the oportunity to see the dog doing really activity, but if you were:

In jumping over something, a good dog will look like a fine horse, with a rocking motion and rear extended. Running full out, you should see absolute rear drive, with the butt tucked under followed by a nice stretch out... power in the rear, sturdy reach in the front. Yes. Very much like a fine horse.

Bunny hopping when running, more weight and muscle development up front than in the rear, stiffness or slowness getting up after laying down are all signs of HD.

Also excellent! Look for a powerfully balanced, big bootie dog.

[fostermom]

My one foster, Diamond, had really poor muscle development in her rear...she really looked like a dog that had a rotti front and a manchester terrier back end. She was a smaller (48 lb) rotti mix so wasn't sure if this was due to whatever breeds she was mixed with but also noticed she bunny hopped when running. She didn't seem to have any problems moving...getting up and down stairs, standing, and could outdistance/outmaneuver my big male at a dead run. But her adoptive family did find out she had very poor hips. I got to see her about nine months after she adopted, and her rear had muscled out such that she REALLY looked like a rott (they religiously walk her every day).
My one rott was adopted at four...I also noticed with her that she had very poor muscle development in her rear. However, she was quite overweight at the time and had no stamina. After having her awhile, her rear has developed and she looks great now. She may have bad hips...I've never had her checked...but I'm thinking that muscle development in the front and poor development in the rear may be due to factors other than bad hips like lack of exercise.