Carol Blumlein Webboard User Reg: 03-29-2012
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Just a thought. If a young pup, who is just playing with no encouragement form the owner, is able and is enjoying jumping, walking on hind legs etc., does that mean the dog has or will have good hips?
Connie Sutherland Moderator Reg: 07-13-2005
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I have to add a resounding "ditto" to what Kristin says.
I'll go further and say that I have had (and have one now) seniors with terrible HD and OA who will still tear around and jump onto and off of structures .... even a dog who can barely stand from stiffness when he gets up in the morning.
It's almost always hard to gauge a dog's pain in any body part and from any ailment just by the way s/he acts, in fact. Dogs have a hard-wired disinclination to show any kind of weakness. Also, drive can override pain concerns.
PS
I wish it DID mean what you hoped it meant when a young dog is full of beans and leaping all over like a gymnast! That would be such great reassurance.
Jodi Moen Webboard User Reg: 12-28-2010
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Totally agree with the others, one warning sign( although not foolproof) of bad hips, that a vet told me about years ago was to watch and see if the pup was able to sit on its haunches with both legs(hind) upright and straight (typical sitting on haunches pose), if the dog consistently sat on the haunches crooked with one leg(hind)folded under) lying on the ground it was a warning sign for dysplasia.
Of course xrays are the only 100% way to rule out dysplasia. Were your pup's parents OFA certified?
My animals are not "like" family, they ARE family.
Carol Blumlein Webboard User Reg: 03-29-2012
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I wasn't thinking about my own dog. I already x-rayed him and his hips are terrible although his parents are registered good. He's never been good at jumping or anything like that. But it's just as much from the rest of his body structure as from his hips.
No, another pup I know is so beautifully coordinated, so balanced. but too young to x-ray.
My older GSD was OFAd at 2 and diagnosed with moderate HD. Until he reached about 9 yrs old he never showed signs of problems. My vet says it more arthritis then HD that's causing the issues now. That was after being in SAR and titled in a number of things such as AKC, Schutzhund, herding, etc.
I've seen dogs where, on film, the should be put down but still never showed a problem. At the same time I've seen dogs that, on film didn't look all that bad and had to be put down because of pain intolerance. I personally believe there is something, another gene possibly, that can go along with the HD and never show symptoms. Labs show a super high tolerance to diving into ice water. Terriers show a high tolerance to pain of any sort. Just a wild guess but you just never know for sure.
What everyone else said is absolutely true in my experience.
The worst ones in my experience are pups with heavy bone and an inclination to lie about resting, the goofy uncoordinated pups who bunny hop at 4-5 mos and sit sloppy with their stifles splayed out.
Despite all disclaimers, it is obviously a good sign if your pup can walk on his hind legs and bounce about. Pups with really bad HD are dragging their hind end early in life, if you really look at them.
My GSD with Moderate HD was one of the cleanest jumpers over the meter and the wall in the Schutzhund club I belonged to. He LOVED jumping. Now, at 10 and arthritic I've built a set of steps for him to get into his dog house entrance that's 20 inches high. That's just been this year.
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Does this mean the hips are good?
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