If you’ve ever driven different types of vehicles in snow, you’ve experienced the difference between front wheel drive and rear wheel drive. Put in the simplest of terms, rear-wheel drive vehicles channel their power to the vehicle’s rear wheels, while in front wheel drive, the majority of the weight is positioned over the front wheels, offering good traction when its slippery.

Dogs are essentially rear wheel drive vehicles with a pulse. If they’re not built soundly, they can miss out on having drive, power, speed and endurance. If their upper and lower thigh bones are too short, they may have less angulation and their back legs are under them instead of behind them. If those bones are too long, they may end up standing on their toes instead of their feet, and more stress is put on their hip joins, hock and stifles; this can lead to back problems or joint issues that most owners will be unaware of because dogs don’t complain until it’s sometimes too late to help.

A dog’s line of balance in the hindquarters be visually imagined as a plumb line that runs from its point of buttocks to the tips of his toes. If the feet are behind that imaginary line, the dog’s upper and lower thigh bones are longer than preferred. If it’s in front of that line, the natural mechanics of the dogs’ rear end are compromised with less angulation resulting in more wear and tear on its joints.

This is never more noticeable than in dogs that compete in performance events, but soundness matters in all dogs if they’re to live a life free of discomfort.

Image: German Shepherd Dog in Agility antique print from the 1920s. Image found unattributed on-line and happily credited upon receipt of information