Dusting the hocks.

Though it may sound culinary, it’s a dog term that comes to mind when a dog’s rear hocks (the equivalent to our ankle joints) brush against each other as the dog moves away from you. Some folks refers to it as “moving close,’ but either way, it occurs when the hocks turn in and the pasterns drop straight to the ground and move parallel to each other. This kind of movement places a severe strain on a dog’s ligaments and muscles and impacts a dog’s ability to run and play for as long as s/he’d like to. Soundness isn’t just for show dogs, it’s for any dog who wants to be as active as their owner is, and that’s pretty much every dog. Note: The dog in his image does NOT illustrate “dusting the hocks,” but is used merely to point out where the hocks are.