For many dog fanciers who got their start “back in the day,” it’s hard to believe that it’s been over twenty years since we lost Quentin LaHam to a car accident. The all-breed Canadian and AKC judge was a popular lecturer on anatomy and movement, and few of those who attended his seminars ever forgot his “kinnick,” a physical landmark on a dog’s topline to help evaluate couplings and the length of loin.

We doubt anyone ever forgot his demonstration of how to determine slipping hocks**, either. Also known by some as hyperextended hocks, this deficit can cause a dog to lack rear drive, roach its topline, gait with a “hitch in their giggy-up,” or try to compensate for the weakness in some other way. Ed note: This is not where you should quit reading as there are a few caveats to be aware of that we mention in the paragraphs below.

To demonstrate how to discover slipping hocks, Dr. LaHam gently pushed against the back tips of the hock joints of an adult dog on a grooming table, but not past the point of resistance. In this dog, there was no point of resistance. The audience gasped collectively as the hock flexed forward well past what would have been normal. In fact, the joint had bent in the wrong direction and collapsed forward.

If there is a hock issue in someone’s dog, it’s often discovered by accident. They’ll stack a puppy on a grooming table and notice that the puppy consistently moves one its rears legs forward after the leg has been positioned where it should be. We feel that rather than having one’s heart fall after assuming the worst, it is something to watch. Slipped hocks can portend problems for a dog and should never be overlooked or dismissed in a dog destined for the performance world. However, here is the first caveat: Puppies are more flexible and underdeveloped. They may do this on a grooming table but be perfectly sound and normal. As we said, it’s something to keep an eye on as the puppy grows into adulthood.

**A second caveat: As far as we can tell, there is no such term as “slipping hocks” in veterinary medical literature, nor could we find the term in our books on structure. While old timers in the dog fancy (such as the late Dr. LaHam) know the term, some vets maintain that there is no such abnormality of the hock or any associated structures in a dog. One on-line vet wrote, “The hock joint is quite complex and does have a very good range of motions normally. The hock joint also has a tremendous amount of ligaments supporting it to accommodate the flex movement in the hock joint. This is all breeder hype in my opinion and there is not worry. Instead focus on something more scientific like upright hocks.”

In all sincerity, we’re not sure what the doctor would call the hocks on the dog in the video below:

A third caveat: There can be confusion over hock instability among fanciers and casual dog owners, and some of it is due to lexicon. Where some would call the condition a “slipping hock,” others might call it a “double jointed hock.” Ultimately, if it is found in an adult or a puppy, and whatever name one uses to describe it, most dog owners want to know what causes it, and if it can be helped. Our understanding is that such hocks are the result of a fault in the structure of the dog (its breeding), or the result of trauma (a fall or accident). This leads to our final caveat: We are not veterinarians, nor are we, in any way, shape, or form, experts on the topic. Hock concerns should be seen by a trusted vet (as well as the breeder). We merely pass along what we know or have read, and invite readers to share the same.