Regardless of your breed, your dog’s loin is located in the lumbar area of your dog’s back extending from his or her last rib to their pelvis (it’s the aqua colored line in the image below).
Image: Dreamstime Stock Photos
It is a crucial anatomical area characterized by its muscular structure and the absence of rib attachments, so it is both flexible and vulnerable. The powerful muscles in this area are essential for movement, especially in activities that call for flexibility and strength. These muscles impact a dog’s core strength, essential for balance and overall body control. Think agility dog, weight pulling dog, or amy dog that gets on and off a couch.
The loin muscles also act as a bridge between the dog’s front and rear by facilitating the transfer of power from your dog’s hindquarters to the rest of their body as they move. It is the loin that gives a dog a wide range of motion. The dog that can run, jump, and pivot with quick directional changes can thank their loin.
We mentioned that every dog has a loin, and as important as this area is regardless of a dog’s breed, we feel its especially important in working breeds. Ironic that we use the Newfoundland as an example since the word, “loin” doesn’t appear in the breed’s AKC standard even once.
Newfoundlands are known for their massive, powerful bodies which they use to the full extent in performing two jobs for which the breed is especially known: Swimming/water rescue and drafting/cart pulling.
A properly structured loin gives a Newf its effortless power in both those activities. The Newfoundland that has too short a loin has limited flexibility, and cannot turn easily without breaking his stride. Conversely, the Newfoundland with too long a loin generally has too much “play” in his back which causes him to lose power of transmission from his hindquarters.
When evaluating a Newfoundland either in a show ring or for potential breeding, there is no substitute for getting one’s hands on this area of the dog, but a poor loin can be visible to even a “layman’s” eyes if you know what to look for. A Newf with a poor loin will typically be swaybacked, roach backed, and lack proper posture:
Photo by SvetaElfimova/iStock photo
One line out of the Newfoundland’s breed standard says it all: “A multipurpose dog, at home on land and in water, the Newfoundland is capable of draft work and possesses natural lifesaving abilities.”
Does anyone think a poorly built dog with a weak loin could with ease what the dog in the photo below is doing?
Landseer by Les Pandas Des Terres Rouges
Or this?
Photo by Kerri Miller
The sweet natured Newfoundland will try to please their owner no matter how they are built, but how much better for the dog to start his life with the structural tools needed to do what he wants to do? (subtext: get your dog from a preservation breeder!)
For more about the loin, revisit this article from our archives:
Top image: Brown Newfoundland by Dejavu Designs/Dreamtime