Time to get nit-picky. A dog’s topline isn’t the same as the dog’s back. They not the same thing, nor are they interchangeable. A topline is formed by the withers, back, loin, croup, and dock, in that order (“dock” being a horsey term that refers to the area just behind the coup). The back is but one component of the topline.

In Dr. Christine Zink’s fabulous book, “Peak Performance: Coaching the Canine Athlete,” the author puts it in visual terms by telling us to imagine a drawing of a dog’s profile, then drawing a line from his withers to the tail, as we did below with a green line. The green line is profile line of the topline, and the back is but a small portion of it.

Not all toplines are designed equally, nor should they be. A Chessie has a much different topline from a Whippet, and so on. It all depends upon the breed, and its standard which spells out proper structure needed to do the job. The Chesapeake’s topline, often misunderstood, should show his hindquarters to be as high as, or a trifle higher, than his shoulders. The Whippet, on the other hand, has an arched loin (not roached) that allows flexibility in its spine, critical to a breed that has to cover a lot of ground during a gallop.

In the world of conformation dog shows, a “straight topline” is a level topline (leading to an old expression said of a dog with a great topline that it could serve you cocktails from its back without spilling a drop). There are any number of terms used to describe a bad one, including wheelback, roached, swayback, and arched (when it shouldn’t be).

Why the fuss about toplines? Because it can tell you so much about what’s going on with a dog’s structure. A good topline is an indicator of balanced angulation front to rear; if it’s bouncing, there’s an issue to look for during a hands-on examination. In the coming weeks, we’ll touch upon faulty toplines.

Image: Bedlington Terrier whose breed standard reads:”Back has a good natural arch over the loin, creating a definite tuck-up of the underline.” Photo credit: M.P.N.texan Houston All Terrier via photopin (license)