# When should you be concerned about cow hocks?



## mjta

So my puppy is almost 5 months old and she is a bit cow hocked. Her gait is normal and she can keep up with my adult BC mix when running. 

She is hopefully going to be a Service Dog, if she doesnt work out for that I am planning on doing competition obedience and agility. Is being cowhocked something that she may grow out of? If not will this do anything to her hips or cause concern for her doing sports?


----------



## Andaka

I wouldn't worry about it. My 4 year old male is cowhocked, and he does competition obedience and agility, and is my in home service dog. They don't both him at all.


----------



## SummerGSDLover

Is there any way to "cure" it? 

*-*Summer*-*


----------



## carmspack

it is not a disease , it is the way the dog is built .


----------



## SummerGSDLover

carmspack said:


> it is not a disease , it is the way the dog is built .


I know it's not a disease. I was simply asking if there was a way to correct it. My pup is cow hocked too and he sits unnaturally from a normally built dog so I was just wondering. Sorry. Do you think it can cause joint issues?

*-*Summer*-*


----------



## mjta

I was told to do exercises to help strengthen the back end such as running on loose dirt/sand, or swimming.

If your puppy has issues sitting normally I would see a vet, unless it is just the lazy puppy sit.


----------



## MickeyD

My 20 month GSD was extremely cow hocked when we got him at 6 months. I think a lot of that was due to him being in a pen and never exercised before we got him. As he's growing bigger, his cow hocks are becoming less noticeable. I walk him in sand, climb up hills and swim him a lot to help build up his back leg muscles. I had him x-ray'd at 15 months just to check and ortho vet said hips were okay. He recommended keeping him lean, well exercised and on supplements. I don't let him get away with the sloppy sit that a lot of teen age dogs do. He know the command straighten when he shifts into the sloppy sit mode. I would be cautious with keeping jumps low in agility until dog is 1 year. Everything I've read says cow hocks do not result in HD.


----------



## Saphire

MickeyD said:


> I don't let him get away with the sloppy sit that a lot of teen age dogs do.


Why?


----------



## carmspack

Quote:
Originally Posted by *carmspack*  
_it is not a disease , it is the way the dog is built ._

I know it's not a disease. I was simply asking if there was a way to correct it

The answer is still in that's the way the dog is built --- sometimes you can and sometimes you can not do something about it.

Longer bodied dogs with more angulation have flexibility , sometimes too much. Short coupled dogs with less angulation have stability, sometimes at the detriment of being flexible.

The angulation determines the length of the muscle bundles -- the GSD should not be a muscle popping breed -- . Longer muscles don't have the strength so are looser . Then you have to think about tendon , ligaments and cartilage . This can be strengthened .

so complex issue


----------

