Breeders and Judges make a big deal about the dog's hindquarters but can they really recognize a solid and strong pelvic girdle and pelvic limb construction? Although breed designs revolve around specialization requiring different angles to include descriptive terms, such as wide stifle or large hip-to-hock length, the intact construction of the hindquarters is the same, regardless of breed. First, let's start with the basic technical aspects of differentiating the breed. thoracic from the pelvic limbs. The pelvic limbs are fused and articulated to the spine, while the thoracic limbs are connected by muscles and ligaments, i.e. not bone to bone. The pelvic limbs are very muscular, longer and more angular than the thoracic limbs as they are responsible for propulsion. Movements of the pelvic limbs increase or project body weight forward, and the thoracic limbs capture and support this weight, regardless of step and gait. Keep in mind that pace and gait are not the same thing, but we'll talk more about that in another essay. Another key aspect is that the arrangement of the pelvis, girdle and croup muscles allows for simultaneous extension of the hip, stifle and hock. I will delve deeper into regional musculature in another series. Moving forward, the strength of the pelvic girdle and limbs, the length and angularity of its bones, and the quality of the musculature, in almost all cases, ultimately determine successful running speed. Since canine species are carnivorous, Mother Nature built him to run. Obviously today, since man has intervened in evolution and created significant variations in the species, therefore in functions, some breeds have very limited running capabilities, for example today's Bulldog, the Pekingese. Despite this, the Bulldog's hindquarters should also... center of paper... be very influential. Since the pelvic angle influences the width of the stifle, an incorrect slope limits the area of ​​muscle insertion and the dog may have tight thigh muscles. This is because many important muscles and tendons originate, are housed and attached on the femur, one of the strongest and longest bones in the back. Weak and tight thigh muscles do not promise speed or power. If the dog has a weak or poorly built hindquarters, the dog is handicapped. There are some who breed haphazardly, perhaps breeding a dog that often wins in the show ring due to conformation without giving much thought to the pertinent details I have discussed. Some casually believe that if a tendency, such as over-angled hindquarters, results in the accumulation of more "wins," then so be it, if that's what they need to do to win. In these cases, I logically question their judgment after the fact.