STRUCTURE IN ACTION - THE MAKINGS OF A DURABLE DOG

Pat Hastings with Wendy E. Wallace, DVM cVA and Erin Rouse

Many people probably think that all the fuss that breeders and fanciers make over their purebred dogs—how they look, how they move—is unnecessary. Why do the teeth need to be just so? Why does a judge do such a thorough hands-on evaluation of twenty dogs that to most of us look so much alike? The answer lies in the fact that purebred dogs are bred for a specific purpose and that the structure of the dog impacts its ability to do what it has been bred for be it retrieving game, guarding livestock, tracking lost people, or pulling sleds full of supplies to a snowed-in village. In her latest book, renowned judge and evaluator of dogs Pat Hastings explores the dog from head to tail and examines in great detail how a dog’s structure can enhance or inhibit its ability to perform. While many books explain how dogs are supposed to look, Structure in Action takes the next step to explain why it so important given the purpose the dog is designed to serve. This well illustrated book will become an instant classic.

Here are just a few of the many examples of how structure impacts action
• Learn how to analyze what you see when observing dogs to prevent problems or improve behavior.
• Why a round bulging eye, a desired look in many lap dogs, is susceptible to injury.
• Dogs whose backs have an extreme downward slope are very prone to breakdowns of the front quarters impacting their ability to run and jump.
• A dog whose rear legs are too short and are set directly below the rear assembly will lack normal propulsive power and are subject to back and spinal injuries.