FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION
Most call for an oval shape, but vary in the width of the chest. Examples are the Whippet ( “Brisket very deep, reaching as nearly as possible to the point of the elbow. Ribs well sprung but with no suggestion of barrel shape.” ) and the Lakeland Terrier ( “The moderately narrow oval chest is deep, extending to the elbows. The ribs are well sprung and moderately rounded off the ver- tebrae.” ) and the Rottweiler. ( “The chest is roomy, broad and deep, reaching to elbow, with well pronounced forechest and well sprung, oval ribs.” ) A dog with a flattened rib cage is often called “slab-sided” and lacks spring of rib. On physical examination, your hands tend to go out from the spinal column only a short distance, and also tend to mostly go straight down instead of having an arch outward and then gently reaching back under the dog toward the sternum. A slab- sided rib cage inhibits the bellows motion vital to the expansion and contraction of the dog’s rib cage. (Remember that the ribs connect at the spine, and all but the last four ribs also connect at the bottom to the sternum or breastbone.) The sternum may or may not protrude beyond the point of the shoulder (See Prosternum, Figure 5.1.) From that point, the sternum curves down and back between the dog’s front legs, toward the dog’s rear. (See Figure 5.2.) It is essential to ascertian where the sternum ends underneath the body (Figure 5.2) by physical examination. The sternum ends at the Xiphoid process (Figure 5.2), an important landmark to identify as it helps you to understand just how long (or short) the dog’s chest maybe. I know of no breed standard that considers a flat-ribbed (slab-sided) chest to be a virtue, as it would inhibit the dog’s ability to breathe.
Figure 6.
Figure 7. Determining the tail set.
Figure 9.
Figure 8. The Last Rib.
also serve to carry ribs, but like the lum- bar vertebrae (which do not attach to the rib cage) they allow for freer up-and-down movement. Next come the seven lumbar vertebrae that support and protect the abdominal organs, support the pelvis, and enable power transmission from the rear assembly to the rest of the dog. Unlike the thoracic vertebrae, the lumbar vertebrae point toward the head of the dog. The sacral vertebrae group attaches on either side to the pelvis, forming a firm union through which the forces generated from the hindquarters are transmitted to the spinal column. In addition to feeling along the topline, you should also continue to the croup, to determine the set-on of the tail. (See Fig- ure 7.) The croup is formed by the three fused sacral vertebrae and the first several tail (coccygeal) vertebrae, and together these form a slightly curved area that is easily felt. A dog with a high tail set will have a relatively flat croup, and the curve of the croup is more accentuated the lower the set-on of the tail. Next, we will check the length of the loin. It is relatively easy to find the land- mark of the last floating rib on the side of the dog. (See Figure 8.) From that point, you only have to slide your thumb over on the dog’s side to find the end of the loin, which stops at the begin- ning of the hindquarters; another fairly eas- ily found landmark. (See Figure 9.)
After checking rib spring and elbow position, next, run your hand along the dog’s back from the withers to the set-on of the tail. There is not much to feel when pal- pating the spine, mainly because much mus- cling is covering the bones. You might feel a slight “nick” (indicated by a vertical line on Figure 6) which is a landmark to designate where the direction of the vertebrae changes mid-back, but this is often difficult to find on a well-muscled dog. It is still a good idea to feel along the back of the dog to note any dips or bumps that can indicate the condi- tion and muscle development of the dog. In very few breeds do you want to feel each of the vertebrae individually. The spine includes the neck (cervical), body (thoracic), and loin (lumbar) verte- brae. (See Figure 6.) There are 13 thoracic vertebrae that provide support and a place for the attachment of the ribs, and many projections and planes at which the various muscles of the neck and back attach to the spine. The first nine thoracic vertebrae are considered the “withers” of the dog and are the point at which the highest point of the scapula is joined to the ribcage. The spine as a whole (starting at the neck) forms a very gentle “S” from the head to the tail— with the easily felt landmarks of the first several higher, longer thoracic vertebrae pointing toward the rear of the dog. The last four thoracic vertebrae are more or less flat, forming the dog’s mid-back, and are relatively level. These four vertebrae
Figure 5. The Ribcage from Below; 1–Prosternum (Manubrium), 2–End of the Sternum (Xyphoid Cartilage)
100 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, APRIL 2022
Powered by FlippingBook