Hip dysplasia affects certain dog breeds far more than others, but it isn’t purely a big-dog problem. The condition is polygenic, meaning dozens of genes with small individual effects combine to determine risk, and environmental factors during puppyhood can push a genetically predisposed dog toward or away from developing it. Breed, growth rate, nutrition, and even the flooring a puppy walks on all play a role.
Breeds With the Highest Rates
The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) maintains the largest database of hip evaluations in dogs. Their current statistics show some surprising names at the top of the list. Olde English Bulldogges lead at 73.3% of evaluated dogs showing dysplasia, followed closely by Pugs at 72.5% and Bulldogs at 70.9%. Those aren’t giant breeds, which challenges the common assumption that only large dogs are affected.
Rounding out the top ten are Brussels Griffons (57.7%), Dogues de Bordeaux (57.1%), Tosas (50.5%), Neapolitan Mastiffs (50.4%), St. Bernards (49.8%), Caucasian Shepherds (49.6%), and Otterhounds (46.9%). The pattern isn’t strictly about size. It’s about body structure: heavy, compact builds with broad chests and short limbs concentrate mechanical stress on the hip joint, even in medium-sized dogs like Pugs.
Popular large breeds like Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and German Shepherds also have significant rates of hip dysplasia and are among the most commonly diagnosed simply because there are so many of them. Meanwhile, breeds like German Shorthaired Pointers, Belgian Tervurens, Rat Terriers, and Xoloitzcuintlis show rates at or near 0% in OFA evaluations.
Why Genetics Alone Don’t Tell the Full Story
Hip dysplasia is the most common inherited orthopedic condition in dogs, but inheriting the relevant genes doesn’t guarantee a dog will develop it. The condition results from many genes, each contributing a small additive effect. This is why breeding programs that rely solely on X-ray screening of parent dogs have had limited success: a dog with perfectly normal-looking hips on a radiograph can still carry mutations and pass them to offspring. Two parents with good hip scores can produce a puppy that develops dysplasia, and two mildly affected parents can occasionally produce a puppy that doesn’t.
Environmental factors including sex, age, and body weight influence whether those genes express themselves and how severely. This interaction between genetics and environment is why the condition is so difficult to breed out of a population, even after decades of screening programs.
What Actually Happens Inside the Joint
A healthy hip works like a ball in a socket. The round top of the thighbone sits snugly inside a cup-shaped hollow in the pelvis. In a neutral standing position, atmospheric pressure creates a vacuum seal that holds these surfaces together. When the dog moves, the joint capsule (a tough fibrous sleeve around the joint) provides mechanical stability.
In dogs developing hip dysplasia, the joint capsule becomes more permeable than normal, allowing joint fluid to accumulate. This extra fluid disrupts the vacuum seal and stretches the capsule, creating looseness (laxity) in the joint. Research published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association found a direct correlation between the volume of joint fluid and the degree of hip laxity. Early inflammation of the joint lining appears to be the trigger.
Once the joint is loose, the ball begins to partially slip out of the socket during movement. This partial displacement concentrates all of the dog’s weight onto the rim of the socket rather than spreading it across the full surface. In a growing puppy, that concentrated pressure can actually slow cartilage growth along the rim, making the socket progressively shallower and the fit progressively worse. Over time, the cartilage wears down, bone grinds on bone, and arthritis sets in.
How Puppyhood Environment Shapes Risk
For genetically predisposed puppies, what happens in the first three months of life has an outsized effect on whether dysplasia develops. A large Norwegian study tracking Newfoundlands, Labrador Retrievers, Leonbergers, and Irish Wolfhounds found that puppies who walked on stairs from birth to 3 months had a significantly increased risk of developing hip dysplasia. In contrast, puppies allowed off-leash exercise during that same window had a decreased risk, as did puppies born on farms (where surfaces tend to be softer and more varied) and those born during spring and summer.
The takeaway is practical: slippery indoor floors and repetitive high-impact activity (like stair climbing) stress developing joints before the surrounding muscles and connective tissue are strong enough to compensate. Letting a young puppy run and explore freely on soft, moderately uneven ground appears to strengthen the hip without overloading it.
Nutrition and Growth Rate
How fast a large-breed puppy grows matters more than how big it eventually gets. Rapid weight gain during the first year is a confirmed risk factor for hip dysplasia. Overfeeding, free-choice feeding, and excessive calcium supplementation all increase that risk. The problem isn’t protein or carbohydrates specifically. It’s total calorie intake driving the skeleton to grow faster than the soft tissues can support.
Large and giant breed puppies benefit from controlled-calorie diets formulated to promote slow, steady growth rather than maximum growth speed. The goal isn’t to limit their adult size (genetics determines that) but to let them reach it gradually so the hip joint develops properly along the way.
Signs to Watch For
Some dogs with hip dysplasia show no obvious signs until arthritis develops years later. Others show symptoms as early as a few months old. According to Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, the most common early indicators include “bunny hopping” when running (both back legs move together instead of alternating), difficulty getting up from a lying position, limping or stiffness in the back legs, and reluctance to jump onto furniture or into a car.
As the condition progresses, you may notice your dog swaying at the hips while walking, shifting weight forward onto the front legs, or losing muscle mass in the hindquarters. A dog that was once enthusiastic about walks but gradually becomes reluctant is showing a pattern worth investigating, especially in a breed with known risk.
How Hip Dysplasia Is Diagnosed
Two main screening systems exist. The OFA method uses a single X-ray taken with the dog’s hips extended, then grades the joint from “excellent” down through “good,” “fair,” “borderline,” and three levels of dysplasia (mild, moderate, severe). Dogs are typically evaluated at 2 years of age for official certification.
The PennHIP method takes three separate X-ray views, including one where the hips are gently pushed apart to measure how far the ball moves out of the socket. This measurement, called the distraction index, gives a numerical score of joint laxity. PennHIP can be performed earlier than OFA screening and provides a more precise, quantitative picture of how loose the joint actually is. Both systems require sedation and a trained veterinarian, and both are useful for making breeding decisions or planning early intervention in an at-risk dog.
Which Dogs Need Screening
If you own or are considering a breed in the high-risk categories, hip screening is worth doing even if your dog seems perfectly fine. Dogs with a normal appearance can still carry dysplasia genes and pass them along if bred. For pet owners not planning to breed, early screening helps you catch the problem before arthritis becomes severe, when management options are broadest and most effective. For any large or giant breed puppy, controlling growth rate, avoiding stairs in the first three months, and encouraging free play on soft ground are low-cost steps that meaningfully reduce risk.