Loose Hips Make Me Slip!

Is It a 'Tweaked' ACL?

or Is It the More 

Sinister Hip Dysplasia?

The answer is, probably both.  A while back, Malcolm refused a jump in the agility ring and pretty much told me his back leg was hurting.  I took him to the Vet who said he had loose hips.  I took him to a different Vet who specializes in sports medicine and she said he had tweaked his ACL.  We did Hydro-therapy for about a month and I did physical therapy with him at home for several months.  You know, serpentines, up and down small steps, leg stretches.  He got better and wanted to do jumps again.  I was careful for a long time and then got busy with life.

I believe that he does have an underlying problem of perhaps loose hip joints,  but I don't think that's what's causing him to sort of favor that leg. And I can't really say he favors it.  I just notice that, at times, he doesn't put an equal amount of weight on it when  he's standing.  He still jumps and pounces and twists and turns and does spins and every other typical Boxer move.  And he does each move with Boxer Gusto and Style.  (Typically flinging slobber and loogies over my walls and leather furniture)  I'm just noticing .............something...........

I've been busy running errands for our house that we're building.....it's in another city and there's a lot of going back and forth.  I have to admit that I haven't been exercising or doing much of anything other than the weekly play, toenails and tooth brushing with the dogs.  Since their classes ended about a week ago, they haven't even been to the dog club for a work out.

Malcolm needs muscle built up in his hiney.  That will help.  I have to make a commitment to exercise him regularly.  I just have to do it.

I have been working him on his fear issues though and he's beginning to understand that not all strangers are scary.  I can't count how many times a stranger comes up to my Jeep at the gas station to pet my Boxers.  Malcolm hangs back a little, but he'll get the message from his sisters that they are friendly.  He always gets a good sniff in and sometimes allows the person to pet him.  One guy even took pictures.  :0)  Boxer people are a breed of their own.  If you love Boxers, every time you see one, you think you KNOW and I mean really know that particular dog.  Boxers just belong to all Boxer Lovers whether they know you or not.  I've never seen the likes of that with any other breed.  That guy taking pictures almost crawled up in my Jeep!  (Not in a threatening way.....he backed off when I asked him to)  They just don't realize that it's not their dog!  Another person almost got drowned by Malcolm!  (BTW, I knew this guy.  He wasn't a stranger to me, but he was to my dogs.)  He reached in to pet them and Malcolm the Scaredy Cat stuck his head out and started licking the guys face so that I thought he couldn't breath!  --I did notice that the man didn't back away--  he  he he.

Malcolm is making regular visits to places that will let him in and he gets nothing but rewards, chicken and praises for not being scared.  It's getting better very slowly, but it's getting better.  And I've noticed that when he sees a small fluff ball dog, that he sits and looks at me so I can handle it.  That's trust.  He now knows that I understand, and he waits for me to take care of the situation.  He gets lots of praise and chicken for that too!