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When do german shepards usually start having hip problems2007-11-25 2:54:44

You need to know which it is so your vets can treat your dog.

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Dogs are real good at pretending that they aren't in pain especially when they are doing something that they love to do. I recomend you go to the vet and have some x-rays done on his Lumbar spine and his hips. It sounds like he may be starting to get some arthritis or something going on. Good Luck.

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It can start at any age. My brother has a wonderful dog from champion parents who started having symptoms just before his second birthday. He recently had to have surgey and he's not quite 3 yet.

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I think you should take your dog to the vet to have him checked out thoroughly to see what the cause for his new behavior and stiffness might be.

Against popular belief, not all German Shepherds have or will get any kind of hip problems during their lifetime. While the breed certainly has a lot of hip issues - more commonly in some lines than others - not all GSDs are affected.

It's also not necessarily true that your dog's problems are caused by his hips. There are many other conditions that could cause this. In some older dogs, you might see spondylosis, which is a degenerative disease that affects the spine (and therefore affects the way your dog moves). There's also DM, or Degenerative Myelopathy, which is a degenerative disease affecting the nerve system. Both are often seen in German Shepherds as well.