Hip dysplasia affects millions of dogs globally. Breed society screening programmes and ethical breeding decisions are the primary tools for reducing prevalence of this painful condition.
Hip dysplasia causes chronic, progressive pain that begins in puppyhood and worsens throughout life. Affected dogs lose mobility, struggle to rise, and eventually cannot exercise normally. The condition is largely inherited — breeders who use unscreened or high-scoring dogs knowingly produce puppies at elevated risk of lifelong pain. The ethical case for hip screening before breeding is overwhelming, yet compliance with voluntary schemes remains inconsistent even in breeds with very high prevalence. Breed societies with mandatory scoring requirements for registration achieve significantly better population-level hip scores over time, demonstrating that voluntary schemes alone are insufficient. Consumer demand for health-tested puppies is a market incentive that complements regulation.