Hip scoring programs have measurably reduced hip dysplasia in some breeds over decades. Understanding how selection programs work and their welfare impact enables informed support.
The impact of hip scoring programs demonstrates what systematic, population-level welfare intervention can achieve over decades. The decline in average Labrador hip scores represents millions of dogs that have better hip health — and correspondingly less pain and better mobility — than they would have had without scoring programs. The limitation is that scoring without selection pressure is useless. Buyers who demand good hip scores from both parents are the essential link between data collection and population welfare improvement.