BVA/KC Hip Dysplasia Scheme - Dobermann

The current BVA/KC scoring scheme for hip dysplasia (HD) has been in operation since 1984 and since then over 250,000 X-rays have been assessed. Dysplasia means abnormal development, and the degree of hip dysplasia present is indicated by a score assigned to each hip. The hip score is the sum of the points awarded for each of nine aspects of the X-rays of both hip joints. The minimum hip score is 0 and the maximum is 106 (53 for each hip). The lower the score the less the degree of hip dysplasia present. An average (or mean) score is calculated for all breeds scored under the scheme, as is the median (or middle) score. Advice for breeders is to use only breeding stock with scores well below the breed mean score and ideally below the median.

The minimum age for hip scoring is one year, and each dog is only ever scored once under the scheme