Hindquarters

"Round and muscular with well let down hocks. When standing, the metatarses are perpendicular to the ground when viewed from any angle."

Make sure you feel the hock. Markings can be very deceiving. Dogs with white hocks may "appear" to have longer hocks than a dog with blue hocks as illustrated below.

"The hams densely coated with a thick long jacket in excess of any other part. Neither the natural outline nor the natural texture of the coat may be changed by any artificial means, except that the feet and rear may be trimmed for cleanliness."

A common practice today by exhibitors is to completely cut the skirt off the hams and the coat inside the hocks in front to give the illusion of more bend of stifle when there is more than likely very little, which is NOT correct since the OES must have good angles front and rear to "cover maximum ground with minimum steps." Below are several dogs showing from left to right straight stifles to well bent stifles. The picture on the far right is a dog capable of a ground covering gait.

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