Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program (PennHIP) is an x-ray technique for assessing the quality of the canine hip and quantitatively measuring canine hip laxity. Research has demonstrated the utility of PennHIP in predicting osteoarthritis of the hip. Osteoarthritic is also known as degenerative joint disease (DJD) and is associated with canine hip dysplasia (CHD).

As breeders and families of Labrador Retrievers we have committed ourselves to decreasing the incidence of DJD in our breed. To this end, we have joined together on this list to discuss our breeding stock and to provide resources for other breeders who want to use Labradors who have PennHIP evaluations.

We discuss ways of using PennHIP data to improve our breed. We encourage participants to visit the website for PennHIP and to discuss questions with PennHIP certified veterinarians.

Lively discussion is highly encouraged on this list, but destructive debates are not.

Pictured is HighGarth Clever Hanz at his farm in North Carolina contemplating his DI scores.