REAR PASTERNS (commonly called hocks) - Page 1

The hock is the joint and what would be the "foot" on a human is the pastern in a dog.  You are correct.

Bazza....you are correct.
The hardest thing is to "explain" the rear & it's angles to most people....(stifle length, curve, hock..etc..etc..)...I think alot gets lost in translation and understanding.
Robin

The point of the hock is the equivalent of the human ankle/heel joint. The section below that is the equivalent of the human metatarsal bones, the bones that make up the foot. The foot is the equivalent of our toes, each of which has 3 bones: distal, medial and proximal phalanges. The exception is the human big toe, which has 2 bones. The big toe is equivalent to rear dew claws, and is usually absent in the dog. The dew claw on the front foot is analogous to our thumb. The claws are equivalent to our fingernails, and actually have a small bone inside them, the distal phalanx.

I couldn't find a diagram for the hind foot (my anatomy atlas has, unfortunately, already been packed for moving) but here's one of the front foot, comparing it to the human hand: hippie.nu/~unicorn/tut/xhtml-chunked/ch03.html#basics-animal-canines-legspaws  The mauve-coloured bones represent the front pastern in the dog, and are equivalent to the bones just below the hock joint in the hind leg. In the front leg (or hand) they are called metacarpals. In the rear leg, they are called metatarsals.* This proves what Bazza is saying: this area could be referred to as the rear pastern.

Horses have pasterns in the rear: why shouldn't dogs? 


(* if you ever took Latin, you'll know that carpus refers to the wrist, tarsus to the heel.)

Hey, that biology degree has to be good for SOMETHING! 

  Hello Everybody,
I am the New owner of the Dog on which all these comments began fortunately I am a Doctor by Profession (Human Gynecologist) so may be I will try to clear the confusion.The HOCK is the Calcano-tibiofibular Joint ,it is common practice in some parts of World that  the whole hind below this joint up to the paws is called Hock (Even in India we call it the Hocks)some refer to this as Rear pasterns.Both terminologies are acceptable.It is just like saying specifically my Heel is paining or some one would say my foot is painingThe rear pastern is made up of Calcaneus+ Tarsus+ Metatarsals bones.The phalanges form the paws.Thanks for opening this thread in message board.I think its personal choice whether a person wants to call it Hocks or Rear Pasterns.BTW Thanks for admiring my Dogs Rear pasterns or Hocks they are really short and very firm.