Covering Ground: The distance traveled by a dog with each stride as it gaits.

Cow-Hocked: Hocks turning in, accompanied by toeing out of rear feet.

Crabbing: Dog moves with its body at an angle to the line of travel. Also called sidewinding.

Crank Tail: A tail carried down and resembling a crank in shape.

Crate: Portable container used for shipping, transporting, or housing dogs. Also called cage or kennel.

Cream: Used to describe many breeds, this color is a lowly saturated, light-to-medium yellow. Often, it has just a little more color than white. Color definitions may vary by breed. Always check the breed standard for the definitive color description.

Crest: The upper, arched portion of the neck.

Cropping/Crop: The cutting or trimming of ear leather to encourage it to stand erect.

Crossbred: A dog whose sire and dam are representatives of two different breeds. A crossbred dog cannot be registered by the AKC.

Crossing Over: Unsound gaiting action that starts with twisting elbows and ends with crisscrossing and toeing out. Also called knitting and purling and weaving.

Croup: The region of the pelvic girdle, formed by the sacrum and surrounding tissue.

Crown: The top part of the head; the topskull.