Can somebody please explain GSD breed standards to me

[LEMmingaround]

Because i don't get it!

Why is it considered ok to breed a dog with such a sloped, almost hunched back???

Can you tell im watching crufts?

I don't know if this causes the dog to have health problems or not, but it doesn't LOOK healthy? I love GSDs, but i don't love how they are bred to look like they have gone wrong somewhere. Why is this considered to be preferable to a dog with a stong straight back?

[Greyhorses]

I have a (rescued) straight backed very tall GSD with spondulosis, CDRM and frunculosis.

I am also friends with a top breeder who is always in the ribbons and her dogs are very healthy, used as blood donors and live to ripe old ages despite being stacked for showing. During normal play when not shown they look like any other dog.

Straight dosent always mean healthy...

[SquirrelNuts]

I have 2 german shepherds in a normal stance they barely have a sloping back, they are stood very differently to any other dog in the show ring, there back leg is pulled back whereas majority of other dogs are stood square. I don't know why exactly but that's what exaggerates the slopping back, even my cocker spaniel has a sloped back when stood like a gsd. The winning dog has won 3 years in a row now, I think he's lovely!

[DandyDindie]

Original working GADs from Germany have a straight back. The slope back is associated with hip dysphasia and general skeletal issues and the very tucked tail with anal furunculosis.

[tabulahrasa]

Oh I'm not saying they're not actually sloped - I just meant it is worse when they're standing like that because of how they're posed.

[LEMmingaround]

Yes but they are still really sloped deformedin the show ring

[tabulahrasa]

Well you've also got to remember that in photos like in that link, they're stacked...their legs are put in that position to exaggerate the stance.

[MuttonCadet]

Wow, I didn't realise that's what show GSD look like, surely pets aren't the same (the ones round us don't seem that sloped).

[LEMmingaround]

Gosh. That link is mind boggling. Putting health to one side. It looks ridiculous. Seems to have been going on a while.

[sweetkitty]

Thought the exact same thing the dogs hind legs looked far smaller than it's front legs and it just looked odd.

[toboldlygo]

The dog that won is a healthy working dog - his working titles and health test results are all available in the public domain.

The sloping croup is meant to contribute to a very specific gait - long, low, economical - for their historic use as essentially a mobile fence, keeping sheep in a certain place and wolves/thieves away.

It's not for me, the slope or the breed, but I just wanted to point out that it doesn't mean the dog is in any way unhealthy.

[Catsmamma]

I have two burly GSDs.... both built like coffee tables....they are ex guide dog stock.

The breeding for the sloped back is ridiculous imo and surely causes health issues. The KC should be ashamed of perpetuating any breed standard that causes issues.

...and there's plenty other breeds affected with no end of problems.

[Amandine29]

We used to have a working GSD and his back did slope slightly but not in the extreme way you often see on Crufts.

Someone posted a link similar to this one a while back on here (not sure if this is the same one). It's interesting to see the change over time.

www.asuperiorgsd.com/p2p.html

[tabulahrasa]

I don't know that it is unhealthy - the dog that was best of breed last year has to my eyes a really odd shaped back (I'm not a GSD person) but, he has a working title so is clearly fit for purpose and has good hip and elbow grades.

[mrslaughan]

I walked past it at the end of the day today, thought it was sitting, but no, it was standing!!!!! Had a big winners sash proudly displayed on it, - I don't get it either.
The GSD club need to sort its shit out, and go back to breeding healthy working dogs.......I wonder if it's the same in Europe?

[LEMmingaround]

He must have been reserve (because i remember and thought it won) But they said just now that a bearded collie won last year. But i think it was the same GSD in the pastoral group tonight, looks like a lovely lovely dog, until you see its back end :(

[Daykin]

A GSD won last year I think and it's arse was almost on the ground. When I was a kid they just looked like normal dogs.