Length of the nose - Page 1

I was wondering how long should the nose of  a German Shepherd male be?  I know it depends on the size of the head, but I was hoping those of you with big boned large males could send me the length of your dogs' nose so I can compare.  My pup (at 8 months) is 13cm from the tip of nose to the bridge where the eyes are.From there to the top of the skull (between the ears) is also 13 cm, so the ratio is 50/50 as it should be.  Am I even measuring correctly?

Is there any point in comparison with an adult's measurements ?
At 8 months your pup should still grow some.   Not an awful
lot you can do about it, if it finishes too big or small a head. : )

personally, i like a gsd to look like a gsd.  some of the dogs with ddr & czech breeding have more of a mastiff type head.
blocky with short, upturned snout.  this type of head does not take the heat as well as the normal gsd type.  i realize this
is not really on topic with what you are asking, but if your dog is typical of the breed, be glad.  he will be far more
comortable in the summer heat.
pjp

Ziegenfarm, can you tell me what dogs you've had that experience with? I've had a few pretty blocky-headed dogs...and never had that experience at all. My blockiest dog was also solid black and never complained about the heat. Or anything else, really. Except my Chihuahua a time or two. ;-)

i was doing some reading on gsd genetics a while back and some strains seem to include mastiff genetics----meaning they have actually located the genes.
they went on to say that some of the ddr (old lines) seemed to be the ones carrying this.  which accounts for the appearance of some of those dogs.
larger in size, heavier bone, blocky heads & shorter muzzle.  i wish i could remember where i saw this.  it included diagrams showing the genetic markers.
heaven only knows what all genetics are rolled into some of our shepherds or any modern day dog for that matter.  after having 2 other mastiffs here and
1 here currently, i know from experience that they cannot handle the heat as well as the gsds----even gsds with heavy coats.  dogs with short muzzles do
not have the cooling ability that the longer counterparts do.  not trying to find fault with anyone's dogs, jenni, but i do think it is something that people need
to be mindful of. 
pjp

Qira has a big ol' head and she has no problems in the heat... prefers the cooler weather, but is just as willing to hang out in the warmer weather. I think her dislike of the heat would be more from the black coat than anything. (and her muzzle is the same length as her head, by the way!)


(this was post frisbee at the lake, that's why shes panting)

It's me who doesn't like the heat.

its not just the length of the nose (50% of the head, measured from back of skull to tip of nose with the inner corner of eye as the invisible line) but also the shape of the nose.

not too wide, not snipey.

the breed survey discribes is as........
Head

The head is wedge-shaped, and in proportion to the body size (length about 40 % at the height at the withers), without being plump or too elongated, dry (no loose lips) in the overall appearance and moderately broad between the ears.

Seen from the front and side, the forehead is only slightly arched and without any or with only a slightly indicated middle furrow.

The ratio from the cranial region to the facial region is 50 % to 50 %. The width of the cranial region more or less corresponds to the length of the cranial region. The cranial region (seen from above) tapers evenly towards the nasal bridge with gradually sloping, not sharply depicted stop in the wedge-shaped facial region (foreface) of the head. Upper and lower jaws are powerfully developed.

The nasal dorsum is straight, any dip or bulge is undesirable. The lips are taut, close well and are of dark colouring.

The nose must be black.

The teeth must be strong, healthy and complete (42 teeth according to the dental formula). The German Shepherd Dog has a scissor bite, i.e. the incisors must interlock like scissors, whereby the incisors of the upper jaw overlap those of the lower jaw. Occlusal overlay, overbite and retrusive occlusion as well as larger spaces between the teeth (gaps) are faulty. The straight dental ridge of the incisors is also faulty. The jaw bones must be strongly developed so that the teeth can be deeply embedded in the dental ridge.

The eyes are of medium size, almond-shaped, slightly slanted and not protruding. The colour of the eyes should be as dark as possible. Light, piercing eyes are undesirable since they impair the dog’s impression.
 

Ziegenfarm, if you can find that, send it to me if you would. I've never come across that about molossers in certain strains. 

I would ask, to play devil's advocate, whether it's a blockier head and perceivably shorter muzzle (not sure if it's actually shorter or just looks that way because of other proportions) or if the overall dog tends to be a heavier animal, thus making them more sensitive to heat (though as I said, I've never noticed it), kind of like fat person vs. skinny person in the desert:-)

Dawulf, Qira does have a big head, but her muzzle isn't really that short, though it's very strong. Durbas would fall into that category, and he lives in FL...and Steve was always mindful of things like that. Never heard any issues. Caleb was criticized for having a Rottweiler/Mastiff head by some...no heat issues. None of his pups, either, and the males are all larger/heavier than he was. 

You're right Jen, his nose is a bit short.I still think Qira is a dead-ringer for her daddy, but I guess mommy really did have some influence in there! ;) Seeing the two pictures side-by-side gives a bit of a better comparison as to the similarities and the differences... Wish I could find a similar shot of Peddy to compare now!

Sorry... off topic a bit.

I'm sure I have some of Peddy somewhere...she has her expression. You'll see it immediately. 

Hijack over...sorry.