Origin of Arched Back - Page 10

I bet his back looks more level in the un-retouched version of that picture, too.

Sorry to everyone. I didn't mean to cause such a firestorm. Thank you all for the discussion and information. My apologies again.....

Morning all.Sorry Abby,i misunderstood your statement re PYKE.I just wish i was more computer savvy to be able to upload photos(with owners permission of course)onto this board of animals i consider to have a CORRECT backline in the flesh n show a photo of a good stack n one of a poor one which illustrates how the B/L can be distorted.Here in the UK ,the gsd breed council has had a monthly magazine for exhibitors since i think 1989(no doubt someone will correct me if i,m wrong)n i believe this debate about the B/L was discussed n in a later edition a successful breeder supplied tracings of several animals(or so we readers thought)n asked  them to be placed in order as at a show.Then she announced several months later that the tracings were ALL OF THE SAME ANIMAL but taken from different photos at different shows where it had won 1st placing.To say we were gobsmacked is an understatement.To the OP,no need to apologise to no one.yu asked a question n obviously got several opinions.I say to yu,go to shows,working trials,obedience shows n see wot is pleasing to your eyes,no one elses.I,m more drawn to the shape of the S/L gsds BUT I ABSOLUTELY ABHOOR gsds with extremely slopey backlines be they be german S/L or AKC showline with a ski slope back nor do i like the overlong dippy,saggy backlines of wot we here in the UK class as ALSATIANS.good day to all.Carole S.

That's interesting Carole. I think it makes a good argument for showing in a natural stance, which I believe was how it was meant to be originally.  I remember an article (or it may have been in a book) where Max von Stephanitz actually had a chalk drawn template on a blackboard of the correct structure, and used an actual dog standing in front of it to illustrate correctness.  I believe that both the illustration and real dog were in natural stance.

so should a shepherd look like nice straight back with legs that do not look like frogs, like many other dogs do 


 

where the femur and tibia meet should be at an angle of 120 degrees I dont see that here

WILDMOOR

Is that statement for me??

I dont like those frog wannabe gsd it looks awful with that low angulated back and the hindlegs that look like a frog or a hyena

I dont know about the angles what is good and bad but I do know this dog in the picture is in a healthy body that can handle to be used and worked and do the high jumps not play around in a schh field or showring

yes it was - no need to shout the rear angles look more like a Dutch shepherd than a GSD