How to bring about "prominent" high withers? - Page 1

Pedigree Database

Premium classified

This is a placeholder text
Group text

Premium classified

This is a placeholder text
Group text

Premium classified

This is a placeholder text
Group text

Premium classified

This is a placeholder text
Group text

marsiii

by marsiii on 24 June 2017 - 06:06

An imageAn imageAn imageAn image

How to develop "prominent" HIGH WITHERS?:  see example pictures, last one is mine but he's Dutch and not German  :)

Do you breed them to your line? Do you have any special exercise to develop  those muscles?

Why? 

When i was a kid, that's how i remember German Shepherd Dogs side by side Dobes and Rotts.

Well, that was the time GSDs are still in the WORKING GROUP in dogs shows... now theyre competeing with Collies in the Herding Group.

 

Happy Weekend yah 'all !

 

 


Hundmutter

by Hundmutter on 24 June 2017 - 17:06

Kennel Clubs are notorious for getting it wrong when placing breeds in Groups.

The GSD came from selection from Herding types (or, some would rather, 'Tending', dogs); its popularity with PART of its 'design' as a breed - leading to use as a War Dog - resulted eventually in its being regarded in many countries as a "Working" Group Breed. With which there's nothing wrong in itself, it is a breed that does several 'jobs of work', as well as 'Working' in competitions for various Hundsports.  And herding is a job,too, right ? But some KCs have had a re-think and put it in the Herding or Pastoral groups today.

When I was a kid first learning about the GSD I used to be in favour of the idea that here in England it OUGHT to be in the Pastoral Group, rather than the Working Grp; but when that finally happened, years later, I was less elated, knowing as I did by then that it was changed as a numbers game, a balancing exercise, for the KC, every bit as much as it was about true origins or function.

You can easily find parallels in other Groups, other Breeds, with other original purposes.

 

High withers : FWIW, I don't know that anyone actually NEEDS to try to produce these; in both Germanic and ASL show lines they have become apparent as much by the different structures of the topline, the angles of the back and of the hindquarters, as by being 'bred in' specifically. If you bred those lines, you'd go on getting them, in most offspring (there is, of course, a degree of variability from individual to individual). They LOOK less emphatic in WL dogs because in general the Working dogs have 'flatter' backs. Athough, again, individuals vary, and some males particularly have that "stallion" look.

As with all things in the GSD breed, in abiding to the Standard one ought to be looking for the median in all aspects. JMO.  I have never known any breeder to say they were deliberately breeding to persue getting a 'higher'/ more pronounced wither - except where they were starting with dogs or families of dogs where they had everything else they wanted, but both sire and dam chosen were a bit lacking in wither height so they were having a re-think.

Whether they were successful or not I don't know - I expect that they got mixed results, just as when breeding for improvement in any other specific structural point.  Its still a crap shoot; when we answer ALL the questions about which gene is responsible for what, and how, maybe it will become easier ?

 

Perhaps it might have illustrated your post better if you had shown your GSD stood at that angle ? I know your Dutchie is very similar in construction, but when you are talking purebred GSD issues, better to consider GSD specimens ? Nowt wrong with your Dutchie's topline, though, it seems his withers look fine Teeth Smile !






 


Contact information  Disclaimer  Privacy Statement  Copyright Information  Terms of Service  Cookie policy  ↑ Back to top