I have never said that this is not a really "nice puppy". However, I have attempted to offer "constructive criticism" on a (hopefully) educational forum. Constructive criticism is not about giving one another (even "friends") ego strokes nor is it designed to elicit defensive responses.

Your dog is not free from faults anymore than mine are.

While your dog may have a correct foreassembly, she is not using it effectively because she has excessive rear angulation and length of bones in her upper and lower thigh--that is, her front and rear are not in balanced balanced proportions. This causes Venus to lift high in front and to put weight of the back of her hock duting the under reach portion of her sidegait.





Given these inequalities, I'm sure that after Venus is titled and breed surveyed, you will select studs for her with more balanced proportions and less rear angulation.

I can only refer you to some excellent illustrated articles about the structure and gait of the GSD:
http://shawlein.com/The_Standard/11_Movement_3/Movement_3.html

From These articles, you will appreciate that, in terms of angulation and length of bones, the hind quarter is essentially a "mirror image" of the forequarter. I do not see this mirror image either when Venus is stacked or gaiting.

Let me quote a few words from Linda Shaw: "Dogs that run uphill have the reverse problem, wasting energy upwards, thrusting the front too high and stressing the rear....Breeders must be careful, however, not to develop the flying trot into a caricature of itself, producing animals that are loosely ligamented and over-angulated in the rear, and that show a length of stride that, while impressive to the uninformed, is excessive..... This extreme type loses its athleticism at other gaits and in jumping. The correct GSD is capable of a supported trot that is longer, more flowing and more efficient than any other breed, but it can also display the most efficient and spectacular version of the flying trot.

I believe that Linda Shaw would agree that the 3 gaiting examples (in my previous post) are of dogs with more correct proportions.

May I also refer you to McDowell Lyon's classic book: THE DOG IN ACTION.

Best wishes for a happy New Year to you, Eric and to your lovely family. May I also wish you continued success with Venus.

Congratulations Eric, a Super nice puppy!

Thanks Jo-Ann,
You are able to see & recognize what everyone who has seen this dog in person have seen in her. I have never bred or seen a dog her age with such fluent movement. To me, she is exceptional in every way.
The proud breeder & owner of Venus,
Eric

I'll still take Venus over any of the dogs posted in pictures here.

On the subject of shoulders,
many dogs appear to have good shoulders but never OPEN, them.
Venus does open even if she lifts the forelegs at moments,
which I believe is
basically because of the tight lead.
That is one HECK of a quality pup, both structurally and in motion.
Her rear follow through and top line is to die for as well.

I don't know the owners or breeders but when I saw her
gallery I had to research the pedigree, she is just that good!

Jo-Ann

Eric,

Your pup appears to be in very good company! Here is a collage of photos of a class winner at the 1999 German Sieger Show (as featuared in an URMA book). While this female is not quite correct for my tastes, she sure as hell was flashy and a winner:

Eric,

Yes, she appears to be a promising puppy. Perhaps she just needed to settle into her gait and not have been pulling into her collar so hard so that she would not have lifted her foreleg excessively.

Had you posted this photo on her pedigree page, I would have less negative in my comment:



However, you will see the difference when you compare the above to this photo that you posted:



Also, I wish that Venus had less weight on the back of her hock in her under-reach from the rear.

I will show some examples of dogs who appear (IMO) to be reaching more from the shoulder rather than lifting from the elbow--and with hocks off the ground:

I'll Take her home any day.... lol
She is NICE!

Louise,
When you breed or own a dog that is close to the quality of Venus you can make such un educated comment.
Take a look at the other pictures of her. Her front is exceptional and that what sets her apart from her competition. So far she went 2 x VP1 and both judges appraised her front reach.
I thought you know dogs, I guess I was WAY off.

Eric

A good example of incorrect front reach. In no way, should this pup reach by flailing her foreleg this high off the ground or at this angle. Is lifting from the elbow rather than reaching from a good shoulder opening. Probably has a short upper arm and rear angulation in excess of that in the front. IOW, the foreleg is hanging in the air while waiting for the rear end to catch up.