bigger heads - Page 2

Bigger head huh? I love the males with big heads.

My (I don't own them) 2 most favorited dogs that took place in my heart have big heads.

1. V Santos von der Burg Botzlar,SchH3,kkl1 (my bitches father)

and

2. V Aik von der Saalfelder Höhe,SchH3, KKL1

I hope Aik produces thease heads.

Both dogs have super temperaments :)

I like a dog to have a correct head, balanced with his body.   I don't think exaggerating any feature is a good idea. 

sueincc,

Can you show us an example of a correct head with balanced body structure?

Brittany I think the dogs you and the others have pictured have good balance.  I really like the dog in  Alabamak9s post, but only because I am into working lines, or maybe it's the angle in that particular picture that draws me in.  I am not going to post pictures of dogs that I don't like because that's not fair to the owners of those dogs.

I'm partial to big heads - Eagle is very balanced and V in conformation as well, despite his "rottie head" LOL  He always received praise for his big head/bone, from all conformation judges and Koermeisters who judged him, so I guess his big head isnt' too faulty

molly

Do you think big heads are a modern fad in gsd's or have they always been there?

I have to disagree. I think a large head combined with a long neck CAN put a dog off balance. How well do you think THIS bitch is going to move?

Also, I find the really chow-like heads downright UGLY!! Here's an excellent example...you may like it if you like big heads, but I don't. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as they say!  I'd also like to remind those who like big heads that the breed standard does define a correct head, and a head that's too exaggerated may not fit the standard.

http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/classifieds/54807.html

Here's what I'd consider a nice male head, though his eyes could be darker....

I've seen Eagle and he doesn't have what I'd consider to be a "rottie head". His head is in proportion to the dog; he's a very substantial animal and would look pretty stupid with a smaller head. My idea of a rottie head is a dog with a short, stubby muzzle, a lot of stop, and round staring eyes. I don't think I've seen any working lines or photos of working lines with my idea of a rottie head.  Only one of the dogs pictured in this thread  looks like it might have a rottie head and the angle is not right to say for sure. Nothing wrong with big heads? I wouldn't put too much money on that being a fact for a working dog.

I won't name names here, but there are plenty of GSD's pictured on this board with heads that are way too heavy looking for a tending/working dog. A GSD is not supposed to have round eyes, a protruding forehead and a short stubby muzzle. Most dogs I've seen here and in the flesh with over-done heads also have roachy toplines. short legs and froggy rears.  It all seems to go hand-in-hand.

"The head is to be wedge-shaped, large but in proportion to the body, with length about 40% of the dogs height at the shoulder without being clumsy or overly long...... The forehead as seen from the front and from the side to be only a little arched, and without central furrow or with a slightly implied one...........the proportion of backskull to fore-face is 50:50. The breadth of back skull corresponds approximately to it length............with a slanting but not too-sharply defined stop........lips are tight...........eyes medium in size, almond-shaped, somewhat slanted and not protruding..."

SV Breed Standard June 1997 revisions.

This means a dog that stands 25 " at the shoulder should have a head that measurers 13" from the occipital point to the tip of the muzzle.

Actually what we prefer personally doesn't really mean squat anyway, it's what  the standard says that counts.

Great example of an overdone head, Sunsilver. Muzzle is too short and thick, his lips are loose and pendulous, and he has way too much stop giving him an atypical GSD expression. That's my idea of a rottie/Akita type head.

All the heads posted above look to be within the standard, though it's hard to tell unless you see a profile shot.  I have no problem with any of them, and think most of them are quite handsome. It's that link I posted that I have trouble with

As has been said elsewhere, an excessively short, blocky muzzle can cause breathing problems due to too long a soft palate. It may also result in missing teeth and a tongue that's too long to fit in the mouth. As Blitzen has said above, it may also cause the eyes and the forehead to protrude.

Yep, the breed standard should be the guideline. It would be very nice if ALL the judges used it as their measuring stick!