Orwell / Pls critique - Page 4

 Pharao,

Yes he is a fine working dog, he's been doing herding for quite sometime now, maybe later I will start another post to see if what our neighbor and Orwell are doing is proper herding work. Thanks a lot for your usual contribution, I like to follow your posts, I find them special.

Ibrahim

Ibrahim, to me you dog looks good in the front. This is how you check.

Place little finger on the elbow and thumb on the point in the chest. Then transfer from the point of the chest to the top of the shoulder blade. If distance is close to equal, then your dog has good bones in the shoulder.

Angle  is a little different to determine. But basically, if the dog has good length of neck, then the lay back of the shoulder is probably good. Your dog appears to be good in these areas.

Best.
Rik

 Rik,

Will you just explain " the point in the chest".
The rest I understand.

Ibrahim

 Okay never mind Rik, I looked at the skelton of the GSD here in the database and got what you meant. Thanks for the tip. So I have to feel the joint where I put the thump and then feel the top of the blade with the finger and make a sense of the semi equal distances and maybe the angle can be measured roughly with the eye.
Still I don't understand how a long neck contributes to a better blade lay, maybe I ask about that in a separate post.

Ibrahim

He is very handsome - nice angulations, nice topline, super nice head, I really like him.  I can't find any major fault with him but just for the sake of it I'll say I'd like his feet to be "tighter" - they are a little flat.  But that could have something to do with condition in general - he looks to be at a good weight overall but could be better "toned" - in better muscle shape - but overall a really good looking dog.

Just a tip on taking pictures - these pictures are all taken from "above" looking down on the dog.  This will skew the dog and make him look longer in the back and shorter in the leg - for future picture-taking have the photographer sit on the ground or kneel down, and make the camera angle level with the dog's shoulder level. 

molly

Molly,

You are right on the pictures, It's me to blame for that, I took them standing, next time I take pictures I shall kneel down so I'll be with the dog's eye sight or dog's shoulder level as you said.
Thank you so much on the honest opinion, seeing no one here being a fan of his feet/toes I have to submit to you on that and I shall in the coming days verify his elbows/feet turning out, at this time I don't think it is in him but rather due to the ground and our badly positioning him but I promise to verify, make sure and tell you. The good thing is I have no competition here whatsoever, lol, so no harm in telling all the truth and in the mean time learn more, lol.

Ibrahim

 

hello Ibrahim, did not mean to say that a longer neck contribututes to lay back. 

best,
Rik

 Thanks Rik but I will be asking you for more on the angulations but maybe on a separate thread.

Ibrahim

Ibrahim,

Finally got some free time from work to add comments but first I'll give my excuses upfront - it's always tough to critique a black/dark dog from photos & I'd also agree with molly in that if the photos are taken from 'above' the dog many of the angles can appear different.

Upper medium size with a nice ear set and good expression but the eye could be a little darker (not sure if this is an optical illlusion because of the sun & his colour however). Could also do with a touch more stop on the head. But I'm getting picky here especially when you look at the last photo - who's gonna argue with those jowls and serious expression, nice!

Fine front end, nicely balanced and with good bone. Shoulder blade could have a little more lay. Pasterns good but front legs/feet a touch easty/westy and flat/splayed. Legs nicely under the withers.

Good strength in the back & loin with a lovely topline. Again looks to have a slightly barrelled chest - not spoiling him with the treats are we? Good rear angulation but could do with a little less at both the hock & knee. Nice strong hocks mind.

A well constructed, balanced, strong and healthy dog – you should be proud.

One interesting thing to notice is that in the first few photos he presents a sloping topline and in the final few he presents a level topline. Some would say the latter is correct & the former not - but how can this be so when it’s the same dog and therefore the same structure?!

I would also just like to say a hearty thank you for allowing your dogs to be truthfully critiqued – top man. I don’t know about anyone else but it’s enabled me learn more and to see some things I may have previously missed. In the near future I’ll try to return the compliment with a couple of photos of ‘ol Nelson.

Cheers,

AandA