Need any information about "roach back" .... PLEASE!!! - Page 1

Hello!!  I have a male GSD who turned one year old in June.  He is from excellent German bloodlines,  all dogs passed hip/elbow and many are titled... I am saying this to clarify that he is not just a dog from a breeder who will breed anything...  He is super healthy and agile... loves to play and jump for toys unlike any dog I have ever had.  He passed his AKC CGC and Therapy Dog International test one day after his first birthday. He is sweet as can be.  So my only "issue" is this:   When he was just a few months old I started to notice that he looked "hump backed".  At first I thought maybe it was just the way he was standing or I was just imagining it, then I finally realized that it was really there!!  There is like a "hump" just before his back starts to arch downward.  I researched it online and read that it is called Roach Back and is pretty typical in the GSD.  I read that it doesnt cause any medical or health issues and is not a fault whatsoever.  I have learned, tho, not to believe everything I read online UNLESS it is from a very reputable source, and I know nothing about the websites I got this information from so I thought I would ask if any of you can tell me about it.  I know that people on this site have loved and worked with GSD's longer than anyone else I could ask and would have reliable information!!  PLEASE tell me ANYTHING you can about this.  I dont have a good picture of him from a side view to post, but if it would help to have one I will try to get one..... I am hoping some of you will know what I am talking about without a pic!!!  Thanks so much!!

It is the form of the Showline GSD that has been cultivated in past recent years by certain numbers of their breeders. Workingline GSD breeders,  and arguably the originators of the breed would not prefer this form. Your dog is as healthy as any other GSD in every other way. 

Enjoy your dog, he could care less.

Thank you, Beetree!!  If all of his health tests and xrays are good when he is two, would his being "roach back" in itself be a reason not to breed him?

having this posted on 2 different sections is against sop and confusing........
please ask moderators to combine this into 1 topic.

Talking about breeding seems premature at this point, IMHO. There is more to educate yourself, first. 

MUCH more.

You could start by doing a Site Search, or a trawl back through
'Hot Topics', where you will find all the definitions, arguments and
preferences on toplines/GSD backs/what is a 'roach' or 'carp', etc,
[and LOTS of pictures].  Very educational, both in itself and about
the GSD breed as a whole.  Good luck.

It is very common in the German showlines. It is not going to hurt him in any way. Love him for what he is!

Also, sometimes when they are young, they stand very awkward which can appear roached.  What may appear as a roach also can ameliorate itself with age.  Finally, roaches rarely ever affect the quality of life, performance or health of a German Shepherd.   You should be able to enjoy your dog without any concern.

Bannfy Haus, welcome aboard. Took you long enough to find
a 'voice', lol.  You are so right.  There are plenty of 'opinion'
pieces, even some from quite eminent authors, about the medical
aspects, BUT NOTHING PROVEN, ... so any health problems
claimed to be directly attributable to the shape of the modern German
dogs should be treated with caution.

And, as the OP will discover on doing more research,  one of
the things that make GSD backs look worse is the appalling
way some people 'stack' them for Show photos !  A dog can look
very 'arched' or 'hinged' on camera, but totally NOT like that in day-to-day
reality.

Having just had my old boy hit by a car and survive almost unscathed,
I remain a fan of the strength of the Germanic / international body
 structure.  I prefer not to see any dog with a TRUE 'roach', but find
those few and far between anyway.  And STILL better than an over-long
'ski-slope' topline, or a back with a soft 'dip' in it.

OP Said: PLEASE tell me ANYTHING you can about this.
"​  I read that it doesnt cause any medical or health issues and is not a fault whatsoever. "
????????
Any Judges / Exhibitors or Standard experts here? What does the standard say about sag or roach back?