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by Abby Normal on 28 March 2012 - 09:03
Linda - I didn't mention 'internal organs'.
What I said was ‘when you visualise the anatomy within and it's placement’.
If anybody thinks that such an abnormality has no effect on internal anatomy but is purely a ‘visual’ issue, then we have our eyes and minds closed.
Every part of the body is linked and is required to be in the optimum position for all internal structures to work efficiently and in harmony. If you look at this dog and visualise where and how joints, muscles and ligaments are situated internally, I don’t consider that they are in a remotely normal or optimum position for health. The breed has conditions like Cauda Equina Syndrome and TVS which are thought to linked to conformation, and these are examples of potential effects of internal anatomy changes not obvious to the eye.
If you take brachycephalic breeds for example, their internal anatomy is severely compromised by numerous problems which are not evident externally, other than their extreme shape. Perhaps that has cleared up the intent of my comment.
by Sunsilver on 28 March 2012 - 12:03
And here is the roach backed dog, from Linda Shaw's site:
Linda is planning to show how the roach affects the underlying anatomy, but has not yet gotten around to posting that article. The SV has become concerned enough about the effects of the roach that they have begun to x-ray spines. The roach DOES affect the alignment of the bones in the spine and the hips. As Linda says,
I think of the spine as the cornerstone of the dog, the architecture that is the foundation of the dog’s structure. If it is normal, the rest can’t be too bad (according not to some show standard, but to nature’s requirement for how a dog should function). If the spine is not correct, whether too long or too short, swayed or roached, it can affect the proportions and function of the entire body.
In the German shepherd breed, roached backs are a problem, and have been for decades. It’s obvious from show critiques that many judges do not understand the anatomical structure of a roached back, and why it is wrong. Hundreds of roached dogs appear in breed magazines with critiques praising their strong backs. Recently a photo of a young dog made the rounds of the internet, with discussions about her topline. Some commentator suggested that, because her midback did not rise above her withers, her back was therefore not roached. She is a very nice female and I like her, but her spine is roached. This person could see only the visible back, which was not humped, but could not visualize the spine underneath, which was.
Link: http://www.shawlein.com/
by Blitzen on 28 March 2012 - 13:03
Sunsilver, have you seen any sketches of a roach back showing the skeleton? I don't think all roaches are exactly the same.
by Sunsilver on 28 March 2012 - 13:03
My version of the skeleton no longer is animated, or I would post it, and I don't have a direct link to it. I'll have to hunt for it. :(
Edit: I found the animation, but it is not what I'd hoped for. It doesn't show a roached back, just how the hips of the GSD have sunk down in the showlines. I f you want to view the skeleton at any particular point, just stop the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MguVPTbCmjQ&feature=channel
by joanro on 28 March 2012 - 13:03
by aaykay on 28 March 2012 - 14:03
Joanro: Ibrahim, that's the logical result of breeding extreme to extreme. There are a lot of good SL dog's out there, but they are usually the ones over looked by judges.
Agree. I believe those normal looking showlines (with straight/level backs), would in turn be sold by the breeders as "pet quality", with a non-breedable registration. Taken out of the gene-pool for good ! And then concentrate the gene-pool with these roachy, drag-hocks-on-the-ground abominations.
by brynjulf on 28 March 2012 - 14:03
by Sunsilver on 28 March 2012 - 14:03
I've been saying this for years. It is NOT correct, does NOT make the back stronger, and predisposes the dogs to problems. It totally misunderstands how a 4-legged animal is designed to move.
by Blitzen on 28 March 2012 - 14:03
There was a very big working dog class at CWD last weekend and all but one had relatively flat toplines.
by joanro on 28 March 2012 - 14:03
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