Breed Standard re. gait - Page 7

Speak, my views on GSD sidegait are based on slo mo recording at 1/1000 sec.  Some years back I acquired a special digital high speed video recorder and  special slow motion software to analyze movement frame by frame at 1/1000 sec. 

What is obvious with 1/1000 slo mo is the actual force vectoring, muscle flexion and relaxation, power transmission, etc.  What is easily seen under slo mo not seen typicaly without it is how the rear drive can force the GSD upward due to croup being too steep, and how too much roach can cause a curvilinear transmission of power in some cases along the curved back, with the result being the front (at the topline x the withers) drops instead of staying level.  One can actually see the muscles and ligaments of the back ripple and relax as power is transmitted from the rear.  The longer the croup, typically the more rear muscling available to provide more rear push holding all other things equivalent.

Sometimes this dropping in the front is caused by factors other than steep croup and  roach combo, sometimes a product of bad back, lower thigh a bit too long, lack of opening up at the rear hock, defiicient range of motion in the rear, etc.  Most GSDs that have an imbalance range of motion between the front and rear legs, attempt to compensate for this and balance it out.  Some do this with a slight hitch in the rear appearing like a slight limp or HD.  Some attempt to lift and hold the front pads a bit (like a trained saddle bred horse). 

One thing that shows up much more clearly on slo mo is the occasional rumba above the pelvis in highly motivated movers that just can't balance their front and rear for whatever reason.  The best movers slo mo have the least wasted motion (best balance between ront and rear range of motion), the smoothest power transmission, the most level backs, the shortest backs, a lot of dynamic angulation (different than static angulation which is the apparent angulation when standing and walking or pacing--also equivalent to actual range of motion at full gait at both ends).  The most interesting movement in slo mo which is highly incorrect are the GSDs with long backs, long lower rear thighs (sickle hocks that won't open up), long steep croups (interesting that this combo provides extreme drive and a long stride in the rear even with the "locked hock" but this tires the dog out quickly since it is not efficient and is usually accompanying by lifting and holding of the front pads to compensate for the extreme rear drive--for a short distance in a small ring this can appear uimpressive). 

Okay--Beckett is loafing here, & I'm sure I didn't catch the forearm 'opened up', & he's out of condition because I've been spending too much time with the pups(excuses,excuses!)....but as I happened to catch this this am, thought I'd post it....don't really think it's the most flattering shot of Beck...jackie harris

Speak, come out of the shadows and tell about your GSDs that you have acquired, bred and owned.  Don't be afraid, show a little courage.  I promise you that it won't hurt and you will feel better.

I feel I've been keeping up pretty well with this thread & visualising how the lay of the croup can affect the gait, although I'm presently grappling with being able to actually see it!, but I'm still unsure how the length of the croup can change things.

Surely the croup is just a 'frame' that allows the rear assembly to be mounted via the single point of the hip joint & the length of this 'frame' will have no bearing?

AandA

Length of croup is very important.  The large muscles and ligaments of the upper leg are attached to the pelvis and the length of the croup typically is associated with how much muscling there is, longer croup, more muscling with muscling attached to the croup over a greater area, thus more muscle width and total mass.  The greater the rear muscling, holding all other things equal, the more powerful the rear drive, the better the shock absorption of the rear, thus smoother power delivered.

Thanks Preston, a short concise and easily understood answer... hurrah!

AandA

Hello Elliot (ecs),

Just seen and read this thread for first time. You were not in the best of health when we last spoke,  so it is truly nice to see you back here contributing, I trust your health has improved.

I remember our email exchanges on movement - what you refered to as Kickback, I had no individual name for except to refer to it as full hind thrust extention.  Below I have posted the photo we discussed at the time, taken in 1986 of a 17mth old female UK Champion.  Only a few years earlier I sat with goose pimples watching the video of Dingo Haus Gero, having seen him in the flesh at the Munich '82 Sieger Show due to  the distance we view the dogs in the Sieger Ring, it is only on video close up that we can truly derive the quality of movement.

Photo taken in 1986

Next a photo of a 2yr old female UK Champion taken in 2007 (some 21yrs later). And some say the breed dogs have changed out of all recognition from this era, but if these are anything to go by IMO the change is not as much as some would have you believe. What say you?

Regards

Sue B

Are these photos posted for comment?