A look at conformation & movement of 2014 VAs - Page 1

I have a suggestion to analyse conformation & movement of this year's VA dogs, i.e:

front reach, follow through,

angulations (shoulder, pasterns, rear& croup) ,

proportions ( height to length, chest depth & arm)

withers,

topline

You can add to above elements if I missed some, you can provide pictures & videos of gait, stand and head. I will help with drawing lines and angles on pictures to help evaluate them , but we all will share in correcting the lines and angles to reach best approximate to actuality.

We will all share thoughts and views on movement and type of the dogs. Think it will be fun and educative if we all share, the less experienced of us as well as the more experienced, what you say?

Ibrahim

First 6 of 2013s SG male, candidates for VA?

SG1 Djambo vom Fichtenschlag

V1 JH VIZESIEGER Risco vom Suentelstein
SG3 Fanto del Ceresio

SG5/BSZS 2013 GORDON du Clos de Patmisand

SG 6 HZS 2013 JH Caruso vom Frankengold

http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/showresults.htm?year=2013&grp=JHKLR

I'll take Djambo.

I second beetree, I think Djambo and Gordon make a step forward in improving the topline and withers, Djambo has far better shoulder

If these dogs are exemplary of what is happening to the breed in Germany,  I am really glad to see the improved toplines. Looking at the dogs shown, I think Kimbo is a bit over-built, has too much stop and a particularly dome-shaped head which are three characteristics I personally don't like. Djambo definitely has the best shoulder of the dogs shown.

uck!  are we serious?  The heads are getting out of control!  Big huge stops. LOOK at Kimbo and Fanto's heads!  The falling down of the topline?  Gordon is horrible.  Draw a line from the top of Gordon's tail/croup straight across, it's almost below his chest on the underline. 

The dogs are becoming caricatures of a GSD.  They are becoming too extreme in structure.  Just look how long the hock/stifles are getting. Look at the curvature in them. You can't have an imbalance in the length of the upper leg to the lower leg without creating longevity and health problems.  Part of the reasons these dogs are retired by the time they are 6 years old.

This isn't healthy for the breed and we need to stop pretending that it is.  Only then will it change for the betterment of the dogs. 

I'm not crazy about any of them either. I prefer a more athletic dog without a lot of stop, a more refined head. I'd have to see the dog to comment about the backline. My own dog looked like she had a roach back on her Urma, but she didn't standing naturally. I don't know why the Germans like that , it's considered a fault in almost every  other dog breed in the world. All pictured here have loose flews. I've had a GSD with loose flews and they are prone to lip fold pyoderma that needs ongoing topical treatment and often surgery to remove the folds. If I had to pick one, I'd go with Djambo and I say that without a lot of enthusiasm. Cereseo is my least favorite of the group.  I hate his head and short legs.

NONE of them are correct anymore.

If this continues it'll be the death of the GSD in the world. 

Change can not happen at once. If Djambo takes part in the show I am certain it shall be one of the VAs. Have a look please at hind angulation of above dogs, the least of them is Gordon then Djambo. In my opinion this is a step forward in lessening the depth of rear angulation.

Take a look please at withers height, the best is Djambo then Gordon. Take a look at topline, the best are same two dogs, minimum arch. 

Two drawbacks in Djambo: slightly soft pasterns, and slightly short croup. I would love to see his movement in coming show.

Ibrahim

Completely agree with you about djambo being the best of the bunch and completely disagree about Gordon.  He is extremely overangulated.  His leg is 6 inches back of his rear.  Easily the furthest back of the entire group.  Imagine holding his leg their with your hand, how much distance would be between your hand and his rump?  This extreme length leads to the extreme slope of his topline which is approaching 45 degrees.

Gordon is also too straight in his upper arm and his head is showing the trend to too heavy akita like.