A)
The importance of the length and shape of
the neck in the German Shepherd dog

B)
The relation between the length of
the shoulder blade and homer

C)
The excessive angulations of the rear

Article by Gabriele Pettinaroli


A)
The importance of the length and of the shape of
the neck in the German Shepherd dog:

While the principles of cinognostics are tied to the laws of physics and always stay the same, the anatomic deductions that can be made concerning a race consent a re-reading, suggested by the attention matured in time.

In the case of the German Shepard experience gained from lots of observations and expositions, allows us to say that an elegant sortie of the neck is a benefit for a working dog, giving it functionality and distinction.

A short neck, to the contrary, limits the mobility of the shoulder blade forcing the dog to make short steps, preventing that distinction that must accompany a race whose biological concept is anyway decided by the its original construction.

A short neck is typical of the brachiform breeds and gives them a "strong look", congenial to these breeds. It also gives the dogs a limited way of moving the front legs which is suitable for these races.

Solaro ( Note 1 ) says that the trotters neck is short because his way of moving is composed by shorter steps, and he has not the necessary "strength" as dogs that gallops.

Making a comment on the trotting of an Italian "Bracco", Solaro emphasized that the particular anatomy of the dogs back favours an erected position of the head, allowing the dog to search his prey slowly and carefully: this construction turns out to be is a benefit for him.

The selection of the German Shepard, trotter for excellence, needs a dynamic movement, wide and resistant which is achievable only with a correct and balanced position of the head.

The race standard says that the length of the neck must be 4/10 of the height of the withers and because this measurement is the same as the length of the head this means that the length is the same as the neck.

Considering the genealogic origin of a well built neck in the German Shepard we can affirm that the ideal length often comes from the blood line of Canto v.d. Wienerau, while the best inclination - 45 degrees according to the horizontal line - often comes from Quanto v.d. Wienerau.

Examples of necks of the right length.
Canto v. d. Wienerau

Saskia: daughter of Lex dell´Isola dei Baroni

Zeus dell´Isola dei Baroni

Mandy dell´Isola dei Baroni

Creola dell´Isola dei Baroni

Examples of the right inclination

Quanto v.d. Wienerau

Examples of relatively short necks

Mutz v. Pelztierfarm

Yago v. Wildsteiger Land

Lex dell´Isola dei Baroni

A lot of dogs from the blood line of Mutz v. Pelztierfarm do have relatively short necks and this gives them less mobility of the front legs.

When the line of the neck is slightly arched this gives the dog class and distinction.

An upper profile which is slightly arched, starting from the eyes area and delicately disappearing avoid giving the neck the semblance of a swan's neck which would be wrong.

The right build is the fruit of a strong connection of the muscles that start in this area allowing an elastic mobility.

A strong wiry neck without too many "wrinkles" completes the image of a part of the animal which is perfect for a working dog but also pleasing and distinct to look at.

Some dogs today, very often from the blood line of Ursus v. Batu, do have exaggerated big heads, bones and muscles.

Ursus v. Batu

Also in other bloodlines I have noticed dogs with not ideal shapes and size of the neck.

Some years ago at a meeting in Bayern I saw a dog presented in the Young Class which later became Auslese: Yago v. Wildsteiger Land.
In Bayern the dog was judged 18th by Erwin Weiser and that left many people perplexed.

But I was convinced of the rightness of the judgement:
Before the show I had noticed a defect in Yago regarding the neck that even his breeder Martin Gobel and many other experts hadn't noticed - or hadn't given the right importance.

After this episode many experts started to give the right weight to the neck. They have started to examine its position, its length and its profile with attention.

The defect of Yago's arrives from the Mutz blood line, from his mother, and was also transferred to his most famous son, Sieger Ulk v. Arlett, who again transmitted it to his son Sieger Rikkor v. Bad Boll.

Being a judge in Italy and in the world I have been able to see dogs with great movement and class because they had a long neck supported correctly.

The value of the right neck should be taken into serious consideration by judges today and in the future - if not it is easy to lose the necessary class, distinction and strength of movement in the race of the German Shepard.

B)
The relation between the length of the shoulder blade and homer

I have had the possibility to observe the length of the shoulder blade and the homer in some dead animals and I would like to add some observations about the angles of the front.

The same length of the shoulder blade and homer is characteristic for many races such as boxer, rottweiler and riesenschnauzer.

I have measured the bones of six German Shepards and I noticed that the homer is about 2 cm longer than the shoulder blade.

Shoulder blade and homer

Only in one female of dubious origin the homer was the same length as the shoulder blade.

It would be right to pay attention to this when the German Shepard is measured during judgement, without being influenced from atavistic preconcepts. Shoulder blade and homer

C)
Excessive rear angulations

I wish to bring attention to another problem which is the excessive angle of the posterior influenced by the breed of Canto v.d. Wienerau.

This defect is caused by the length of the femur that is longer than the shinbone - they should be the same length.

Femur and Shinbone

When the shinbone is longer than the femur, the dog presents the rear angulations in a "placed position.
It isn't perpendicular to the ground but "underneath itself" causing an oscillating movement which makes the dog less resistant.
He will also be tired before because of the wrong angulations and the strength of his jumping will be limited.

This excessive angle should - however - not be considered a defect in puppies up to one or two years old - until the bones are fully developed. Remember, that the time it takes to terminate development of the long bones is not the same for all dogs.

The position and consolidation of the croup is usually finished when the dog has two years and already has terminated the development of the transversal diameter of the bones.

Gabriele Pettinaroli

( Note 1: http://www.gruppocinofilotorinese.it/giuseppe_solaro.htm )