Some working GSDs through the years ... 1908 1914 1926 1937 1968 1981 1995 1995 2011 Zak is line-bred to the second 1995 dog.
They have almost come full circle, haven't they? Helen ETA - while I was googling pointers and setter, I saw that Derry Argue (big name in pointers and setters) has a working GSD.
was surprised to find these papillons looking so similar to chi's know they have chi and pom in their heritage but still wow!!
Gosh - I only know him through the Highland Ponies and never realised he had pointers and setters but did know he had a working GSD
I *met" him through the HP forum I used to be on and he did mention his GSD on that, but weirdly never mentioned the setters and pointers (that I saw anyway). What a small world He has some cracking ponies!
I'm not really a fan of the aesthetics of the GSD, but Zak is just beautiful. He looks so well put together and that's a lovely thing to see no matter the breed or cross.
I find it fascinating how the back of the GSD gets lower both on the show line and the working lines, but there is only the working lines that seem to be going more for a straighter back in the recent lines (don't know terms sorry) I didn't like the GSD at the crufts a couple of years ago, with his back that was really low, I think they just look ill.. but then thats me..
take a look at this video of the early years of the development of the BSD http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBSvakToL7k&feature=share compare how similar in body shape to the BSD the early GSD's looked colour this dog fawn and give it a black mask and it would look just like a Malinois !!
no, not just you. common sense tells anybody it is wrong. hopefully we can change the dog.. but can we change the people who are doing it? lovely thread, really enjoyed.
My favourite thread - so interesting Moobli, Zac is a stunning boy but personally some of the photos that have been posted of the slightly older dogs look so strange with the slanting back. The pressure on their hips must be huge (no wonder so -many GSD's lose the use of their back legs). Don't take this personally because as I said Zac is drop dead gorgeous, but what has breeding done to them?