History of the change in the german shepherd over the years
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.ย. 2024
- This video depicts the change in the german shepherd over 40 years and how breeding for fashion and show can ruin a breed.I believe the sport of shutzhund has also made the german shepherd fall out of favor for most families. Let me explain nearly weekly I will get a call from a normal family or person at wiits end , they can't control the dog , the dog is very hyper, the dogs destroys everything in the house. the dog is very sharp often described as very nervous. this temper is good for shutzhund but is no longer a good famliy pet- these people tell me they will never get a german shepherd again....This does more harm to the breed then conformation. Temperament is what makes the breed. since 90% of all shutzhund bred dogs go to the family.... whats wrong with breeding a temperament that they can handle? the german shepherd used to be much calmer able to due both shutzhund and be a family pet many still can but lately the drive has become extreme in breeding for the sport we have made a jack russel terroir in a german shepherd coat..Police dogs do need more drive yes but the etreme aggression? the Grinnell police dept will never get another dog. The dog they paid big money for bit the ear off the offers son! breeding aggression based nervous dogs. has also ruined the breed.
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It's a shame what these dog shows and clubs do to these breeds.
jlen82 yeah...check out "extreme breeding".
They perverted it.
jlen82 Fr tho especially with pugs everyone thinks they’re so cute but before this breeding they looked way better and were much healthier. Now almost any pug today have chromosomal defects
with a breed standard how did we get the roach backs? I would have thought that anything that departed from the original standard wouldn't have been placed as a champ? Personally I love the old fashioned square type as they look healthy.
I honestly don't know for sure how it went to an extreme in the German Show bloodlines. I do know why the slight curve was bred in, I just don't know how they don't see that the extreme "roach" is horrible.
The reason why the slight curve was bred in was because it was proven that a dog with a slight curve or slope had a stronger back. The dogs with a completely "straight" back
(square type body) were more prone to have back problems. Through time the breeding of the curve got out of hand and ended up causing dogs to have a lot if health problems
Vznik křivice je přeci způsoben jinými faktory a stavbou kostry těla.
Problém je v tom, že lidé jsou převážně hloupí debili! Němci jen prokázali svou neschopnost udržet alespoň dosaženou úroveň kvalit všestranného nenáročného psa...
Posrali si chov a místo aby se snažili zhoršený stav napravit, tak si radši zjednodušili práci a upravili si tabulky podle nových od staré normy vychýlených proporcí těla. Aby zalepili hubu těm, který měli pádné argumenty a proti tomuto konání protestovali, tak si to nechali rádoby vědecky potvrdit, jak je to výhodné...
Německý ovčák je v současnosti pes, který dva roky dospívá, pak ho ještě třetí rok připravujete pro vykonávání práce. V pěti letech mu začínají jít zuby do prdele a sedmým rokem odchází do důchodu, jelikož jeho fyzický stav je tak opotřebovaný, že se již pro vykonávání práce nehodí. Když má smůlu tak od osmého roku se začne prudce zhoršovat jeho zdravotní stav a k desátému roku jeho život končí....
Takové plemeno by měli nechat dožít a již nezakládat chov dalších generací, jelikož vývoj Německého Ovčáka a jeho životní vitality má stále klesající tendenci!!
Ale co mne děsí, je fakt, že vývoj vitality a životnosti ostatních plemen pracovních, i jiných psů středního a vyššího vzrůstu má zrovna tak klesající tendenci!
Dnes je už téměř běžné, že vám pes z nenadání umře v pěti letech jeho života na zástavu srdce a ještě doma na pohovce?
Nebo na torzy žaludku, většinou to má jasnou smrt!
Tak co jsme jako lidi natolik posrali, že zdraví našich psů je v takovémhle stavu?
Nehledejme léky!
Hledejme příčinu!
A nehledejme ji tak, že budeme jenom jako dělat že ji hledáme...
Nastudujte staré knihy o psích nemocech, tam jsou totiž informace, které mají reálnou hodnotu a myslím, že v nich vyčteme i příčinu!
That’s also my question what’s the point of standards if they are gonna change it.
This is why people have true to breed dogs that look more like the old style, but "modern" breeders scoff at them and what they are trying to do. I can't see any police department using any of those so-called show dogs. All of them have looked crippled over the last 20 years or so.
+vegasrenie They've gone downhill since the 80's and it will take a breed ban or DQ from the kennel clubs to bring the breed back to a healthy normal.
This is so true and so sad. My German has a straight back like the one they showed in the 50s. That is exactly what German Shepherds are supposed to look like structurally
Make that 40 Yates
Years
vegasrenie Yes who in their right minds would breed for inferior traits. Truly horrendous. 😡😡
I would like to see a breeders trying to rectify this and breed back the German type from the 50's - really not a fan of the u.s bloodlines at all. The old breed type needs to be brought back. I have also noticed similar changes with other breeds for example the rough collies of the uk in the late 70/80s is nothing like what they are breeding now. All very sad - the health, temperament and longevity should be the main focus on breeding.
This video is a breeder who has done just that! I have one of her pups Raela is now 2 and she is beautiful. Robin Krum the one who posted this video has brought back the true German shepherd, I researched her and her dogs for a couple of years. I and my family have had GSD for over 45 years and always the straight back also referred to as the "working class" and we have yet had any to have hip problems.
***** I would love to get information about her dogs. I prefer the straight backs myself.
+Debra Ehrart you can see her very large and well done website at ROYALAIR extra. Large German shepherds. I have Kodiaks granddaughter if you should look up the site she gives so much info and she has had arrivals in major news editions written about her. She even does temperament testing on pups with on the first few weeks of life. I will be breeding my Lady Raela with one of her silver males "SABER" later this year. Thanks for the interest oh and Robin and I do not work together I just very much believe in what she is and has accomplished!
TheGuidance66 WEST GERMAN WORKING LINES they still exist.
***** Nope this breeder is full of BS. German Shepherds shouldn't be this big based on the SV standards by Vom Stephanitzs. Breeders like this destroyed German Shepherds. On the other hand if you want to look for good breeders who still breed the old lines of GS search for West German Working Lines.
They should've kept the breed how it was. I feel sorry for the german line. They totally f-ed their spines up.
Those 40's dogs are gorgeous. The recent ones look like hyenas. You could slide a teacup off those sloping haunches. Horrible.
I have both working and show GSD's. You can't compare how much the working line has over the show line. I would sometimes consider them to be two separate breeds.
GSD's that are bred for working duties and dog sports (Schutzhund/IPO) have very high drives but they are NEVER sharp/nervous. Sharpness is much more prevalent in show lines than working lines. Working lines were bred for stability of temperament. What you perceive as nervousness/sharpness is probably frustration from the dog's part where people do not channel these high drives into something constructive. The fault is 100% with the handler. A GSD from working lines in the hands of a dedicated and experienced owner is the most stable dog on earth.
David Cutz I can't love your comment anymore. oh my you said it PERFECTLY!!!!!
This makes me so sad, the newer champions do look deformed. So glad my "non-show quality" shepherd has a normal "straight" back. Thank you for this educational- eye opener video.
I think angulation (slant back) you see in show lines is a terrible and unnatural look for a dog. If you don't want angulation go for GSD czech working lines. The majority of the breeders for working lines do not breed angulation.
Fortunately all three of my GSDs look more like the older ones. They don't have that horrible slope in their backs, and they just naturally stand like that. I always thought something was wrong that they didn't have that sloping back, but now I am very relieved to see that they are better off that way.
The German Shepherd first came out in 1899 and they where much more Athletic then todays fat ones.
Humans just screwed this breed.
plus we have the working lines which are not fat... at all
Most gsd today are very fat can’t do proper agility whilst some are very stocky which should not happen because it slows them down in agility, they have a big range of weight allowed that why some breeders go over feeding them because they think that their Shepherd is larger and better but for real it’s just fat
You're so wrong about Schutzhund. A well-trained dog is not aggressive unless the job calls for it, and Schutzhund trained dogs are some of the best in the world.
This is a translation of the breed standard for the GSD in Germany "The withers are higher than and sloping into the level back. The back is straight, very strongly developed without sag or roach, and relatively short. The whole structure of the body gives an impression of depth and solidity without bulkiness". Not a description that could be applied to the champions of late is it?
that's our standard too.
My GSD is from Czechoslovakia and is from East German bloodlines. His back is straight, large head and feet. Perfect personality and no hip or shoulder problems. Best dog I've ever had the privilege of owning.
The original standard of the gsd was to have a wolf like appearance today's show standards don't look anyway like the original standard but the working standard looks more like the original show standard
The link isn't working but the videos are on my channel
Well I guess that only leaves the working lines to save the breed, eh?
My boy has a straight back, strong hips, and is huge. His back legs are even with his front legs and he is a handsome shepherd. The sloped back is not only ridiculous looking, it's unhealthy. It's like bulldogs of today vs. the 1930's. Bulldogs today have so many health problems bred into them. The 1930's version looks nothing like today's. Poor Golden Retrievers have been bred to automatically die of cancer... Good job breeders!
The third GSD from the 60's german line,just awesome. Just like I remember GSD dogs and think they should be.
I think this all started with that absurd "show stance" peculiar to the German Shepherd Dog where one hind leg is thrust forward, the other extended backward and the hips set far lower than the shoulders. No other breed is 'stacked' that way during a dog show. And then GSD breeders started breeding for an increased angulation in the hindquarters in order to exaggerate that "fashionable" show stance. The result has been to create a race of crippled show specimens that would be useless as traditional working dogs. It's a shame because the GSD was at one time the ultimate working breed. From what I've seen the best "working" specimens of the breed are now coming from Poland and Czechoslovakia where they still breed them strictly as working animals. They are usually gray-sable in color, so the color variety is limited, but they resemble the great German Shepherds of the past.
I think you are absolutely right: breeding for a more exaggerated stance has lead to the current problem. Show dogs in general are pushed to ridiculous extremes. I was very proud of my friends in the Jack Russel Terrier club for keeping their dogs out of the AKC show ring and preserving them from this fate.
Yes, the East German (and Czech) working lines are more oldfashioned. Straighter backs, bigger boned. I'm getting my (longcoat) GSD in a few weeks. He'll be darker, bigger and with straighter back than most GSD. I've seen my puppies family (even greatgrandmother) and many family members including father are very active in sports (schutzhund etc.). Plus, I'll get to visit my puppy as much as I want to from the age of three weeks till he comes home with me at eight weeks.
We have a rescue GSD that is between 8 & 10 yrs old. He is not angular of back like many of these dogs and has a fairly big head compared to some we see. He must be a throw out then because of his looks. No wonder he was found as a stray. lol. I remember GSD's being big thick straighter dogs in my youth than they are now. He is also probably one of the best dogs I have ever owned. Someone trained him well. And someone abused him just as badly. He has learned we are not going to harm him. Just a great boy.
I made the video "German Shepherd Dog Then and Now" under the account Luvbuzz9583. Have since forgot the password to that account lol how cool am I~ But just wanted to say I'm very glad to see all of you making note and discussing how the Straight Back Sheps are indeed more healthy. That IS the correct conformation of this breed. I grew up with gsds and all were straight back. We never had a hip problem with any of them. When I finally saw a showline shep the first words out of my mouth were literally.. oh my God.. why do they a crippled dog in the show ring? I was around 12 years old. Then I learned the ugly truth... that's the way people are breeding them. To suit their own frivolous ideas of how the breed should look. Tsk tsk Shame... breeding an animal to suffer for your own greed and vanity.
+Aqua Blaze I have (unfortunately) come to know a GSD breeder here, who has been doing it for 35 years. It is a source of FIERCE pride for her, to the point that she jumped down our throats just this afternoon when a friend and I were discussing the relative merits of breeding vs adopting mutts as pets. Anyway.
She's a prickly old drunk now and doesn't have a good word to say about much.
Of course her dogs have the badly sloped spines and hips, but further, the only 2 of her dogs I know well are (and were, in one case) nuttier than fruitcakes. One could NOT be suitably trained now matter how many classes, how much work at home and how much patience was provided. The most hyper, neurotic GSD I've ever seen, and it has broken everything breakable in the house.
The other was a pup when I met him - about 4 months. I was sitting in a lawn chair in a mutual friend's yard when he was brought over for us to fawn over. It immediately came across the yard to where I was sitting and bit me. This was a pattern that would last until it died. For YEARS, I would go to her house and the dog had to be either muzzled (and it still went after me vigourously, and with bad intent) or put in a bedroom. I was told "The dog can tell you're afraid!" and I wanted to say "Anyone in their right mind would be afraid."
It bit the brother in law of the dog's owner, with whom it had been living in the house for years, and he did nothing, except walk out of the room, which caused the dog to run over and bite him on the ass, I guess. It also bit the elderly mother of her former landlord, which caused her to be evicted.
A terrible, terrible place to get a dog, if you ask me.
thanks for letting us know how uneducated you are about the topic...
The term "straight back" is only showing ignorance.
Just because a dog has a straight back it doesn't mean the dog will be healthy. "Straight backed" dogs can also have hip problems etc.
There are plenty of Showlines that have "straight" backs and are healthy dogs but because they are "showlines" people still bash them. I don't understand people anymore. One way or another nomatter how the dog is everyone has something to say.
There are perfectly fine Showline examples of the breed out there and nobody ever notices them. Don't you guys know that bad traits aren't desirable in the ring? Nobody wants these traits. These dogs barely ever become champions since the year 2000. In the American Show bloodlines they choose better dogs,with "straight backs" as you guys say. Our dogs also do work, it's all a matter of choosing the rights dogs. Stop bashing them if you don't know anything about the topic.
Haven't you guys noticed that the "2000" pictures of the dogs only stop there? They are really old pictures! None were fairly recent... so why believe that the American line dogs are still the same? They have changed
The healthy dogs are the Working lines...not straight backs...
Wow! I'm just seeing this now! I'm 48 now, but when I was 16 for my Sweet 16 gift my Dad bought me a (what he called) Royal German Shepherd puppy that I had always wanted since I was a very young girl. I guess I got very lucky! And he sure knew what he choosing with no expenses spared back in the early 80's I finally got my beloved friend and family member "Stachio" he was so adorable as a pup, but we knew he would be big just by the size of his head and paws as a pup, but we had no idea he would be as big as he got! And ended up wieghing 132lbs and was not fat at all! Just was huge! And he had all of the old traits of the old version of the German Shepherd breed, only he had a longer coat that the other's I had seen when we looking together, always thinking I wouldn't get one all of those years. I was very lucky at that time to have a nice big guard dog (as my Dad had been laid off from his job a lot of the time during his young years as a pup and did most of the training, I did most of the spoiling, cuddling and was his main companion, but did follow the same techniques my Dad had asked me do as far as training him and he ended up being sort of a one person dog, and he was MY DOG of course! He had that straight back, a HUGE head and long legs and his stature was quite a topic of discussion as everyone would say "I have never seen a German Shepherd that big before this!" I have learned that that was the way he was actually meant to be and suppose to be! He never did have any issues with hip displasia or any of what is wrong with the many breeds of what's going on these days with these poor dogs now. What happened? When I saw the backs of those poor dogs that were suppose to be "Champoins>" were all curved and their spines were obviously just not right? Stachio never had a spine like that at all. Nor ever any other issues with his heart or anything else. He passed away at the ripe old age of 16 years old, and had a nice long and happy life with our family as it grew. He was there and that was a little touch and go when I had my first Son, I just didn't trust it for a while as he was my baby before my Son was actually my baby and took his place as far as attention goes. It just could not be avoided, I did try my best to give him as much as I could, but being that he was trained as a one owner dog, it's not as if he could just be left alone with my husband without me there. He had his own room that he got locked in when I wasn't there, but he was just fine and hadn't had any type of viciousness against anyone when I was there, but once my hubby came home and I forgot to lock him in his room, and he did know how to turn the nob and get out. My Husband ended up waiting on the steps until I got home from work. But there was an incident that only happened once, when I was walking him along with my Son in the buggy/stroller on a really nice day for some fresh air. He began to go nuts, bark, pull on his leash, growl and show his teeth like nothing I have ever seen him do before, for crying out loud, when I was there he would let children pet him, he LOVED it and would give kisses in hands and faces slobbering up a storm and making the kids laugh as he gobbled up the attention! But it's amazing when they can sure sense something's wrong... These were a bunch of thugs up to no good and he knew it! The kept telling me "Don't you dare let go of that leash, I will stab that damn dog! Hang on to that leash, that dog is crazy!" and things of that nature. I just let them know, this isn't the way he acts at all normally so it's really getting hard to hold him, so you better get going on fast as I don't know how much longer I can keep on holding this leash!", Lol! They pretty much ran in the opposite direction they were going in, in the beginning. I'm glad someone is changing this back to the old way, I still love my German Shepherd breed, and do want to get another after I move and once I get some medical issues under control here. I AM disabled in many different categories but still don't know if I will qualify for a service dog, but if I do, it will most definitely be another like Stachio, like the old Royal Air breed again. But maybe a female this time. As males seem to be so protective of only one person, and I know females are a little better about letting other's in and being of great help as well, mild mannered and only super protective of their litters which they should be! It's an instinct that I think should be in all of us, but unfortunately the sad thing is with some Mother's it's just not there. I don't get that one, but I have an idea. Too long to share on this link. Besides this is all about the change of breeding of the old way and new way coming back to the breed of what SHOULD be with our beloved German Shepherds! Thanks to all good breeders that are doing this and who care about the quality and quality of life of the breed and not the quantity!! So important and that shows who really cares, and I will subscribe and keep this in mind when I'm ready to adopt for myself. ;)
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looked interesting, but that's a wall of text
We have a white shepherd. Her white is a fault which means she can't be shown in conformation, only things like agility and other "stuff". She has a nice straight back and her hips aren't hurting from walking at some unnatural slant. She is absolutely gorgeous and, again, not bred for conformation her personality hasn't been ruined in the process. She's an excellent family and therapy dog. She's 10 years old and has had babies and toddles yank and lay on her since she was 2.
Thank you Vicky! I have had several WGSD's one lived to 16+yrs and I've only owned straight backs. The roach back as some call it is forced on the pup as soon as it stands. If you watch videos of breeders showing the new pups they position their feet in the stance of one back leg in front of the other as they forcibly push the hind legs down this is done repeadetly. So as it's passed through the genes then it's reinforced over and over after they are born.
***** Our dog stands with one back leg stretched like that and I have just thought it was something wrong with him. He must have been taught that as a pup from what I am seeing. We have only had him 10 mo as he is a rescue who is between 8 & 10 yrs old.
Rhonda, our dog was never taught it but when she's focused on something, like looking out the window at a squirrel, she will stand like that. She'll also stand like that when she just came in and needs her paws wiped!
I'm sorry my post was misleading the one leg in front of the other is not any part of the deformity that's something mine do from time to time I believe they do this as a stance for when they may want to run? Possibly makes it easier for take off from a stand still but it does look very majestic!
agreed and its nice to see someone say that MANY breeds are being messed up and destroyed, people see it as only the Shepherds but look at the Bulldog for example. German Shepherds are not alone in all the change
You can see why the Army switched to the Malinois.
eh not really they still have the Czech working line German Shepherds ....which haven't changed much
I love my German Shepherd, not for what I want him to be, but for who he is.
Great video..... poor dog!
Mine has the flat back and big head still.
My 9 month old female is trim and in awesome shape from running with my female doberman pinscher on my 20 acres in North Georgia and she still weighed in at an honest 81lbs. about 2 weeks ago on the certified scales at my local feed store.
not gonna lie, my breeder has done a great job at trying to get back to the basics of what Captain Max Von Stephanitz started. My female GSD has a straight back big paws, and a good sized head for a female. I love her very much.
I'm an English Springer Spaniel enthusiast myself and the same thing is happening to my favorite breed too. Its gotten so bad that there are essentially two different breeds now: Bench and Field.
Frankly, benches are just this side of worthless. The same thing happened to Choker Spaniels. Chokers used to be hunting dogs, but you'd be hard pressed to find a hunting Choker in the US.
I would also like to add, that while the hyenas have taken thousands of years to evolve, these dogs have taken just about hundred years (half of it humans making their hind legs slope) And hyenas have not evolved to "look more intimidating" they actually have a function, they have not wanted to look like something specific, they look what they look like to serve their survival. GSD's have been bred to just look "nice" without any thought to function.
We had a GSD in the 1970s when I was a kid. I had noticed that the ones I see now looked different with the exaggerated sloping of the back and what appeared to be very short back legs. I wasn't aware of all of this other than what I observed...I too felt like they were ruining the dog. Don't know about the behavior, ours was a sweetheart, a great family pet.
Great video, thank you for educating the general public.
The destruction of our beautiful breed.
What are the breeders thinking?
Restore this magnificent breed, please!
Some breeders in Germany breed healthy working type GSD. Google RSV 2000.
I'm not a dog expert, but it looks like these show dogs are just bred for show only. My GSD is a working dog and she has a straight back, very athletic, agile, and she can jump high. I don't see these show dogs being able to do anything that mine, or any other working GSD can do. That's the one thing I've noticed, all the working GSDs have straight backs.
+shaolinwarrior87 Good to hear, I prefer how they used to be 100 years ago and was afraid they ruined all of them.
I got lucky I guess. My vet said my GSD is "old school", as he puts it. Stright back, lean, (not skinny, he 80 pounds)), outstanding temperment. Built for speed more then combat, looks like he would love rounding up sheep or cows. My vet said his build should greatly contribute to his health, especially his joints.
we have 2 shepherds, american lines and both rescues. both are straight backed and well boned, but you can definitely see which of them was better bred based on temperament. both are complete sweethearts at home and with visitors, but one is very aggressive once he leaves the house. the other one is not friendly, but not aggressive either - which i find is the defining temperament for shepherds. the better bred one also has a very high drive and takes to all kinds of training in a minute.
Excellent video, so sad, what they have done to this beautiful breed. I was fortunate to get a large straight back and am all for bringing them back and changing the breed standards.
Shows corrupt seemingly most species...I've been looking a lot into modern show horses compared to old time show horses and recently became interested in the evolution of dog show lines...so much corruption in both horses and dogs. Judges need to stop placing these badly built animals.
I'm trying to find what horses looked like before, not having much luck
My dog will live inside the owners house, (same with parents & grandparents, greatgrandmother) plus I get a daily update with photo's. Oh, and I've seen the medical records (pennhip results) of my dogs mother, grandmother, father (grandfather lives in Germany, so haven't seen the original papers). Now my dog will not go to shows (longcoat isn't allowed...) and wouldn't win anyway, but I LOVE these dogs and think they're gorgeous and know they're healthy and bred with love.
There is a breed out there known as the Shiloh Shepherd created back in the 1970s to have greater size, straight backs and legs, and a milder more stable temperament than the current GSD. They are often found with a silkier more "plush" coat that resembles a collie but there is also a "smooth coated" variety that looks just like an old style German Shepherd Dog.
Wow. I own a 75 lb.German shep mix. Looks like a German shep. And I noticed that he has a straighter back then some younger German shepherds that people around town have when we take our walks. I never noticed that lowered back end until I could compare my dog to the larger purebreds. I love German shepherd dogs, but honestly that is the one thing that scares me about getting a purebred. The weak hips and knees. I simply won't buy a purebred just to have to buy new it new hips after two years, it's not worth it.
but a workingline, I recommend an East or West German working line. The westGerman workingline has a small curve on its back but is very healthy. An East German working line is like your dog, a bit smaller ,straight back ,slim ,healthy yet really strong. Or a Czech working line. They are all purebred German Shepherds ,just different types and standards. There are 5 types of Gsd standards.... American showlines, German show lines, East, West Czech working lines
but a workingline, I recommend an East or West German working line. The westGerman workingline has a small curve on its back but is very healthy. An East German working line is like your dog, a bit smaller ,straight back ,slim ,healthy yet really strong. Or a Czech working line. They are all purebred German Shepherds ,just different types and standards. There are 5 types of Gsd standards.... American showlines, German show lines, East, West Czech working lines
but a workingline, I recommend an East or West German working line. The westGerman workingline has a small curve on its back but is very healthy. An East German working line is like your dog, a bit smaller ,straight back ,slim ,healthy yet really strong. Or a Czech working line. They are all purebred German Shepherds ,just different types and standards. There are 5 types of Gsd standards.... American showlines, German show lines, East, West Czech working lines
buy a workingline, I recommend an East or West German working line. The west German working line has a small cu
There are 5 types of Gsd standards. American showlines, German showlines , West German working, East German working , Czech. I recommend an East or West Working Line if you want a purebred, strong ,loyal, well bred and tempered GermanShepherd
PITA should do something useful and outlaw destroying established breeds. My GSD has a straight back they are a fantastic breed. Loyal, obedient, smart, fearless, and protective.
my point being that i do think there are different breed lines even within whatever country lines exist. i've seen show 'quality' (and i use that word VERY loosely) shepherds and working quality shepherds and they are very different in looks, temperament, structure and drive. give me a healthy working dog any day. both our shepherds were rescues and did not have easy early lives, but you can see the better breeding shine through despite their rocky starts.
To get a good example of the old style German Shepherd Dog you need to import them from Eastern European countries. Poland has good examples of the breed, while the best are found in Czechoslovakia. However, be advised that the coat color will almost always be a simple wolf gray rather than the standard black and tan markings we're accustomed to seeing.
What a majestic animal!
a cryin' shame - both countries should be ashamed of what they have allowed to happen to this magnificent breed. is anyone breeding the 1950s version I wonder....and just googled Old School German Shepherd breeders and found quite a few ...yay!!
This is my favorite breed because these dogs have purpose. It breaks my heart to see people breeding them for show and aesthetics and it's crippling to the dog. Thank goodness I was lucky enough to adopt a working line GSD and his back is straight but his head and paws are not as big as the 1940's-1960's GSDs. Great video though!!
As a proud owner,of 2 wonderful companion GSD,it makes me sad to know the damage done to the breed,by breeding for asthetics in the ring,rather than retaining the function of the dogs purpose.None of the dogs that i have seen in the showring could even walk right,let alone herd or perform schutxhund.The german shepherd dog,IMHO, should be bred for health,sound temperment and function,as one of the most versitile utilitarin breeds,as breed creator Von Stephanitz had intended..
It is wrong what breeders are doing to these dogs. They should be stood tall and proud,, they are the best breed of dogs,,,
Also as for the Shiloh Shepherd which is pretty much a bigger GSD,some say that the creator breed them like that to look more alike to what these dogs where.
Compare that to a skinny foundling starveling white Shepherd I picked up from a friend. There was no comparing the two. Gertie the champion was a good dog, very pretty and everybody loved her. White Fang the foundling was mean and hated the mailman and most people in general. I could go anywhere with her and she automatically guarded my rig. Cops that I knew told me they would not ever attempt going near this white tornado. She won my heart, hands down. I love junkyard dogs made in the U.S.A.
To all those people who want to bye a dog I would recommend buying a German shepherd I have 4 and they are amazing at guarding and they are very easy to train
Oh, yeah.. I know about the Shilohs, as well as the King Shepherd.
But... as far as appearence - they dont look like the original GSDs.
Original sheps looked very much like the working line sheps of today.
Mostly sable colors, medium build, high energy...
Tho, I do admire the Shilohs' calm temperments... and flowing coats. :)
And I love how Shiloh breeders strive for straight-backs.
They are quite lovely dogs indeed.
I have heard that from many people in hungry that the gsd's are very large straight backed dogs.. that is very good to here..
Now I know why my grandfather dogs use to live pass 15 for real and when he use to breed and stop and now they don't even pass 10 it's sad
Being longer allows them to have that suspended gait (aka flying trot) where at certain points during movement they animal is completely off the ground. They are supposed to cover as much ground as they can in as few steps possible. Schutzhund also does not ruin a dogs temperament. The key is training the dog to know when to be in that mindset and when not to be. I know a breeder who has schutzhund trained dogs that also play with her small granddaughters.
I have a female GSD, she's 7 months old. She looks exacly like these dogs, but has a straight back and she's biggg. She is not aggresive, but she has way too much energy. I love her but she barks like crazy, and my neighbors hate her. I'm hoping that she will mature and calm down.
But I would also like to say, that my NINI is a good girl. She gets along with my chihuahuas and my two Labs. She sleeps in the house and has never destroyed anything. Like I said before, the only thing is taht she barks at anyone who gets near our fence.She's never bitten anyone and she's the smartest dog ever, I LOVE HER.
@TheCaaze the problem is their rear angulation... not the back. The back follows the rear.
Great topic and information....too bad the quality (focus) of the pictures is so lacking.
That's why I've been buying my dogs from the Czech Republic for the past 20 years or so.
The roach and angulation is just awful! Would love to have the dog of the 1960s german bloodlines. Level back.
Also illustrative is comparison of today show-strain GSD with what used to be just a coat-color variant: White Swiss Shepherd.
I have a 14 months old female german shepherd and her back looks straight, not angled, she looks more of an original one than the today's dogs
Mad props for the music.
They looked much healthier 100 years ago, more athletic with well proportioned legs. Look at them now, like a limping bear. It's a disgrace what has been done to this wonderful breed. I wonder, are there any left from the original version?
+no one German Shepherds made for work/ being a family pet look exactly like they did years ago, the only people who breed crippled GSD's are people who only use them for show. I never really saw the point modern dog shows anyways, before it was to see who could breed a dog best suited for it's job but nowadays its to see who can make the worst freak of nature they can.
And that is what occurs when a group of people breed specifically for looks. The German Shepherd looked like that in the beginning b/c no one was really that concerned with a "flying gait" or "angular legs." They were concerned with the working ability and disposition of the dog, like in every other working breed.
we have the american line, we breed..and all of ours have straight back, not the slanted/slinky back they are gorgeous with nice ears and face
This is exactly why we switched to the ISSR Shiloh Shepherd. Frankly it's a better, healthier version of the German Shepherd. No roach-back , 28'' at the withers or greater. The Shiloh Shepherd is a powerful Shepherd without the health issues.
a real german shepherd has straight flat back... I don't speak about "show line invention" sad but this video show us decline of this breed, how human stupidity transform this working dog in a toy dog. for all people who love show line I have only 2 words: "buy chihuahua" n leave this breed alone.
Flat NO! Straight ? Yes gently sloping from the wither to the croup.
I show dogs. It is sad because it is usually not the dog that is being judged but the person handling the dog. Champions are made by who is handling them, not because the dog is deserving of the title. Then those dogs go on to breed more inferior dogs. Such a shame for the breed. Your dogs are gorgeous and follow the, form equals function rule. You have not allowed fashion trends to influence your breeding program. Congratulations on your beautiful dogs.
Our little puppy shepherd comes from a line of dogs that don't have the slope back.
His little butt is at the same height as his shoulders.
did you see pedigree dogs exposed? they actualy talked about this! I was SO glad they did!
I live in southern California and I got my straight-backed GSD from a Korean breeder, and I'll never have another breed as a dog, and I'll never have a sloped-back GSD!!
@royalairgsd I so agree with what you are saying. Schutzhund, instead of becoming a test of a great dog, has become a competition among humans to see who can shock their dog into submission the best for a totally "flawless" performance, and "drive" now equates to aggressive craziness, rather than working ability that should have an appropriate shut off switch. If a dog cannot be trusted by your fireplace, he shouldn't be in your cruiser either because his temperament is unstable.
That is not slow destruction. It is rapid in biological terms.
These days, German Shepherds come in 3 types, almost seperate breeds: American show dogs, German show dogs, and Working dogs. The working lines are primarily what police and military are using, being selected for ability and temperment, they still look like what normal people think of as German Shpeherds.
What I would find really interesting would be to compare dogs as they normally stand on their own, rather than posed for the show ring. The show ring not only influences anatomy, it also influences showing styles. Let's compare dogs in their natural state so that we know the differences are anatomy, not handling. btw, I personally don't like the "banana backs" or the weak hind quarters that are so often seen today.
Interesting video. One should be made for every breed then presented to judges and breeders. The 'breed standard' shouldn't be changed because of a certain 'style' that's winning at the time. I've seen some nice 'old school' GSDs at UKC shows (primarily German lines) and they don't display the roached back or extreme angulation that the video shows. Good work
As for the German Shepherds, I feel like there should be two specific breedlines from it, that should be a standard. One for its original purpose as working dogs for police jobs, and one for the families, as an obedient non-aggressive temperament. Since it is so popular, it won't go away from public eyes, so its best to make do with what we have, instead of fooling ourselves into thinking we can get the best of both worlds as one breed. Also, GS show dogs should not exist. Its sickening.
@1sowild - yes... but they weren't the only herders expected to do the job.- but yes I agree on the unique quality of the breed.
I'ma git me a Rosehall baby... straight back all the way!! :)
I think it would have been ideal to do the comparisons in the same frame so you don't have to rely on visual memory.
I had a German import with both working and show lines. She cost me over $3000 not including my time and effort, equipment and gas money in travel to the training academy. She turned out to have a soft mouth and was too mild.
@Royalairdogsrule
I feel the need to applaud you. When people decided to dogs for appearance and pure performance instead of for overall health, problems understandably arose. Health and temperament should have priority. I'd much rather have a dog that isn't exactly pretty but has a great temperament and is healthy than a beautiful, hyper active nutball that has a handful of bad genes and needs to see the vet every three weeks.
Sometimes dogs that have been kennelled and not kept clean do that, a friend of mine had a rescue bassett hound that did and he had been kennelled for two years. They don't like living in their own mess and try to clean up, it may become a habit.
@Royalairdogsrule - life in the 1950's was very different. Most ppl didn't live in "cute" suburbs yet...that trend was just starting. So the dog still having a "work" mentality wasn't a problem. Most of them I'm sure probably lived outside in the dog house as well. People have the same complaints now about retrievers... they forgot what the retrievers original intent was..and it was not to sit on a sofa.. so they get upset because the dog is too hyper indoors.
Not all. There are two strains of German Shepherds: Straight-back and sloped-back. Straight-back look normal and is also used as working dogs by police and soldiers. If you want a straight back german shepherd you can look for those from working lines. Sloped-back german shepherds is often used by owners in dog shows and are from show lines.
I'm so happy my breeder is more old school... My sheps really look like the ones in the 1940's pics...
GSD is not my fav but I think GSD's with straight backs look so much better. Today they look like some one sat on the dogs back. It would be nice to see GSD's with straight backs again.
You have really important information to share in this video, but having the text scroll into the picture the way you do, combined with the super slow pacing means a lot of people simply aren't going to watch the whole thing. I really hope you'll re-edit a simpler, clearer, more viewer friendly version so more people will get the message.
Exactly. The judges don't know crap, and they want to maintain their power, so they will not change hands to those more capable and non-intentionally-ignorant of the problems. Obviously almost all things have outliners, where in-here there are good dog shows, and good show dogs, but they are not common enough for me to retract my opinion. Please don't assume that I think all show dogs are horrid, especially when I said nothing about that, only my thoughts with the main GS show dog line.
How would one go about breeding out a stud for the pick of the litter? I have a great all black GSD that is high energy,kind and loyal. His back hips are not low he weighs about 95-100lbs depending. He is four years old all I want is to preserve his traits and also give one to my father.
the best hope for any "working" breed, it seems to me, is for enough variation to exist to allow for the needs of the various sub groups of owners. If only 2% of GSD owners have any intention of training the dogs in Schutzhund - it is a bad idea to use success in that venue as the main selective criteria. One can't honestly believe that a gene pool large enough to sustain the breed could exist without the placement of many pups in pet homes.
I love the traits on the heads of the European lines but I prefer the straighter backs of the American lines. Are there breeders that offer a happy medium?
Would like to see this rectified. They are crippling generations of dogs. It looks like it hurts to be built with such a curved back.
the dog does not have a curved back. the dogs in this video are just in a 3 point stack
I heard the Albuquerque police force won't use GSDs anymore because of the weak back legs. The more recent champions look almost deformed. Sad to see the breed messed with like this.