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Why is the "standard" weight set where it is? Cannot there be prefectly healthy dogs 10 lbs above this "standard"?
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Not to state the obvious, but there is no weight standard in the German Shepherd Dog, there is only a height standard.
The height standard is set where it is set because it relates to the working ability of the dog. Max von Stephanitz, who created the breed, specifically wrote in his book that "giants are never nimble" and that overly large dogs were not suited to keeping up with the demands of work for which his breed was created. He has said over and over again that the breed is medium sized and should be medium sized.
There is a reason that so many police departments and other agencies that need working dogs are moving away from Shepherds and toward Malinois and Dutchies. On the whole, it's easier for them to find the smaller, faster, more agile, and more hard-biting Dutchies and Mals than it is for them to find suitable working German Shepherds.
Also, I think "Eva von Selah" is turning the thread to fit whichever argument she wants to make. When she wanted to promote large dogs, she posted pictures of her dog's dam and sire - dogs who are grossly over-sized AND overweight. Then when people commented on THOSE dogs and the breeding of THOSE grossly over-sized types of dogs, she started taking it personally and is now directing the thread to "how can you say MY dog is over-sized". Her female is very little over the standard, as opposed to the HUGE dogs in her pedigree everyone is commenting on. Two different things.
People are discussing the over-sized dogs, such as the dam and sire posted in Eva's previous post. Not dogs that are maybe an inch or two over. Apples and oranges. Dogs that turn out on the larger end of the standard come out of lots of litters. Including good, solid working litters.
Actually, some working lines tend to produce dogs a little on the larger side because they're "sacrificing" (for lack of a better term) the ability to meet the height standard for all the other benefits of their breeding program, such as outstanding working ability. Brightelf's "Grimm" comes to mind - her breeder tends to produce dogs on the larger side, but in their case, it's NOT a case of "breeding for gentle, large, family pets" as it is with many breeders who breed PRIMARILY for size rather than ability. That's where the difference lies.