Why are so many GSDs over standard height?

[Chicagocanine]

I'm curious why so many GSDs are oversized? I have seen many dogs including dogs from US, Canadian and German lines both working and show that are oversized. I was looking in the puppy section of the forum and saw in the growth chart posts a lot of pups were already 26" or taller.
I know some breeders do breed purposefully for over-standard sized dogs but these dogs I've been seeing are mostly from "standard" breeders or even show breeders.
Now personally I love large dogs so I like the really big GSDs but I know it is not "correct" according to the breed standard so I am curious why it seems to be so common to have larger dogs...
I've noticed that it is true in some other breeds as well, for example my Golden Retriever was over standard height, she was 24" tall which is supposed to be the top height for males (but she was still within the standard weight for females.) Even though she was over standard for a female and at the maximum height for a male a lot of people who met her would comment on her being "small" for a Golden!

[SunCzarina]

I think it's the supersize me mentality. People like a bigger dog so less than ethical breeders are pairing bigger than standard dogs to get bigger than standard pups.

Sad commentary:

Otto is a DDR, he's 7 months old and 23" tall, good size for a little boy. He's small when you look at the heigh chart.

Morgan is 7, she ain't gonna grow no more. She's slightly less than 24" tall which makes her slightly too tall for a female. Compare her side by side with most other GSD females, she looks like a shrimp.

[BlackGSD]

Another thing is that a lot of folks don't REALLY measure them. Same thing happens in the horse world. People THINK they know how tall their animal is, but when the actual measuring stick comes out, they are usually a fair amount SHORTER than the owner thinks.

Just like people telling you their GSD weighs 120lbs. Yet get it on a scale and it weighs 90lbs and is FAT.

[SunCzarina]

INteresting point, Tracy. When I was puppy shopping, how tall are the parents was one of the first questions I asked - becuase I don't want a supersizer. VERY interesting how many breeders didn't know - NEXT I'd be thinking and end the conversation with a I'll get back to ya...

[DianaM]

There were some very interesting discussions on height over on the Pedigreedatabase forum. In fact, many breeders were pushing to change the standard to INCREASE the height! As if that would solve the problem- before long, we'd have dogs 30" at the shoulder that couldn't make it over the schutzhund jumps to save their lives. All because the dogs otherwise look "perfect." I don't think we should go nutso over dogs that are oversized a bit, but breeders should strive to remain within standard; if they find that their programs are producing more oversized dogs than standard sized dogs, they should reexamine their breeding population and perhaps ensure shorter families get paired with taller families. This breed should be able to fly over some pretty high jumps, scramble over obstacles, crawl under obstacles, and maneuver inside small vehicles to do drug searches as this is a working breed. It wouldn't do to produce GSDs that are bigger than the cars themselves. Not to mention large size poses a problem for SAR- in a pinch, just about any handler can carry out their 75 or 80 lb dog but a 110 lb dog is a whole other story.

Working lines don't seem to have problems with size so much but it seems to be prevalent in the German showlines and pet lines. The pet lines I don't really care about much to be honest because there are usually many more things missing in those programs but the German showlines are supposed to be the breed representatives yet we have breeders wanting to change the standard because of their faulty programs. They have already dumbed down schutzhund to some degree.

Your comment on goldens is all too true. These days, I see more goldens (and labs) almost as big as my car than the size they SHOULD be. It's a shame.

[Brightelf]

My last GSD was 25.5" and I promise you, EVERYONE thought that he was HUGE. Grimm is 27", and nobody is intimidated by "silly-goofy." Attitude makes a GSD seem intimidating, not height. You know who looks big-n-tough on this board? Renji. Diana's boy-- and he's not a giant. Attitude really IS everything. Jean's Kramer, too. Kingly personalities make dogs seem larger than life.

That said, I looked long and hard to find a breeder who did not breed for size but just so happened to have a stud who passed on many wonderful qualities, among them his size. I like big. But to me, the top of the standard is also super.

Also, some dogs like the DDR line dogs are not necessarily tall, but their bone is just amazing. Impressive dogs!

[SunCzarina]

Hey I heard someone was looking for a short DDR?

[Brightelf]

ROFL!! Otto !!!!!!! He gets handsomer and handsomer!! As he ages, I am truly beginning to think he will be handsomer even than his sire!

He has a jingle-bell collar on, and a lil Miss Jackie giving him a shoulder massage? Rough life!

Jenn, DDR dogs are gorrrrr-juss!! And Otto PERFECT!

[dOg]

When you "fix" a dog before it matures, and hormones can tell the bone plates to stop growing,
you very often end up with a taller animal than would have otherwise occurred.

That's as big a reason as any.

[BlackGSD]

Originally Posted By: dOgWhen you "fix" a dog before it matures, and hormones can tell the bone plates to stop growing,
you very often end up with a taller animal than would have otherwise occurred.

That's as big a reason as any.

I think the above should read "hormones CAN'T tell the bone plates to stop growing".

That is a good point too. (Though not the case in Sirens situation since she is still intact. She is 9 months old and taller than both parents.)