Front Angulation

[Vandal]

Always known to be one of the most difficult things to achieve in the GSD. Here is the standard:
Chest
The chest should be of moderate width, the underchest long and pronounced. Chest depth should be approximately 45 to 48% of height at the withers. The ribs should be moderately sprung. Barrel shaped or flat ribs are faulty.


Forelegs
Seen from all sides, the forelegs are straight and absolutely parallel when viewed from the front.
Shoulder and upper arms are of equal length. Both are held snugly to the body by strong muscles. Angulation of shoulder blade to the upper arm ideally is 90 degrees, but up to 110 degrees is permissible.
Elbows may not turn out when the dog is standing or in motion or be pinched inward. The lower legs viewed from all sides are straight and absolutely parallel, dry, and well muscled. The pastern measures about 1/3 of the forearm length and is angled 20-22 degrees to the foreleg. Pasterns with an angle of more than 22 degrees or very steep pasterns (less than 20 degrees) reduce working capability especially, endurance.


This is a dog born sometime around 1976. I am posting his picture because he was recommended to improve front angulation. There are others I am sure but I don't have time to look through my winsis to find them. This is also an area where working lines are critisized more often. Are the dogs correct in front nowadays or has that evolved as well?

[Vandal]

V Miro vom Wällerhorst

HD: A-NORMAL / ED: NORMAL; SCHH3 V Kkl 1

Working line dog. I suspect that his front is not exactly correct....but I like him anyway.





VA1 (2008 & 2009) Vegas du Haut Mansard

SCHH3 Kkl 1

[Andaka]

Note also: Level topline both stacked and gaiting. Feet close to the ground.

[Andaka]

Working lines. Beautiful front.

[Whitedog404]

Originally Posted by Vandal

V Miro vom Wällerhorst

HD: A-NORMAL / ED: NORMAL; SCHH3 V Kkl 1

Working line dog. I suspect that his front is not exactly correct....but I like him anyway.





VA1 (2008 & 2009) Vegas du Haut Mansard

SCHH3 Kkl 1

Hey! Vegas is my puppy's grandfather.

[JeanKBBMMMAAN]

I think he's a lot of puppies' grandfather?
Progeny (559)

Anne - what is it called when they have big, meaty "breast" like chests? That kind of hang? Is there a name for that or do I just see a lot of funky looking dogs!

I like this:
V Miro vom Wällerhorst
And the one Daphne posted:


What about gender differences? Any?

[Samba]

Jean- are you talking about a dewlap in the chest area?

I have often been told that front conformation is difficult to maintain and relatively easy to loose when breeding.

Dogs bred for success in the show ring often have far reaching front angulation resulting in the front paw reaching out as far as the nose or beyond when the trot is fast.

This page shows several dogs in extension:

http://www.victorygermanshepherds.co...n%20Motion.htm

I personally haven't seen this degree of extension in the front in dogs not bred pretty much for showing.

This girl does seem to have a shoulder that opens pretty big though...



Would good shoulder angulation allow for better shock absorption when landing from a jump?

[JeanKBBMMMAAN]

Not the turkey wattle type thing, chest flubber that wobbles...more like a big turkey breast look. Maybe you should just ingore me! I don't want to post any pics I have of dogs with that, because I feel bad that I am saying I don't like it - I guess a very deep chest...I am shutting up now.

[Samba]

No, Jean... surely it is no question too funny.

[GsdLoverr729]

Originally Posted by Andaka

Working lines. Beautiful front.

Gorgeous. I don't know much about conformation, but I like the look of his stance.