German Shepherds Forum banner

Examples of Conformation

29K views 118 replies 24 participants last post by  Liesje 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey guys!!! I've been looking at Linda's confirmation breakdowns (posted on someone else's thread), as well as reading carefully through the standard. I also visit the dogs at the GSDCA (specifically the Atlanta/Woodstock location) and keeping an eye on their confirmation. That's helped me a bit to spot dogs that adhere to American standard. And I'm pretty darn good with movement for a total newb! xD
For those of you who remember, I even asked for a critique on Koda so that I could learn a bit more about it (through her faults, and her single trait that was complimented :p). I have also gone through/watched other peoples' critique threads to get an idea.

Now I was wondering... What does a dog with GREAT confirmation look like? What does a poorly built dog look like?
I was hoping some of the more knowledgeable members, or others learning to critique, could post a picture of a dog they really like and explain the strongest points (and weak ones if any). As well as posting a dog that isn't put together well and explaining how you would define the problems, what they are, etc. If it's not ok to put the bad ones up that's ok too... I've so far been finding most of them on google lol.


I mean, so far I've learned to watch the withers fairly well. I can recognize a nice tail. I can also pick out backs with too much slope or roached backs, secondary sex characteristics, and coloring.
 
See less See more
#4 ·


I like this dog. He is DDR.



And I like this dog. He is ASL.
 
#6 ·
Well, Pimg isn't a model of conformation, but in her critique thread I was told be two different people that she has a "very nice croup." And so when I am critiquing other dogs, I admit that I often look back at this picture as kind of a guideline to croup length and angle:



Pimg also has nice tight feet. You can see her rear toes are held tight in the stack picture above, and in this picture below- you can see even when her weight is on them, she still holds her front feet tight, not splayed out all over:



As to faults- Pimg is flat withered, has a pronounced T11 dip (break in top line), has a short upper arm, and is very poorly pigmented.
 
#117 ·
Well, Pimg isn't a model of conformation, but in her critique thread I was told be two different people that she has a "very nice croup." And so when I am critiquing other dogs, I admit that I often look back at this picture as kind of a guideline to croup length and angle:



Pimg also has nice tight feet. You can see her rear toes are held tight in the stack picture above, and in this picture below- you can see even when her weight is on them, she still holds her front feet tight, not splayed out all over:



As to faults- Pimg is flat withered, has a pronounced T11 dip (break in top line), has a short upper arm, and is very poorly pigmented.

she is a nice dog, i just had my dog mate with a female the same color and cant wait for a black and red puppy she didnt have any white, i see your dog does have some white on the chest.
 
#7 ·
Elle, my female, in "free stack". German working line, and SG (very good) with juge Rudiger Mai (SV juge).



Very good type, very good front and rear angulations. Very good top line, etc.

It's not a "show line" but... it's a very good german sheperd for IPO :)

Hélène
 
#15 ·
The sad thing is that each person will give you a different dog. You should join a club, or go to some shows if you really want to see what conformation is. What the length of the croup is, what the different angles should be, ect. The worse thing is that different judges will look for different things and the exhibitors know this and will only enter their dogs to show under judges that "like" the kind of dog they have.

I've got family near St. Louis...maybe when I go visit I can stop by Andaka's and see her dogs in person...love when a conformation dog works. Let me know how I'd go about doing that Andaka...
 
#16 ·
Well, as I said in my first post I do go to the shepherd club of Woodstock, which branches off the American club. I also attend their shows. But that is all American dogs, and part if what I want is to see dinner variety. I learn more quickly by comparing. I knew I would get a tin of different dogs, but that was my point.
I feel like it will help me to view different opinions because it opens my sight to more dogs, so I can practice in my head, learn how people view their comformation, etc. :)
 
#20 ·
To the OP I keep a folder on my computer where I save pictures of dogs I like. The thing is, as I look through the folder I can't find any that are my "perfect" dog. They are all in there for one thing or another (good ear set, correct shoulder, nice rear....).
 
#25 · (Edited)
A couple of dogs I like very much:

Ebafarmens Izaro:
VA Ebafarmens Izaro
To me, Izaro is the real deal. I will be the first to ridicule the smoke and mirror showlines - bought titles and midnight trials, what a joke!. I laugh at them right along with my working dog people. But Izaro is just an awesome dog. Regardless of lines, that is what I look for. I love my showlines, but I don't excuse them. If a SL is crap and to the extreme, you won't see me getting a puppy out of that breeding or endorsing him. Izaro lives in a home, gets along with other dogs/bitches, beautiful obedience, excellent bite work, incredible intensity and drive. Now to the conformation, he is a substantial male. I hate those weeny little show males that are all the rage. I have seen more than one "stud" male that I mistook for a bitch because he was so laughably small and forgettable. I love a strong, regal and impressive male. One that can take my breath away and Izaro is one such example. He has that pizazz you expect out of a stud male. Even after a tiring hour in Sieger show, he still had the drive to bark and call for his handler. Also happily engaged in a nice game of ball afterwards. I've handled him for ring practice and he gave me calluses for a week after! Power like a freight train, moves beautifully, a natural. Incredible pigment, beautiful dark mask, strong bone, good moderate structure, nothing to the extreme, masculine. He does not have perfect structure, but he is a nice dog.

Visiting horses:


Hanging out with his buds on a long down:


Hanging out while we were drinking beers:


He is producing some nice pups with excellent temperament, conformation and drive. Here is the little Izaro rugrat I have my eye on:

See that dark mask - characteristic of Izaro babies. I look for that also in a nice dog - one that can produce the best of himself in his progeny. She is a little fireball so far. A maniac after the rag and endless energy. Hopefully she continues to improve.

Here is another I like:
VA6 Mentos vom Osterberger-Land
Beautiful drive, movement, structure and personality. I can find good structure in a lot of dogs. Like Lies, bits and pieces that I really like and would match well to my female(s). But I place a lot of importance on drive, workability, sharpness (reminiscent of my first GSDs in India -I love a nasty dog ;)) and movement. I think Mentos is a really cool dog. I hope to meet him next year. Friends have told me that he is my type of show dog. I guess we will see if he lives up to the hype!
 
#26 ·
#27 ·
Liesje- I don't think that I'll see a dog I view as "perfect" here if at all... But I'm kind of doing what you said. Trying to see good, and bad, examples of croup, ears, head, paws, etc. :)

Cliff- Sadly I have only seen ASL dogs in the conformation ring (in person thus far), so that is where my base is. But I look mostly at the other lines online. I do agree though that Xeph's pic is a very pretty dog. A bit longer than I'm used to seeing :p

Qb- I agree that small, gangly males aren't very impressive. I love lean dogs (Koda is very lean). But I prefer to see males with good, heavier bone. I am also a total sucker for a dark face :wub: I love the pigmentation that Mentos has, and his secondary sex characteristics. Would his topline be counted as good, or is it slightly roached (it looks to be ever so slightly such to me lol). He is stunning, I just want to check myself x.x

Andaka- I like Golf's look. His neck does look a bit longer than the necks of the others people are posting (maybe just the picture). But I like how his topline isn't flat, nor is it an exaggerated slope.
 
#30 ·
Qb- I agree that small, gangly males aren't very impressive. I love lean dogs (Koda is very lean). But I prefer to see males with good, heavier bone. I am also a total sucker for a dark face :wub: I love the pigmentation that Mentos has, and his secondary sex characteristics. Would his topline be counted as good, or is it slightly roached (it looks to be ever so slightly such to me lol). He is stunning, I just want to check myself x.x
99% of people that talk about GSDs have zero clue what a roach back even means.
Roach back means that there is a point on the topline where it is HIGHER than the withers. Unfortunately, people make the mistake of calling high withers moving in a topline as a roach. That is NOT a roach!!
This is a roach:

There is a point on the back (topline) where it is HIGHER than the withers. This is an extreme roach. This dog should be culled or placed in a pet home.

This is an example of a breed that is supposed to have a roach:
The Bedlington Terrier with a true roach - part of its breed standard.



Too often, people inexperienced in structure and conformation call a BROKEN topline a roach. A broken topline is just as useless as a roach back. This is when you have HIGH withers that drop off in an extreme manner because the croup and rest of the topline inclines at such an extreme dropoff:

This is NOT a roach back. It is a hinged back or a broken topline. This dog will not move right - won't even start on the poor front, but this dog should be sold as a pet.

Mentos has a nice topline and he is NOT roached. He is stacked and has the slightest bit of a broken topline because he drops in steep to his croup. He could use a better topline, but I am more concerned with his temperament, personality and drive. There are better dogs conformation wise, but I like his aggression, workability and drive.

Not stacked, he will look fine. The problem is most people that call a SL a roach have never interacted with or seen the dog in person. In person, my bitch with high withers looks the same as any other dog - in fact she will look better than a dog with flat withers and limited topline. Do not look to the high withers and a steep topline and call it a roach. A true roach has to be when the highest point of the topline is not the withers, but somewhere along the topline. Mentos is NOT roached.
 
#29 ·
I like his tail a lot... I don't know what it is with me and tails :confused: Maybe it's cause Koda has a nice tail? xD
I see what you mean about his back end and croup... I would like to see him in action.

And again- sorry about the spelling everyone. I've written and spelled conformation sooo many times. But I sometimes type what I hear/see and I didn't even notice this time until Qb said something lol. :(
 
#32 ·
Lol!!! I know! But I know that it is a pet peeve for a lot of people (just like when someone mispells "shepherd")

I sure hope not xD
Now that I've watched that show, I don't think I'll be watching it again :p
 
#34 ·
I like fluffy tails (not excessively so), that in a stack reach 1/2 way down the hock or slightly farther. I also like a very subtle curve in the bottom (not a total curl, not a hook. Just a subtle curve). I just think it completes the look of the hind end.
 
#37 ·
You are in Georgia. There is a nice SV conformation show and trial in Atlanta each year. If I have a couple of good puppies to show and Wiva is not in heat, I will be at the next one. It is usually in the fall. Come to that, meet my dogs, hang out and you will learn more than from reading tidbits on the internet.
Events

Yuliya of von Lotta is also in Ga. Really sweet nice person - will probably let you hang out and meet her dogs if you drop her a mail. Her dogs have gorgeous pigment and color - you will like her and her dogs.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top