Giant German Shepherds

[Chicagocanine]

Most of the breeders I've seen who are breeding for larger sized GSDs are NOT talking about 150+ pounds GSDs. Their females are usually about 75-95 pounds and males 90-120 pounds.

You can find dogs that size from "standard" breeders too, just check out the "how big is your GSD" threads on here, for example:
how gsd size?l
or
How big is your GSD?

[Eva von Selah]

This is Eva at about 1 year with her new friend, Reilly, a just-retired 7-year old NJ State Police K9 Officer who came to flyfish for the weekend at the farm. They played, romped, herded cows and sheep, and stomped through the river all weekend!

How does the dog on the left, Eva my way out of standard GSD, vary from the full standard Sch3, super-pedigreed, expensively-trained $10,000 police dog on the right?

[Eva von Selah]

Originally Posted by Chicagocanine

Most of the breeders I've seen who are breeding for larger sized GSDs are NOT talking about 150+ pounds GSDs. Their females are usually about 75-95 pounds and males 90-120 pounds.

Exactly.

[Eva von Selah]

Great link to the thread, thanks! See how many of these gorgeous dogs are "non-standard" weight? Many in the 90-lb range, they mustn't be GSDs...

[Eva von Selah]

Some people have an expensive sports car and they polish and tune and keep it out of the rain and fuss all over it, then truck it to places on the weekends where they can show it off to all of the other expensive sports car people; and some people have expensive sports cars and they drive them to work every day and then really drive them on the weekend - rain or shine.

I bet the cars don't care either way.

[sagelfn]

Originally Posted by Eva von Selah

Great link to the thread, thanks! See how many of these gorgeous dogs are "non-standard" weight? Many in the 90-lb range, they mustn't be GSDs...

Do you think its okay to breed GSDs that are over standard?

No one is saying the dogs are bad, just that they shouldn't be bred. My dog is over standard.

[Eva von Selah]

Originally Posted by sagelfn

Do you think its okay to breed GSDs that are over standard?

No one is saying the dogs are bad, just that they shouldn't be bred. My dog is over standard.

I do think it's okay within the right parameters.

Why is the "standard" weight set where it is? Cannot there be prefectly healthy dogs 10 lbs above this "standard"?

Are not these standards open to review and amendement as whatever current governing board sees fit?

I don't see my Eva, even if she gets to 85 lbs while lean, as non-standard. She has the full double coat with dense guard hairs, perfect ears, no digestion or anxiety problems, clear eyes with no weep, no skin problems, a level topline with a strongly-muscled rear, and long/strong legs, which add lbs.

I don't want to see a 130+ lb male Shepherd as a norm nor do I want to see a 100+ lb female as a norm. But there is room for responsible breeders of these larger, pure GSDs.

[Jessiewessie99]

Originally Posted by Eva von Selah

I do think it's okay within the right parameters.

Why is the "standard" weight set where it is? Cannot there be prefectly healthy dogs 10 lbs above this "standard"?

Are not these standards open to review and amendement as whatever current governing board sees fit?

I don't see my Eva, even if she gets to 85 lbs while lean, as non-standard. She has the full double coat with dense guard hairs, perfect ears, no digestion or anxiety problems, clear eyes with no weep, no skin problems, a level topline with a strongly-muscled rear, and long/strong legs, which add lbs.

I don't want to see a 130+ lb male Shepherd as a norm nor do I want to see a 100+ lb female as a norm. But there is room for responsible breeders of these larger, pure GSDs.

When the breed was made or created thats when the standard came into play. People wanted that kind of dog so to get that kind of dog they bred dogs to create more dogs like it and keep it that way. Anyone who is more knowledgeable on the subject needs to chime in.

My female GSD is beautiful, but not in the standard and should be bred. No one is saying they aren't GSDs. We are saying that is not the way the GSD should look.They aren't good examples of the breed.

Also you said your GSD is from Czech working lines. Post her pedigree so others who are more in tune with working lines can see if she is or isn't from working lines.

[codmaster]

Originally Posted by Emoore

Nobody's saying they're not GSDs. My floppy-eared GSD is a GSD. My weak-nerved GSD is a GSD. A GSD with no undercoat is still a GSD. That doesn't mean those charictaristics should be specifically bred for.

Breed standards are what make a breed what it is. They're what separates labs from cocker spaniels from Newfoundlands. We can't just pick and choose what parts we like or at some point we lose what makes the breed what it is. You like oversized dogs. I'm partial to floppy ears. Someone else might like long-coated whites. If we aren't held to the standard, at some point we end up with pure-bred GSDs that look a lot like Great Pyranees.

Although, at 76lb, your Eva isn't really oversized.

Very well said!

[sagelfn]

I can see a good breeder breeding a dog a little oversize if it had superior qualities. No matter how awesome the dog is I would never support a breeding of a 120+ lb dog