just had to post this.. i kno im not qualified...

[jebinelias]

just had to post this.. i kno im not qualified to pass comments, but, even with my limited knowledge with no experience of showing or conformation or trials, i honestly think this is not the correct way a dog should be stacked.

there are a hundred things that come into my mind that i want to speak out, but, im restraining myself.

i dont want any comments or a heated discussion - those who see this, just think for urself.

134th Westminster Kennel Club All Breed Dog Show
German Shepherd Stacked | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[DharmasMom]

I'm no expert in stacking but is that dog supposed to be down on his hock like that???

[paulag1955]

Surely that can't be right for it to be down on its hock!

[emjworks05]

This dog is on the extreme side of an American Showline. This dog walks on it's hocks Im sure. *I* do not think that they should walk on their hocks nor should they be stacked on their hocks.

This is how a lot of Am showlines are being bred, now keep in mind not all breeders breed them to look this way.

I say *I* because people have different opinions on how they should look.

Here is a picture of my girl at our last show, her breeder stacked her while I took the shot, you can see the difference of extreme.

[Xeph]

This dog is on the extreme side of an American Showline. This dog walks on it's hocks Im sure.

No, she doesn't. She has too much rear for my taste, but I do personally know the bitch. She does walk clean on her feet.

And while your bitch is less extreme than Lovey, you could certainly make her look extreme just by changing her stack a bit

I did get mad when she was stood on her hock in the group ring too. Drives me NUTS!!!

[AgileGSD]

Originally Posted by Xeph

No, she doesn't. She has too much rear for my taste, but I do personally know the bitch. She does walk clean on her feet.

If this is the case, what do you feel causes the callous that you can easily see on the hock she isn't standing on (I would bet there is a matching one on that hock too)? Look at the picture in the largest size available and you can see a callous a couple inches or so down from her hock joint, not quite midway between the hock joint and the foot.

[Andaka]

That doesn't look like a callous to me. It looks like she was groomed with the hair brushed out and sprayed, and then the hock was grabbed there, flattening the hair in that spot.

But that being said, when I saw "Lovie" at the National, she was walking on her hocks and had trouble just walking next to her owners. She always had to break into a trot to keep her feet out of the way.

[Whiteshepherds]

Originally Posted by emjworks05

This is how a lot of Am showlines are being bred, now keep in mind not all breeders breed them to look this way.

Here is a picture of my girl at our last show, her breeder stacked her while I took the shot, you can see the difference of extreme.

I wish more ASL owners would step up to the plate and post pictures so people can see the other side of the ASL's. It might help to dispell the myth that all show lines are extreme. Beautiful girl btw!

[AgileGSD]

Originally Posted by Andaka

That doesn't look like a callous to me. It looks like she was groomed with the hair brushed out and sprayed, and then the hock was grabbed there, flattening the hair in that spot.

Lots of dogs are show groomed to have "poofy" hocks but it generally doesn't make them look like they have callouses. I have seen callouses on show GSDs hocks in person and it sure looks like this dog has them. Could be wrong of course, can't say for sure without touching the dog.

[EJQ]

Originally Posted by Xeph

No, she doesn't. She has too much rear for my taste, but I do personally know the bitch. She does walk clean on her feet.

And while your bitch is less extreme than Lovey, you could certainly make her look extreme just by changing her stack a bit

I did get mad when she was stood on her hock in the group ring too. Drives me NUTS!!!

Sadly I have seen many GSDs, in the show ring, that walk back on their hocks, are extremely angulated and so cow hocked that they interfere when they walk. This looks like a mistaken stack - probably not too good when you are in the ring at Westminster.