[NancyJ]

I have recently seen some recent pictures of GSDs where the heads just look too small for the body. I mean really small. What is with that? I don't want to point to any pictures because I don't want to single out any dogs.............................but it looks freaky.

 

[wolfstraum]

Like anything else, when people breed, they look for certain traits - I have heard many people who are at the opposite extreme of the show lien breeders and say they don't care what the dog looks like, only that it can work....and pay no attention to head, bone, pigment etc. and pups end up looking more like mali's than shepherds!

the DDR and Czech lines seem to carry genetics for better heads and pigment - and IMO that is partially why they are sought out by pet owners - because of their looks.

Lee

 

[MaggieRoseLee]

My ElsaRose has a small head! Her breeder was breeding for health and temperament, so things like head size weren't really focused on. So she wouldn't win anything in a show ring, but I love her and she's got a great temperament and general health!

Funny but if you look at the very first GSD's their heads look nothing like the current dogs. So maybe the other thing is that when the heads start shrinking it's cause they are reverting back to type?

Look at this dog from AKC winners1923 GV Ch. Dolf von Duesternbrook PH

And this is one of the original German showline dogs VA Hektor vom Schwaben

(funny to compare to the latest German Showline winner, geez now these dogs have changed!)

2X VA1 Larus von Batu

 

[doggiedad]

i have a puupy with Ursus Von Batu in it's pedigree. i know, so what? i just thought i would mention it.

 

[Liesje]

Maybe the bodies are too big? I can't think of any super-tiny heads that stand out in my mind, but I can think of a few chubby/rotund dogs!

 

[arycrest]

Bruiser, American lines, is what I call a pin head - he looks like a bitch. IMHO his father has a nice, masculine head.

 

[shepherdbydesign]

Since this topis is in discussion. I have a show female that has a smaller head, the rest of her is exactly what I'm looking for. So could she be bred to a male that has a giant head and cure this problem?

 

[my dog carmail]

I've seen more American dogs with small heads then the other line's, I think it because most of the American line breeders don't participate in SCH and the only reason I see that the German highlines, DDR and German working line dogs have big heads is because they need a strong bite for SCH and for police work.

 

[denwil2007]

that depends on the female and the male. I know of a breeder who's female always throws beautiful females, very feminine, but does not produce good male puppies. it's going to take more than one generation to correct heads.

chase's head is a bit snipey for me, but I have hope, because both mom and dad had good heads.
Chopper has a nice male head.

chopper is a amer showline and chase is a mix of ger/amer show and germ working (pure gsd mutt)

 

[darylehret]

Thought I'd share this relative link. This video talks of how body mass, speed and momentum affects the dogs takedown technique, and how headsize affects bite strength. There's probably about 15-20%/~32lbs. more biting strength in a larger head size.

Dog Attack Styles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZm037jPNgc

<u>Dutch Shepherd</u>
30 in. tall
130 pounds
224-231 lb. bite

<u>Mastiff</u>
32 in. tall
180 pounds
556 lb. bite

<u>American Bulldog</u>
20 in. tall
80 pounds
305 lb. bite

<u>Malinois</u>
24 in. tall
70 pounds
195 lb. bite