German Shepherd Elbow

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March 30th, 2010 admin Leave a comment Go to comments

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What Should I Look For In A German Shepherd Puppy?

Tell me anything I should look for when I pick out my puppy. I know the hips and elbows need to be ofa certified, but what if they are just prelimbed? Is that just as good or is that bad? I am planning on getting a female and breeding her.

[Kimberley]: The tail should NOT touch the ground. It should reach to the heel or SLIGHTLY further, when the dog is standing naturally.

[Kirbee]: I cannot approve of your “shepard” invention. Nor of your failure to accept that we NEED the useful breeds (of which the GSD is THE most versatile, when bred to the International Standard of the GSD) to be produced in order to aid paraplegics, guard military bases, guide the blind, help police & customs agents find contraband & hold felons, herd livestock, search for & rescue avalanche victims & lost folk, etc etc.
My country’s police kennel accepts donated dogs (which are usually equivalent to what’s in rescue), but almost none graduate – VERY few dogs not carefully bred FOR a task are actually capable of performing that task.
What my friend in the Catskills uses to patrol & guard her sheep LOOK and BEHAVE very differently to what’s seen winning at Westminster or as Can&Am.Grand Victors – HERS are genuine GSDs, the others exaggerated NAmerican Ski-Slope Dogs.
Yes, SOME rescued dogs are GREAT – after being supplied 4 unsatisfactory “guide dogs” in a row (unhealthy, or under-trained & temperamentally unsuitable as guides) my blind pen-friend in Texas gave up on professionals, rescued a young GSD then trained it herself (with assistance from a sighted friend for the traffic awareness aspects). But that pair are rarities.

[bowhunter]:
You don’t yet even know which field of endeavour you wish to aim your future puppies at, so can’t possibly know which kind of breeder to aproach.

Puppies are NOT xrayed – but need their parents & grandparents to be. A pooch’s OWN xrays have little relevance (except to guide surgeons attempting to correct afflicted joints) – what counts is the WORST score detected in the CHILDREN of each one.
The world’s good schemes refuse to read plates taken at under 1 year, but all Certificate at 1 onwards – no “prelims”. Dr Willis collected data on the age at which HD was first detected. Plates taken at 6 months detected only 16% of GSDs that developed HD. At 12 months it rose to 69%, at 18 months to 83%. OFA won’t certify until 95% of eventual HD is detectable. Which might seem great to a newbie, but newbies don’t understand the 2 functions of xrays.
• To guide the surgeon – I HOPE that such dogs aren’t used for breeding!
• To inform breeders as to how risky the PARENTS are. To understand how BIF-scoring does that, you need only know that it uses a 0=”perfect” to 106=”oh my gawd!” scale and that the GSD average in Australia is 13-to-14, then click http://www.gsdcouncilaustralia.org/schemes.htm#GSDCA%20Hip%20and%20Elbow%20Dysplasia%20Control%20Scheme scroll to “GSDCA Hip Dysplasia (HD) and Elbow Dysplasia (ED) Control Schemes”, click the most recent “Report” link in each section.
If you can’t understand the significance of those figures – especially the “worst” score per sire and the percentage of his pups with high scores, you are not yet mentally equipped to be a breeder – you would be yet another ignorant BYBer damaging my breed’s hard-earned reputation.

Do you even recognise a genuine GSD, as opposed to what we sneeringly term AlsatiOns, German Crouchers, NAmerican Ski-Slope Dogs, Prick-Eared Bassets, Titanic Tail-Tuckers? See http://www.leabashiba.com/fashion.vs.GSD.htm

• Decide WHAT field you want to aim your pups at.
• Add http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/The_GSD_Source to your browser’s Bookmarks or Favorites so that you can easily look up such as feeding, vaccinations, clubs, weights, teething, neutering, disorders, genetics.
Click its Links => Defining_a_GSD & start studying to see what genuine breeders do to prove their GSDs breed-worthy.

• If it IS actual GSDs that you want, learn FCI#166 off by heart, and start attending events run by organisations catering for genuine GSDs. In Britain you need clubs that belong to its Breed Council, in Canada the GSSCC, in the USofA either the USCA or the WDA – all have head office contacts in the Links => GSD_Clubs section of the group above.
It’s partly to develop your “eye” for the qualities of genuine GSDs, partly to start learning which kennels consistently produce bitches WITH those qualities.
• If it’s a deviation that you want, attend events conducted by ITs organisation, for the same reasons.

• Join some of the 400+ YahooGroups dedicated to various aspects of living with GSDs. Each group’s Home page tells you which aspects & use they like to discuss, and how active they are. Unlike YA, they are set up so that you can have an ongoing discussion with follow-up questions for clarification. Most allow you to include photos.

• Once you identify some suitable-seeming breeders, contact them (maybe through their web-sites) then compare them using Choosing_a_GSD.doc downloaded from the above group’s Files (you have to join to access Files, but acceptance is instant), then discuss your top candidates with experienced members of your groups.

YOU don’t choose the pup, unless the breeder thinks that there are 2 equally suitable for your stated needs. A breeder good enough to pass everything I’ve listed above KNOWS how his/her pups will develop, so won’t let you choose an unsuitable one – he doesn’t want YOU ruining his kennel’s reputation by showing an ugly mutt or failing in SchutzHund with a timid mutt, he doesn’t want YOU producing such with HIS kennel as the bit.ch-line!

I hope that, if your wish isn’t just a childish whim, you choose TRUE GSD type – the world NEEDS typical GSDs, GSDs with the right agility & attitude & behaviour & biddability & courage & determination & endurance, but it DOESN’T need more crap that ends up in rescue groups because of poor attitude or health or untrainability or outright cowardice, or gets shot for biting.
Les P, owner of GSD_Friendly: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/GSD_Friendly
“In GSDs” as of 1967

german shepherd elbow

The German Shepherd Dog Breed Profile

The Alsatian, commonly known as the German Shepherd Dog, is a working dog breed that often acts as military dogs, guard dogs, police dogs, or search and rescue dogs. They are used because they can be trained in protection and obedience easily and they like to please their owners.

German Shepherd Dogs are large, strong dogs that have coats with either long or short hair. Their coats’ colors vary, but are mostly seen in tan and brown. However, there are some German Shepherds who are completely black or white. German Shepherds’ ears stand up erect and they also have long tails.

There are several lines of German Shepherd, all of which have different looks, behavior and skills. The international working line of German Shepherds are bred as working dogs. They are quite tough but their appearance varies. The North American show line of German Shepherds are bred for their appearance, which is unique to them. Their backs are more angled than a typical German Shepherd’s and unfortunately this can be bad for their backs. They are also believed to not have the working dog traits of the other lines. The international show line of German Shepherd Dog also is bred more so on appearance, so they typically look the same.

German Shepherds tend to develop great loyalty and are very obedient towards their owners. Due to their strong teeth and jaws, they can be trained to attack. Unfortunately, they can also become too aggressive or become fearful if not bred properly. Many of these types of dogs, who are either poorly bred or have owners who don’t train them properly, end up in puppy mills. Since German Shepherds are frequently used as attack and police dogs, they have received an image of being quite dangerous. However, most German Shepherds make great pets for families and are not aggressive.

German Shepherds are very emotional dogs and are quite loyal. They are sometimes used as guide dogs, but that is on the decline as they can get separation anxiety and trauma. As stated earlier, different lines of German Shepherds vary in temperament. Working dogs have more energy and are more obedient. They are intelligent and become upset if they do not get enough exercise. They like to have a job to do, which is why they are often used as rescue dogs. North American lines of German Shepherd Dogs are more fitted for the role of companions.

Due their large size, German Shepherds can suffer from elbow problems and hip dysplasia. They may have skin allergies or have von Willebrand’s disease. The average life span of a German Shepherd is twelve years.

German Shepherd Dogs were discovered in the late 1800s by Captain Max von Stephanitz and were meant to be a diverse working dog. American and British soldiers of World War I then brought German Shepherds to their homes and they became popular dogs. They were used as family pets and as working dogs.

German Shepherds are very versatile in the type of things they can do. They are highly intelligent and like to please and protect their owners. For this reason, they can become great guard dogs, rescue dogs, or police dogs and also make good pets for families.

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For more information on the german shepherd or a complete list of dog breeds visit this Dog Behaviour website.

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