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What type construction
guarantees stamina in the German Shepherd Dog
By Herr Walter Rügamer S. V. (Körmeister)
(Translated by Peter De
Decker).
The dog has three basic types of
movement; walk, trot and the gallop. The amble can take place during the
walk and trot. Although ambling enhances stamina, it is not a true type
movement. In proportion our dog will walk less than it will
trot.
The fastest type of movement, the
gallop will with free living wild dogs play a less important role. The
closest ancestors of our dogs namely the jackal, hyena and the kojote
manage the large distances with stamina and not with speed. For them the
trot is the most important type of movement. It is not that easy for a
wo1f size-hunting animal to find adequate food in a few square kilometers
and therefore it has to frequently cover distances of 100 km in one
night.
The German Shepherd Dog has, up
to now retained the most genuine construction of its ancestors, the
trotter construction, which has been in many respects further perfected
through systematic breeding., and is the beautiful shape of a construction
aimed at economy, even more so when we think of its multi purpose
utilisation.
The breed standard for instance
calls for the construction of a non-tiring trotter which, with the least
amount of effort delivers the highest degree of performance. Stephanitz
describes this concept: "as the economy of power".
Now I would like to mention some
important factors, which enhance the stamina of the German Shepherd Dog
and for simplicity, they are in the sequence of judging.
First1y, in general, some remarks
regarding the locomotive mechanism of the dog.
This comprises:
-
The active
locomotion mechanism, which consists of muscles of the skeleton and its
tendons. It makes the deliberate body movement possible. On the one
hand, the muscles are designed for quick, instant action and on the
other hand, they are also equipped to cope with enduring work resulting
in overall balanced and supple movement which should save
energy.
It is therefore necessary that
the skeleton provides for the correct position of the 1imbs as well as the
movement of joints and that it incorporates large levers in order to save
muscles energy. For example, the longer the levers whilst within the breed
standard, to which the muscles are attached and the better the angulation
of these limbs, the higher one should rate (in theory) the working ability
of the dog.
In the same way as the passive
and active locomotive mechanism compliment each other, the overall picture
of our dog should be balanced e.g., each body part should be in the
proportion to the total body complex. When all individual parts and also
the support columns (legs) fit together in an evenly manner one can say,
"a thoughtful and purposeful constructed body on the basis of harmony and
symmetry guarantees the best development of power and stamina".
Exercise and work require a
determined measure of size and strength.
With an increased height the body
weight increases considerably and requires more from the muscles to the
detriment of muscle power available for movement. The body height
therefore has a negative effect on the performance. Dogs that are too
large and too heavy carry too much dead weight. They stop, climb and jump
poorly. In addition, they are often less keen to work as they tire too
soon. The performance will be even more effected when the additional
height is caused by "upright movement" as a result of poor front and hind
angulation, the forereach will be binding and the length of stride will be
restricted. With an incorrect chest construction there is too little space
for the internal organs and under stamina the performance will visibly
suffer. A dog, which is too small, even when it is well proportioned,
lacks strength. Although fast and agile, it is too light in construction
and possesses too little stamina. When such animals additionally have legs
that are too short, the chest will be very deep, and their movement will
cover too little ground.
Only the German Shepherd Dog of a
good medium size 63cm for males and 58 cm for bitches measured at the
withers can count on agility, speed and especially stamina.
The correct size working dog
requires the correct strength in the bones and muscles. The outer shape of
our dog depends more on the positioning, size and shape of the bones, than
anything else. They are extremely well equipped to pass on the forwards
thrust during movement
The elasticity of the bone tissue
constitutes 85% of that of iron, and yet the weight of bones is only one
third of the weight of iron.
The surface of the bones may be
smooth and even or be uneven and shows pronounced grooves, which serve to
anchor muscles, ligaments and tendons. The bones should be dry and not be
coarse or spongy and certainly not too fine.
Bones that are too large reduce
stamina as the dog carries too much dead weight.
According to "Klatt", muscles
constitute 53% of the total weight and this, amongst others, creates his
working ability and his overall appearance.
The muscles, of which the length
and width are determined by the anchor point position on the bones, should
be dry and firm and so should be the tendons and ligaments which keep the
skeleton parts together, especially those at the joints. As our dog is not
a heavy duty animal, the lever lift power of the muscle reduces at the
height of leverage, that is the length to which the muscle shortens is
greater than the lever arch, which in turn is also dependant on the length
of the muscle strands. As a result of muscle contraction, the various
connected skeleton parts make movements which can be compared with levers
and in general skeleton movements are based on the principles of the of
leverage.
We can therefore state "Not the
thick, but the long muscles are favourable for stamina".
When we refer to the proportion
of the dog, we refer to the ratio of height to length. With the correct
height to length ratio all parts are in natural balance, which is
maintained in stance and in movement and requires no undue muscle
action.
The optimal proportioned
German Shepherd Dog, possess a slightly stretched trotter’s construction
of which the length exceeds the height at the withers. According to
"Stroße” is the ratio of 10:9 is the best for balance and stability as
well as movement and therefore stamina.
The head best expresses the type
of breed, sex characteristics and character of a dog. Ear carriage, the
expression in the eyes, condition of the coat and pigmentation further
provides clues to the health, condition and temperament. The manner, in
which the dog moves and behaves, should indicate that there is a healthy
mind in a healthy body. All these factors are links in a chain and are the
physical and mental conditions required for lasting stamina.
And now let us expands on those
three body components that determine the degree of power: namely the hind
thrust, the transfer over the back and the forereach.
The back has the role to transfer
the power generated by the hindquarter action. Only a firm back can form
an effective bridge type connection between the hind and forequarters. It
comprises the withers, the true back and the loin. The withers are at the
front part of the back. The back and shoulder muscles are connected to
first dorsal vertebrae, therefore high and long withers do not only
enhance the development of strong muscles which create firm shoulder
joints, but also provide broad and an angulated coupling for the
shoulders, a good reach and stamina.
The withers are followed by the
actual back, which should be straight, strong and not too long. The spinal
column of our dog is very flexible, especially the loin, as opposed to
those of a horse. This is very noticeable during the gallop when the back
of the dog is first strongly bent upwards and then straightened in order
to make long jumps. The jumps of a greyhound in gallop are just as an
example as long as those of a horse.
The thrust generated by the
hindquarters is wasted in an upward or downward direction with a raised or
hollow back.
Therefore, only the foregoing
referred to type back can enhance stamina. Whilst we require length of
withers, the loin part (7 vertebrae) should not be too long, but strong
and wide. A short and stiff loin is beneficial for stamina.
The pelvic bone, together with
the muscles and the coat, form the croup. It is an essential part of the
hindquarters and is extremely important for stamina.
The pelvic bone should, like the
shoulder blade, be long and diagonally placed. A steep, or a too short
pelvic bone, reduces the stride as the back legs will be too far under the
body and the thrust generated by the hindquarters will be wasted in an
upward direction. When the pelvic bone is placed ( +/- 45° to the
horizontal) the croup will be long and slightly sloping. It commences
almost straight and then slopes into a slight arch (+/- 23º) downwards. In
this way there will also be sufficient space for long and strong muscles,
a pre-requisite for powerful and especially enduring hindquarter
action.
With a flat croup the tail set
will be high and the tail is also frequently badly carried. Poor tail
carriage disturbs the topline and handicaps the dog during forward and
sideward movement because it serves as a rudder and, when required, as a
brake. Even this incorrectness effects stamina. A strong dog should
therefore have a powerful, well muscled in all directions, slightly
flexible tail which ends approximately at the point of hock.
At the beginning I have already
mentioned that, in a symmetrically constructed German Shepherd dog, all
parts including the (legs) fit together in such manner that. the highest
performance can be achieved. Therefore powerful hindquarters should have
matching well-constructed forequarters, which can absorb the moving mass
and complete the movement cycle which started at the back.
The firm connection between the
legs and body is provided by the shoulderblade. Connected to it are very
powerful muscles that can move it and the upperarm.
The angle of the shoulder blade
should be 45° in relation to a horizontal line. According to "Solara", the
shoulder blade is a flat triangular bone, which is positioned towards the
front and on the outside of the ribcage at an angle from the top to the
bottom and from the back to the front. It can perform several movements:
forwards and up and down, inwards and outwards The shoulder blade should
be long and well- developed, so that plenty of space is available for long
muscles. It is only kept in position by muscle action by those muscles,
which start at the neck, the back and the ribs and which are attached to
various on the shoulder blade. Therefore high withers as already mentioned
enhance powerful muscles which keep the forehand together.
With flat withers these muscles
are less developed and the shoulder blade will be pushed upwards
especially during movement. The effectiveness of these muscles will be the
greatest the more perpendicular the tendons and the line through which the
muscles generate its power is in relation to the bone segment
operate.
As the angle of the shoulder
blade is also to some extend influenced by the roundness of. the first
four ribs, the ribcage also influences the shoulder angle, as the shoulder
blade at the bottom deviates about 10º too 15º from a vertical line.
Strongly developed ribs and the correct deepness of fore-chest of which a
good piece is visible from the side are the prerequisites for a well-laid
shoulder blade. The reach of the fore-step is very much influenced by a
well laid shoulder blade which can, to some extent compensate for a short
and steep upper arm and the dog still shows good forereach. The static
function of the 1imbs however is disturbed and the animal, under prolonged
exercise, will show signs of tiring.
Again, it becomes clear that in
the end it is the harmonious togetherness of individual components that
result in the stamina of the German dog.
The shoulder blade should be at a
right angle to the upper arm. The ideal angle, which hardly exists (it is
mostly somewhat larger (115 degrees), requires that the shoulderblade and
upperarm should be approximately of equal length. This angle allows for a
wide opening, which in turn results in far reach. The long and diagonally
positioned upper arm moves the elbows and front legs further backward
under the body. Here again we find the reason why , with good angulation
of the shoulderblade and upper arm, together with the correct depth of
chest, we should see a good piece of fore-chest when viewed from the side.
Incorrect length and position of the upperarm shortens with certainty the
forward reach.
(the solid red line
indicates the restricted forward reach caused by poor front angulation. By
comparison the broken red line shows shows the reach resulting from
excellent angulation.)
Here we have the most different
deviations, partially coupled to the incorrect position of the shoulder
blade.
A short and steep upper arm does
for instance not necessarily indicate that there must also be a short and
steep shoulder blade. Frequently, animals with a short and or steep upper
arm, mostly those that are well handled in the show ring show seemingly
good forereach. On observation, one notices however that the apparent
reach is fictitious, as the point at which the feet touch the ground
determines the reach. Under prolonged movement, the forereach becomes
increasingly shorter. The point of gravity moves forward in a downwards
direction and the dog falls on the forehand as the strong stretching of
the front legs in an upwards direction in order to correct the downwards
line of propulsion comes too late, due to the restricted front
stride the body is too far forward and the corrective upswing of the
foreleg comes too.
I have mentioned that a well laid
shoulder blade can to a degree compensate for a short upper arm, although
it will be at the expense of stamina as the lowering of the point of
gravity requires the dog to use more power to move its front legs forward.
So, again, the correct position and length of the upper arm clearly shows
the impact on stamina.
The movement commences at the
hindquarters. A dog, with slightly backward placed legs, is the natural
and therefore the most balanced German Shepherd. A drop line from the
"pubis" or "sitting bone" should touch the ground approximately at a one
finger width in front of the foot with a perpendicular (90º) placed hock.
This stance points to a correctly proportioned length of about 50/50 of
the thighbone and stifle that is the thighbone and stifle are almost equal
in length and correctly angled. An angle of near 90º,it is nearer to 120
degrees is in theory the best for fast and on going movement as only then
can long muscles with a strong contraction be attached.
Slightly backward placed legs
ensure a firm stance and a thrust from the hindquarters which, once more,
is to the benefit of stamina. Every tendency towards over-angulation
reduces the overall firmness and the static function and as the muscles
perform their action at too much of a tangent in relation to the segment
of the bone to which they are connected they are under too much duress and
thus in turn the stamina is effected.
The hindquarters comprise the
pelvic bone, thighbone, stifles, metatarsus and the skeleton bones of the
feet; these are connected via the hip, knee and hock joints. The thighbone
is at the top connected by the head of femur in the socket of the pelvic
bone and at the bottom to the knee joint. The "hock" joint connects to the
strong metatarsus, the fibia and the toe bones. The head of the femur is,
likewise the hock exposed to great pressure and should be strongly
developed, and this also applies to the knee joint, which starts and
passes on the forward movement. The knee joint is the most important joint
in the dog. Its correct position depends on the length of the thighbone
and a good hind angulation as well as the length and the angle of the
croup. Strong joints are a prerequisite for straight and even more so on
going movement.
(the solid red line
depicts the resultant direction of the various thrust lines
generated by the hindquarters)
A further criterion, which is
measured during the breed survey, is the chest depth to height ratio. This
should not exceed more than half the height at the withers; 45 - 47% is
the correct measurement.
A non-tiring trotter must have
strongly developed inner organs like the heart and lungs. A well-developed
chest space provides for these.
We talk about the fore and
under-chest. With the fore-chest we mean that portion which runs from the
throat to where the front legs start.
A well-constructed German
Shepherd dog shows a good piece of fore-chest. This points at an
well-angulated and positioned shoulder. The combination of these parts
result in the desired far-reaching stride. The under-chest connects to the
fore-chest and slopes gradually upwards.
The ribcage is made up of 9 pairs
of real ribs joined together by the chest bone and four false ribs,
connected through cartilage and the last pair is often not connected
("floating"). The further set back last the pair is the better the width
of the ribs, on which the respiration and again the stamina
depends.
Especially in recent years, the
fronts of our German Shepherd dogs have been critisised. This is certainly
a problem to be addressed by our breeders in the future. A correct front
seen from the front and from the side with straight, strong and long legs
together with a fitting width of chest and completely closed elbows, is
from nature advantageous for movement and again the stamina.
The elbows should form a firm
connection between the upper and lower arm and should not bend outwards
under pressure. Broad chested dogs are this way inclined. The turning out
of the elbow joints is a serious working dog failure as it is almost
always caused by a weakness of the ligaments. Under these conditions the
muscles are now forced to return the e1bows to the body and this greatly
reduces stamina.
Turned in elbows is also an
indication of limited working capability as the body should not be
suspended on the front legs but should rather hang in between the
legs.
Poor chest, especially front
chest construction also restricts elbow connection. The shortened chest
bone offers the chest muscles, which start there and keep the upperarm
close to the ribcage, insufficient space for anchorage. They will develop
poorly and will as a result of the increased distance of the upperarm be
strained, as they have to return the elbows to the side of the chest with
effort, which again is to the detriment of stamina.
The pastern, seen from the side,
should be at an angle of approximately 20° from extended line through the
lower front leg. It should have a fitting length and have fitting
firmness. A dog with a steep pastern cannot absorb the impact of the front
leg; with weak pasterns the dog will stumble. Both incorrect types pastern
influence stamina, as the animals get tired earlier.
The feet of the German Shepherd
dog are round, arched and closed. The pads should be strong and hard and
the nails should be short and strong. Flat feet with long toes, influence
stamina as these cannot absorb the impact.
Legs, which move close to the
ground, parallel in the forward direction, flighty and cover ground,
without wasting one centimeter clearly enhance effortless
movement.
When a dog produces far reaching
fore-step in correct proportion to a powerful hind thrust whilst the feet
move flat forwards without wasting muscles power and without high-lifting
the front legs, it will be to the credit of stamina.
In summary, one can conclude that
a German Shepherd dog, which possesses the above-described blueprint for
construction in all completeness and harmony it, will perform enduring
work.
Additionally it requires the
drive and will to perform. This will compensate for small construction
faults, the best-constructed dog means nothing however when the motivation
to give his last is absent.
It is for this reason that our
breeders whilst preserving bloodlines, continue to strife for perfecting
the construction and the willpower our Shepherd dogs to such an extent
that our dogs can be exposed with the least possible effect to large tasks
requiring much strain and stamina
References: W. Trox, E. Orschler,
Dr. Gorrieri and Bonetti,Dr Wilhelm Wegner,Mcdowell Lyon and various
articles in the SV Zeitung.
Reproduced with kind permission from Peter De Decker
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