What type of construction guarantees stamina in the German Shepherd Dog
By Herr Walter Rügamer S. V. (Körmeister)
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| Kronos v. Nürburgring |
(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 of movement. On average our dog
will walk less than it will trot.
The fastest type of movement,
the gallop will with free living wild dogs play a lesser important role.
The closest ancestors of our dogs to mention the jackal, hyena and the
coyote manage large distances with stamina and not with speed. For these
animals the trot is the most important type of movement. For a wolf
size-hunting animal It is not that easy 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. This beautiful type of a construction is aimed at
economy of power..
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| Ester di Casa Nobili |
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.
Firstly, in general, some remarks regarding the locomotive mechanism of the dog.
This comprises:
The passive locomotion mechanism, which comprises the bones and the
joint ligaments which support the organism and creates its shape.
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 designed 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 limbs 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 quickly. 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 in addition also have legs that
are too short, the chest will be very deep, and in movement these dogs
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. If all these
prerequisites are present these dogs 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 show 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 of the
dog and this, amongst others, creates his working ability and it's
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 as 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 dependent 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. 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 of power 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 a broad and 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. This 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 the tail serves as a rudder
and, when required, as a brake. This incorrectness even 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 shoulder blade.
Connected to it are very powerful muscles that can move it and the upper
arm.
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 muscles, which start at the neck, the
back and the ribs and which are attached to various positions on the
shoulder blade. Therefore high withers ( 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.
As the angle of the shoulder blade is also to some extent 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 will still show 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 Shepherd 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), and requires that the
shoulder blade and upper arm should approximate 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 shoulder blade 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 upper
arm 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 the reach resulting
from excellent angulation.)
Frequently, animals with a short and
or steep upper arm, that are well handled in the show ring show a good
forereach. On closer observation, one notices however that this apparent
"good" reach is fictitious. It should be noted that the point at which
the feet touch the ground determines the reach. Under prolonged
movement, the forereach becomes increasingly shorter.
In order to
maintain a horizontal line of forwards movement with incorrect front
angulation the trotter will compensate the hind reach and thrust with
strong stretching of the front legs in an upwards direction. During this
period of delayed front action the forwards power curve lowers in the
front and moves the point of gravity in a forward and downwards
direction resulting in too much body weight on the forehand. The dog
"falls on the forehand". (Timing) (note: point E in the sketch below
moves further down)
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 when 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 ongoing
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 affected.
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 criteria, 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 the last the pair is the better the width of the ribs,
on which the respiration and again the stamina depends.
Especially in recent years ( 1980's), 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 turn 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 elbows
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 upper arm close to the ribcage,
insufficient space for anchorage. They will develop poorly and will as a
result of the increased distance of the upper arm 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 and with weak pasterns the dog will stumble. Both
incorrect types pastern influence stamina and the animals tire 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 of 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 of 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 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 of our
German Shepherd dogs to such an extent that our dogs can be exposed to
large tasks requiring much strain and stamina with the least possible
effect.
References: W. Trox, E. Orschler, Dr. Gorrieri and
Bonetti,Dr Wilhelm Wegner,Mcdowell Lyon and various articles in the SV
Zeitung.
How can one really get to know and become comfortable working with the dog’s instincts and the array of drives and behaviors that come out of those instincts? How can one selectively breed for those qualities, including character traits, if one does not get to know them? I want my dogs, which were genetically selected for this work, to teach me — that is what they were bred for and that is why I work them in large flock management every day. I trust my GSD herding dogs ─ they have never let me down.
