Duke looks like a GSD right?

Well, I have started thinking about showing Duke in the AKC under an ILP. Of course I would be paying the $35 fee and I'm perfectly okay with that, after all I want to show him not my parents.

Of course I don't want to send in the money and then be told he doesn't look shepherd-y enough. Being paranoid as I am I want to check and make sure he is clearly GSD before I pay because he looks so differntly from my other GSD.

Anyway here are two pics.

Look at those bat ears! Hee Hee. How old is he? Looks like he's still growing into his ears. He certainly has GSD features but his body shape is way wrong. Look at the AKC website. http://www.akc.org/breeds/german_shepherd_dog/index.cfm

He's only about 6 months but I think he will always have the antena ears.

His body shape and lack of fluffyness is what got me wondering if he is full GSD. Good to know I'm not the only one who thinks he shaped wrong.

Lots of GSDs are "unfluffy". Actually, excessively long hair like Charlie's is a fault so I wouldn't worry about that. Charlie is also not "slopey" like he should be.

When I say he's not "fluffy" I mean he seems to have a coat like a Labs, just more under coat. Then again this could be because he's a pup.

Both mine lack any noticable slope, as Duke's pic shows. I personaly don't mind because I don't like the slope that much. At least not as extreme as some of the show types have.

Depending what you want to trial in there are more venues than the AKC. But, it also depends upon location what trials are present in your area.

Just don't feel that ILPing is the only way.

You cant "show" him with a IP, but you can do all the compaion animal events (obed, agility, rally, tracking ect).

I def. think he looks GSD to me, you should have no trouble.

I don't know a lot of the other places to go but I know they are out there.

Where I live there are not a lot of differnt trials for anything. When there is something near by its generaly about an hour away. I know a "big" AKC show is put on once a year about a 1/2 hour away though so that is why I though about an ILP first.

I know I can't really show him but all I really want to do is the compaion animal events with him so it works out.

He'll grow into the ears. That's how most GSD's are when they are at the "gangly youth" stage of growth.

He looks like a GSD to me, but his top line is not real good, with his hips higher than his shoulders.

If he doesn't grow into his ears I wont mind. They fit his personality.

When he gets moving his hips go down slightly below his shoulders sometimes. My family was never going to breed him so its not that big of a deal.

Yeah the only thing I notice non-shepherd about him is his sleek coat...like you said...it look shorter than any GSD I've seen. His facial structure also looks a little different, but everything else looks complete GSD. It's weird because even with those differences I can't see any other breed in him.

Just curious, where did you get him from? It might give you an idea of whether or not it will be worth showing him.

Where you got him won't matter whether you show him. To get an ILP or PEN they have to be spayed or neutered anyway. So you can only do tracking, obedience, RallyO, and agility. (which are the fun stuff anyway =o) hehe)