German Shepherd through the years

[Pops2]

Originally Posted by Aleron

I suppose if you're looking at the earlier dogs compared to show lines there is a big difference. That seems to be all people ever want to look at when talking about GSDs. The modern show lines (German or American) and how extreme they are and how "the breed is now ruined". It really does depend on where you're looking though. Photos showing those early dogs into modern working lines, you wouldn't see such a big difference.

i agree & it doesn't matter what the breed or the job, almost none of the modern show dogs look like the original working stock but most modern working stock does look like the original. i think that goes back to original dog shows being a showcase for working dogs.

Originally Posted by Aleron

FWIW in the very early pictures, those dogs were still kinda a work in progress...part of a vision but not quite there yet.

i disagree. there is a shift to a heavier built dog that i think parallels the working focus shifting from stock to manwork. but if you compare the original stock dogs to modern breeds/lines that fill the same role like mcnab, aussie smithfields, ranchbred queensland heelers, smooth BCs, kelpies & coolies (important to note in Oz they are commonly called german koolies), you can see the early GSDs pictured fit VERY comfortably w/ that crowd compared to dogs bred for manwork.

[Aleron]

Originally Posted by Pops2

i disagree. there is a shift to a heavier built dog that i think parallels the working focus shifting from stock to manwork. but if you compare the original stock dogs to modern breeds/lines that fill the same role like mcnab, aussie smithfields, ranchbred queensland heelers, smooth BCs, kelpies & coolies (important to note in Oz they are commonly called german koolies), you can see the early GSDs pictured fit VERY comfortably w/ that crowd compared to dogs bred for manwork.

Yeah I'm sure that is true as well. But I also think Von Stephanitz was still very much developing the breed in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

[OwnedByBCs]

When my BC does back vaults we have a mat (like a gymnast) for her to land on, but usually vaulting dogs are taught an extremely solid landing to prevent injury.