Maliraptor, you need to get back to working and breeding German Shepherds so my problems can all be solved
I love the breed. But I will be honest, since many are now wondering I am sure, the health issues drove me out of it. According to OFA, 20% of GSDs (of SUBMITTED films!) are dysplastic. That is 1 in 5. So in a litter of 10 puppies, statistically, 2 are dysplastic. That is just hips. We've had 3 with Elbow issues. Two DJD and one UAP. Immune system issues. Cancers. A good friend of mine put down her 5 year old GSD because of cancer, he was her life. Finally, it is easier to find a good working, healthy Malinois. :yikes:
I agree 100% with Equinox on the matter of many breeds becoming over-angulated. Even BCs are becoming more and more angulated and I don't like it one bit. It doesn't do much for them in herding either.
However, I have to wonder about these majorly sloping toplines in American showline GSDs, and the roach topline in German showlines. What is with that? That really bugs me, it just looks wrong. It doesn't look anything like correct dog structure to me. If someone can explain why the banana back or the skislope topline is useful... I'd love to know.. I just don't see it.
Ok- American dogs. The idea is about sidegait. That the dog cover the most amount of ground with ONE stride as possible. How to do that? Lengthen the stifle (what you're calling Angulation is IMO turn of stifle). Bring the front assembly upright so the shoulder opens and covers the most possible ground. The result, is the "flying trot". Dogs are NOT shown pulling, they float.
German dogs. The vision is power in the movement, the trot of course. A dog who can herd all day. The dogs started being shown PULLING, hard, on the leash and the handler to show the power and efficiency in the gait. Guess what a pulling dog looks like? Yep, banana back. So along the way, it became OK to show the APPEARANCE of a pulling back, when in fact the dog was just hump backed. Same with a roach, it comes from the illusion the dog is tucking in and pushing with those hind legs.
Like anything, warp with time and success and some freaky individuals that were shown and rewarded, and there you go.
Oh- and the reason for the stack? To give the judge the impression of how the dog would move, at a trot, while standing still.