White Shepherds

[Ceph]

I have a slight question that I am not sure anyone can answer, but I thought I would ask anyway, just for the hec of it.


I have been reading the swiss website on the Berger Blanc Suisse and looking at alot of their dogs (they're very swiss about it....these dogs are the most strictly maintained dogs on the face of the planet....everything is tested scientifically...its wild...neat though).

I have sort of started to notice that the white shepherds bred in america tend to have the lower hindquarters of a German Shepherd, but the Swiss dogs tend to be higher in the hind quarters? does anyone know the reasons for this? They're of similiar background....but the confirmational difference seems odd to me....I was wondering if it was something that was bred in or trained in....I dont really know. Thanks!

[NicoleLJ]

It all comes down to teh breeding. WS breeders are trying to breed for mroe of the old style with little to no angulation in the back. When Sheena stands naturally she has a very straight back. But when I stack her, depending on how far I move the leg back, her back comes down into the angulation. So it is not only breeding but also how they could be stacked or standing. Even stacked Sheena does not have the sever angulation of the GSD. Your best bet to understand the structure of WS and Berger's is to read their standards for structure.

I hope this answers your question.
Nicole

[borzoimom]

I was wondering the same thing- its the stack she is seeing in the pictures. We stack different... I can make a Borzoi look more short backed, by holding up the head which rocks the rise back more flat than how they are shown. As long as the rise starts past the last rib at the top of the back, they are not wheel backed. Its where it starts- not how high the rise is ...

[wolfsoul]

I can make a Borzoi look more short backed, by holding up the head which rocks the rise back more flat than how they are shown. ..

Wish I could do that...Visa is a little long in the body, would be nice to somehow make her appear more square. But the only time she looks square is when she doesn't have any coat 9no huge pants and mane to lengthen her), in which case she looks bald which is even worse lol.

[borzoimom]

Well they do allow more length in the bitches in your breed as you know, -and its still putting your hands on the dog. Also in our breed, the length doesnt really matter... lol.. Given the choice between a little longer back bitch and another with a sloppy front, I would put up the one a little longer in the back with the clear front and rear.