Westminster Dog Show on now.

[anoki]

Working GSDs (think Schutzhund etc.) do not have those wonky back ends and extreme angles... the pasterns on that Herdng Group winner were also awful. I understand that is the breed standard and all - but it is structurally weak looking. Yuck.

Yes, it is the BREED STANDARD that is the reason why judges keep putting up dogs that look that way. Someone somewhere down the line decided 'that' was the way they 'should' look, and well, here we are today! It is funny to hear other breed people talk about GSDs at shows...there aren't too many that understand that rear end....yet all the GSD people don't seem to see it....

There are those that still breed more 'upright' dogs, and there are those that SHOW them and do well, but they are few and far between. I saw one being shown and the comments ringside were 'that shouldn't be in the ring'. It was a sounder moving dog than the others in the ring.

Conformation people (horse, dog whatever) get very hung up on angles, and sometimes go overboard on those angles, creating animals that are not able to physically do what they were originally bred to do. They may win because of WHO they are, and others interpret that as what the animal 'needs' to look like, and well, it's the whole snowball effect.

I didn't end up catching Westminster because I was away....and apparently the Cardigan that won was a huge upset. Even I was surprised as the BOS won the National last year, and she is a really nice example of the breed. But, that's judging....

One person's opinion. Each individual's interpretation of the breed standard can vary greatly....otherwise it would get pretty darn boring.

~kathryn