[Elana55]

I finally got a photo of Atka Stacked. I should have had her off the grass and maybe the far hind food should have been scissored a little furhter back.. fronts should have been more even... and I sure would have liked to see her tail. She has a tail. Honest!!!

But, I was working alone and she stands on command for me (I arranged her feet) and then she saw something and was getting ready to alert to it.. so I fired the camera twice and then released her.

Anyway, I won't be offended if you show dog folks fault her.. I like her and that is all that matters.

BTW she turned two years old December 20, 2008.

 

[Xeph]

About time woman!!!

#1 Happy belated birthday Atka!

She's a substantial bitch for one
Good color and pigment, I'd like to see maybe a bit more black through the saddle (Justin has the same issue). Her front is pushed forward a bit too much, upper arm is short, however she has nice firm, short pasterns, feet could be a little tighter.

Rear angulation is sufficient. Her big thing isn't lack of angulation so much as it is she as no real turn of stifle...Strauss has that issue xD Nice length of thigh bone, nice curves...but the "joint" of the stifle (for lack of a better term( is none existant, so it goes "nowhere" (I can get pictures if you like).

She's got nice bone, very proportionate for her size. Good length of hock without being "hocky", not sickle hocked. Croup is short and a little steep. She has a slight dip behind the withers, however that's often just caused by poor hair placement.

There've been times where I thought a dog was weak in the back, but his hair just made things look funky. Put your hands on him and watch him move, and he's solid/

If her head had been up a bit more, that would have helped.

Very feminine bitch, and the only real "biggies" for me are that she have a stronger underjaw and a longer croup.

I'd be proud to have that dog on my sheep...if I had sheep xD

By the way, her depth of chest is phenom! Got any standing shots of her facing forward?

 

[Elana55]

No.. I don't.. I will try tomorrow. My P&S digital camera died so I had to get out the pro gear and that is a bit of fiddling.

I had brushed her earlier but this is by no means a show coat at all. She has not been bathed and dried (you should see her after that procedure!). She is spayed so really it is all a moot point.

When she moves she floats over the ground.

BTW she is only 68-70 pounds. We have been doing more obedience lately and working very hard on focus focus and more focus (and that has nothing to do with photography!). It is coming along.

Thanks for the detailed critique. I like that she is very very strong. She does not waiver or wobble at any time. She does like to leap in the air (sort of like a Lippizan doing the Courbette). She will jump as she runs by me (playing) and her head is as high as mine (5'6").

She also will race around the house doing laps making believe she is a greyhound....

BTW she is supposed to be sabel in color and not black and Tan.. tho I think both prefer a solid saddle?

Here is a casual photo of her pushing off into a trot and turning away. As you will notice, she does have a tail....

Yes.. photos of the stifle thing if you could. Learning.. (horses are much easier).

Oh yeah.. the dip behind the sithers is her hair. She has a ruff.. sort of like a lion.. which can be very intimidating when she stands it up (which she seldom does)!

 

[Xeph]

Oh I know she's a sable I still just like to see more black xD 2006 GVx CastleHill's Tuff Cookie is a REALLY dark american sable bitch

I'll be back with pictures.

 

[alphadoginthehouse]

I was just going to say how beautiful she is...but what do I know about show dogs!?

 

[upendi'smommy]

I was just going to say how beautiful she is...but what do I know about show dogs!?

I second that.

 

[Elana55]

Thank you.

She is a pretty dog.. just she needed her hair done.. no one told her it was photo day at school.

I don't really know about show dogs. I know what I like. She is a spay so she cannot be shown. I never even sent in her AKC papers... and I think at over two it is too late. This means she cannot compete in AKC working classes ( I believe).

However, she was being kept as a show dog when I got her. Breeder had two and could only show one (costs..) and she prefers Black and Tan.. so she sold me the sable. The thing is, I didn't like the overly aloof attitude of the Black and Tan puppy. Atka ran around the room and counted everyone (including her siblings and the cat). Then she would play and pretty soon make the counting circuit. This was the way my previous GSD behaved and she herded cattle for me.

My last dog was out of imported stock that had succeeded in Schutzhund (sire was level 3 and bitch was level 2 and they decided to breed her). Kazi weighed 95 pounds.

Atka is mostly American Bred.. she is maybe 1/4 German breeding a ways back. I bought the individual, not the line, and she is spayed so it doesn't matter.

 

[Xeph]

By the way, if you still have her papers, it isn't too late to reg her, and she could still compete Just saying xD

 

[rosemaryninja]

Atka is beautiful!

 

[Elana55]

Thanks Zeph. I also see that when I stack her the rear cannon that is stretched need not be perpendicular to the ground (I did that on purpose, but could have strrtched her more).

Would not change the stifle on my dog but might make the croup less steep appearing.

Are there any studies or discussions on which structure is more physically sound and long lived (notable stifle break verses not so noticable)?

BTW I really like the last dog pictured, but I don't know a lot. He seems very strong and balanced over all.

PS:
Thanks RMN. She can be a devil dog.. LOL
When you take her for a walk and she is strolling ahead of you and that tail starts to wag for no apparent reason, WATCH OUT! LOL

 

[rosemaryninja]

I think that dog is one of Xeph's. If I'm not wrong.

 

[Xeph]

Thanks xD The fist and last dog are the same! It's Strauss!

 

[Inga]

Thanks xD The fist and last dog are the same! It's Strauss!

Oh Thank God, I thought I was losing my mind when I looked at those pictures. lol Glad to know it is still at least partially intact.

 

[zimandtakandgrrandmimi]

LMAO

my son pointed at Atka's photo and said "Good Dog"

then he pointed at Strauss's photo and said "Wonky doggie"

 

[Xeph]

Which dog did he point at Justin, or Strauss?

 

[Equinox]

Okay, for a moment I got confused there. I thought the post where Xeph posted two pictures of Strauss actually had two different dogs, and just the bottom one was Strauss. I was staring at the picture, going like "the lighting is different... but they LOOK like the same dog...?". Is Justin the dog in your first post, Xeph?

All these German shepherds are gorgeous!

 

[Mr Pooch]

Shes a beauty Elana

 

[Xeph]

Strauss is Wonky? I had no idea Strauss was wonky...

And yes, the sable dog up top is Justin ^_^

 

[zimandtakandgrrandmimi]

Strauss is Wonky? I had no idea Strauss was wonky...

apparently so...but I wouldn't take a two year old's assessment of GSDs to heart lol...

not really sure what he meant by that...he is two afterall..

 

[Elana55]

Thanks all.. I will try to get that front shot. She does "toe out" a bit in front and I would like her to be wider.. but that is just my opinion. I will take the photo tonight (if she is "good" and not "wonky..."). I will also take a shot down her back.. she is wide thru the hips and my understanding is that this is important as part of insuring a dog has sound hips (any breed). I wil try to stack her again and stretch her a bit more and see if it makes any difference.

Strauss is so solid. I like that. A lot.

Yeah.. your son doesn't know the "Devil dog" part of Atka... he might want to call her something besides "wonky..." LOL

She was being good in that photo!

She would LOVE your son.. she just thinks little kids are the best. She doesn't understand them (quick movements and squeals) but she loves 'em.. wants to have a face washing fest with little kids. I try to discourage this.. would hate to drown any toddlers... She wishes they would just hold still so she could wash away.