A puppy to critique - Page 1

The way she's stacked, pulling her head up and neck backwards does not do her good, that said.....
Nice black and tan female, correct size, strong build and notable substance. A little stretched and long back, correct chest depth and good leg length. Good head size, muzzle is a little long. Very good head planes and beautiful dark mask. Very good ear carriage, strong neck, high short withers, nice straight topline irregardless of coat hair crumples, long loin, a little short croup which needs more defined lay, a little high tailset and beautiful tail. Good thigh and hind angulation, strong hocks but slightly long. Good underline, pasterns overangled, feet somewhat flat, clean front, beautiful forechest development, good front upper arm which is slightly short and slightly steep, shoulder blade forward placed, her total front assembly looks pushed forward, her fore legs look like being placed under center of neck not the withers,  and that might be exemplified by pulling her head up which I find strange for a handler to do. Her expression is full of pride, beautiful girl.

Ibrahim

Thanks for the critique :). I am going to tell you to note the lead. It is loose. That is her natural head carriage :). I do have the lead pulled up to be out of the way, but it is not a tight lead

Much too 'American showline' for my tastes, Xeph.  I think your older dog knocks her into a cocked hat, for structure & balance.  Sorry, she may have a great temperament and move like a dream, but I can only
go by the photo.  I honestly don't think this was ever the way that the GSD was supposed to go in its
development - I realise the (American) Show Fraternity will howl at me  =0.

I like my American show lines.  You should see this girl work ;)  Her obedience is fabulous.  She's 2.5 years old now (this is her at 8 months, when she looked like crap, lol).  Excellent prey drive, GREAT retrieves (she has a natural retrieve), flashy but correct OB.  I WOULD like to get her IPO title, but I have to get back out to the club I was going to (which I can't do right now...$$$).

Contrary to many, though I do have American show lines (and a working line, and I like a good WGSL too), the dogs I get MUST have drives and they MUST do sports of some sort.  I expect good temperaments.  I recognize that in general the American dogs are not as strong in temperament as the working lines (or even some WGSL), but I won't keep/breed a lunatic, and I have no problem looking outside American lines for breeding if I need to strengthen temperament and drive (though I do keep in mind that I cannot overwhelm the nervebase I've got in whatever bitch I want to breed).

This isn't my favorite stack ever of hers, but it shows how she's matured out and the presentation of the picture makes me swoon, lol

At the very least, Hundmutter, you have to admit that her pigment is drop dead gorgeous ;)

These American showlines are totally messing with you, aren't they Ibrahim? lol 
As I said before in another post, I grew up seeing the American showlines first, so a part of me will always prefer them in someway...especially the big upright fronts and heads held high.  But they are shockingly different than European dogs, so I can totally understand.  

The faults that stand out to me is the white area on her chest, the slightly over-angled pasterns and the long body, even for a female it's a bit long.  

Overall, she's a very beautiful, fancy and flashy dog.  Nice femine expression, I like how straight and firm her topline looks (does it stay firm when she's gaiting?  I've seen plenty of them sway at that point.)  I also like her rear angulation and the firmness of her hocks.  Too often they are weak, way over-angulated.  I hate when the far hock is place flat on the ground (glad your girl isn't doing this.)
Her color is very pretty, she looks like she has a strong presence in her photos....good charisma for the showring.  

I think it's funny how I can look at an AMbred and say, "wow!" and then look at a WGSL and say "wow!" and look at a WL and say "wow!".....seems like a total conflict, doesn't it?  There are parts that I like about each type and parts that I don't like about each type.   I'd like to just pick out all my favorite bits and put them together to make my own dog.  LOL

My biggest fear with AMbreds is not the structure, but the health problems, short longevity and temperament problems that I met in so many of them.  I loved Dallas and his progeny and came VERY close to getting an AMbred back then...but then he passed away at a young age and it scared me away again.   I've met very few AMbreds that I really admired in person, too many who really dissapointed me in person. 

 a bit

EuroShepherd, you and I are in agreement on every single word.

And yes, her topline DOES stay firm in motion!