Front angulations - Page 7

Are you asking me VK?

Yes. I mean ask a houndsman or stockman what their priorities are in breeding combinations and how they asses the result you will get some pretty direct answers.

I still haven't learned what GSD breeders are trying to achieve apart from the totally generic or the totally vague idealistic. 

Well the breed has a standard that sets the dimensions of breed structure and temperament. Breeders are trying to achieve those dimensions, some pay attention to both dimensions simultaneously, some pay attention to one single dimension, some are going extreme on the one dimension they chose. Those are the very good and ok breeders. Others do not go by either dimension and play freely and set their own dimensions which they like and think are better.

Extreme conformation isn't a good thing, to breed only for conformation isn't good either, health, temperament and work ability are a must, correct structure adds and compliments them.
As per this thread, a newbie asked for some explanation and I am trying to offer what I can to him, hopefully I am not doing anything wrong.

Why the trot?

I actually like this question. For a dog whose claim to fame is not first in anything, but second in everything, it is the perfect gait. I could tell you why I think that is, but first, try and tell me what the trot has over the walk and a run, as in why an animal would chose it to get from point A to point B.

Bee - to answer your question, I would look to nature for an example. The wolf exemplifies a very efficient trot, covering maximum distance with minimum effort/calories expended. The wolf's structure and gait is the ideal for distance-covering, and they can keep up the trot for a very long time, as their structure has been perfected by genetic selection for milennia. Man cannot take the "canis familiaris" structure and improve on it for efficiency of gait (trot) by deviating very far from the "canis lupus" structure. To think so is just a testament to man's narcissism and ego.  JMO.

I have one doubt about the opening of upper arm angle at the point of scapula does it have any relation to the flexibility of the muscles and tendon .As I have seen the movements mainly done by the muscles tendons and the stabilizer muscles the scapularis and so does the flexibility help for the range motion in fore front reach or the rear front reach?
Does the muscles tendons flexibility play role in the opening of bones and thus the reach?

We must also take into account the curvature of the spine and and how it relates to the attachment to the shoulder. If the spine is arched upward, even with good shoulder angulation, reach is effected.

In what way the curvature of spine effects is it due to the change of alignment of muscles attached.?

First of all - Ibrahim, I neither wanted to "blow up" anything nor "spoil it".
All of us are just amateurs, and we can only guess...

You used two pictures, in my opinion both dogs are not gaiting well, the elbows are open, the hindlegs are twisted, and the power is lost in horizontal position - too much of all in front and rear.

We talked about the % of forward power in front and rear a couple of months ago - recently I found a scientific article stating that the forward rear normally is about 30 %. I think I sent you the article - do you remember?

The dogs shown in the pictures don´t show any power in the front ( reach = not necessarily power ), and - most important - for- and hindlegs are not straight during the movement, simply because they are too long, it´s physically not effective.

Rupish made a very good point about flexibility of muscles and tendons. You know I trained a lot of dogs for shows, and out of experience I KNOW that you are able to better speed and outreach with training. Given that I am not able to change the bones of a dog, it MUST have to do with muscles and tension, can´t be "bones" only.

About the books - I guess they are written by showline fanciers, and I know that a lot of showline fanciers ( be it AKC or SV) lost their view for reality...

waiting of further disccusions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!