Roach Back vs Straight Back - show - Page 3

Well, then, maybe all the judges who put dogs up that do not conform to the breed standard should be boycotted. When they don't get entries they won't be asked back by the breed club. Two problems will be solved; judges not adhering to the breed standard would no longer have a negative influence on the breed and fanciers would have available to them dogs bred with adherence to the breed standard that would be able to win in the show ring. Boycotting these judges would pave the path to normal, sound GSDs since the normal, non-extreme dogs would no longer be forced to the back of the line. No way should the deciding factor for breeding be the dog chosen by a third party with possibly poor taste and not having the future of the breed in mind. Choosing dogs for mating using this as the main criteria is the reason the breed is in the state of decline we see today. The only way to reverse this decline is to realize the show ring needs drastic changes. These changes can be accomplished by fanciers who are unhappy with the sight of deformed dogs in the ring winning--- don't give your approval to the judges who put them up by entering under them. The very same philosophy can be applied to the sport of schH and the "working dog".

Joanro, in theory you are right. However,if people who show in conformation at SV shows would boycott all the judges who put up roach backs, they would never enter another show. I'm not sure how many SV judges there are, but it's not many and we usually see the same 5 or 6 at every show in the US.  Also shows are few and far between. Judge's critiques generally include the term "roach" so they do recognize that as a feature of most of the dogs, but I'm never sure if it's used in a negative or positive way.

I don't show in conformation events, so I'll leave it to those who do to address why they won't boycott judges who put up dogs with roaches.

http://dreamchaser.smugmug.com/DogShows/SE-RegGSD-show-3-2012

This is a link to the photos from the Carolina WD show last weekend. Not all dogs who placed well there had  prominent roach backs. There was one very nice WL dog entered in the Working Dog Class.

 

Many of the dogs we think are roached are actually not and is only due to the way they're stacked. A true roach is well seen while a dog is gaiting, here's a VA dog gaiting, please watch and see how perfect her topline is, see how effective her gaiting is, nothing is more beautiful than a beautiful GSD. Though the handler is straining her on the leash you can still see how correct her back is. Enjoy

Excellent, Ibrahim!! Thanks.

This is a recent VA GSD, some might think he'e roached in stack





but see how correct is his back in movement




And just for comparison look at Dingo vom haus gero 



And look at him



If Dingo's near hock was placed perfectly vertical to the ground and his far hock more pointing to the outside  he would have looked "more roached".

People's preference-- that's why the dogs are being bred the way they are. Nothing will cange until they crash and burn in self- destruction........

Joanro,

I am not saying there are no roached backs and I'm not saying I am pro roach backs, I only wanted to highlight a fact that many of the dogs thought to be roached are actually not plus a true roach will be so evident in movement, here's a true roach

Ibrahim, look at the dogs in your previous post : the top of the butt is level or below level of the point of the shoulder. That is not normal for a dog, but for a hyena it is fine:) The breed will be better off when people orient themselves to what normal looks like.

Joanro, I say look at the dog in movement and/or in a non-deceiving stack. Here is same dog several pictures and I assure you his back is level/straight with no roach at all.







And here is how he naturally looks like



Ibrahim