[ SHOWGSD-L ] Who are we kidding?- hock
- From: Gsdman2@xxxxxxx
- To: showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 18 Dec 2005 20:03:12 EST
In a message dated 12/17/2005 4:08:12 PM Central Standard Time,
MarcatoGSD@xxxxxxx writes:
The metatarsus (the unit between the hock joint and the foot) is short,
strong and tightly articulated.
Which I take to mean as "The dog shouldn't be able, or shouldn't HAVE to put
his entire hock on the floor to support his body weight."
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I don't really know what to say to this. Your interpretation of the passage
has nothing at all to do with the passage. A good strong and short hock could
lay flat on the floor just as easily as a long one. All you need to do is
put it there for the picture you're probably judging the dogs by. I agree that
there are dogs that walk on their hocks, but that is not necessarily a length
issue as much as it is ligament, or croup angle, or lead tension, or possibly
other things. The truth is, most of us cringe when we see a GSD walk on its
hocks. Breed for the good strong short hock because it is correct.
The lack of drive I see is usually a structural problem. We've discussed
locked hocks many times, and that will kill drive, but I think they are finally
on the decline. Lack of drive today is more a result of the quest for extreme
topline in motion, I think. With strong drive, the back would tend to level
out in motion because that is where balance in forward drive is achieved when a
dog suspends well. There is some topline in motion because the rear drive
slightly lifts the front of the dog. However, if that is exaggerated then it
seems as though it must cause a loss of suspension. Basically the dogs are
doing
a little more than power walking to maintain their extreme topline in motion
... in my opinion. Good drive and long suspension is created with strong
"forward" drive. If you aim the topline upward too much, the drive will push
the
front of the dog upward too much, and a loss of ground coverage is the logical
result.
Tom Langlitz
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