# Leg shape problem



## Vector

Dear GSD lover,

Last week I've just adopt a 9 months old male GSD. 
We feel compassionate.

He has bad conditions because the previous owner put him, almost a whole day, in around 1 meter cubic cage, with floor made of row concrete steel (around 8 mm in diameter and around 4 cm between bar). 

I believe they did because the dog's nail are very long, may be 3 cm before I cut it. 4 rear legs' nail was broken by it self when my son took him walk on the next day.

He looks so thin with weight only 18 kgs and height about 60 cm - 61 cm.
Now (6 days later) become 19 kgs.

The problem is the legs. I dont really know how to do with that. The rear are very poor I think, don't you think so? (there's pictures attached)

They adopt him since he was 5 months old in good shape (they show me the picture). So it took 4 months in growing stage to becoming like this.

Please help me to correct the legs. How far do we can correct it?

Thank you.

/aaron


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## carmspack

this dog does not look to be in bad condition . How do you know he is 9 months? Is this a questimate. He just has that look and feel about him that makes him feel / appear older. 

This based on the coat, his coloration , especially a fully observable "bitch stripe" , which on a younger dog would just be breaking through . Even picture number four .

Nails - his foot shape will always allow for a sharp long nail because of how his foot lands . He has flat feet, long open toes. Some dogs never need a trim . 
He has long pasterns , the area after the wrist to where the foot begins . This length , plus lack of strength in his connective tissue , his ligaments , stretches , collapses this part of the limb.
Same with the rear . His connective tissue , his ligaments are soft , and so his hocks drop and the weight is supported by brining in his hock and toeing out .

So basically what you are seeing are due to conformation. Improvements can be made through diet , especially with supplements which contribute to joint/cartilage/ligament integrity .

If you showed me the dog and asked for an age guess I would have said around 3 years old. 
How much do you trust the person you adopted him from? Sometimes age is made younger to be more appealing for re-homing.
Of course I could be totally wrong. The vet might give you an answer -- or some other forum members.


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## Vector

Thank you for quick answer. 
This dog has a certificate and tatoo. He is grandson of canto von alpenheim. his birth date is 8 august 2012. Sorry it's 10 months old not 9.

Do you think the rear leg could be back to normal shape? it looks out of line.


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## carmspack

wow -- okay then, 11 months , since we are days away from Aug 8. His colour may keep on changing , getting lighter . The problem is his hocks are cow hocked. Best way to explain it is by a set of illustrations done by my friend Linda Shaw who is back to posting observations on her blog as of yesterday. About German Shepherd Dog : GSD Hindquarters | Hindquarters in German Shepherds

excerpt from same "
*Cow hocks*, is again another serious fault in German Shepherds. Cow Hock is a condition where the hocks tend to turn towards each other. Cow hock can be a result of any of the two conditions…
*a)* Cow hock due to the entire leg turned out from the hip. In this case the dog tends to stand slightly wider on the rear lags, with the stifle and toes slightly extended outward. Such a condition is considered as normal if the bones in the related areas are straight in connection to each other.
*b)* Cow hock due to twisting inward of the hock and the stifle joints. Such a condition affects the gait or locomotion of the dog, which in turn adversely influence the working ability of the dog. Cow hock due to due to twisting inward of the hock and the stifle joints can only happen if the bones are twisted, which cannot be considered normal. It is a serious fault."

when the hock is brought towards the center and the feet thrown outward you are broadening the base of support . 

It is a fault because it impairs prolonged movement .


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## MaggieRoseLee

I'm betting with some exercise and running around like a real dog he'll rise up and be a bit more normal.

That said, he's probably genetically not going to be as up and square as some other dogs.

This look familiar? At 26 sec


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## Vector

Thank you Carmspack for your comment. BTW, till now I still can't find any way out to correct the problem, even for just a bit better. Every website told me to forget it.


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## Vector

@MaggieRoseLee your video attachment shows me that the cow hock GSD can be the winner of a contest? am I correct? I hvn't finished to watch the 2nd one. 

Do you have any suggestion about the training that has to be done with him? Hope he can be much better.

May he run or only walk. My sons bring him out almost every day to take walk or run (my son ride a bicycle so the dog can run faster).


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## Mikelia

He still has a lot of maturing to do and may correct himself a little but I would say he has very long hocks, a very steep croup and a lot of angulation. 
One of my boys is very cow hocked, he was starved for the first 3 years of his life and I strongly believe if he had have had proper nutrition and exercise while growing, his muscles would have held his legs straighter. But no amount of nutrition, supplements or exercise will change the fact that my boy is over angulated, has long hocks and a steep croup. Everybody asks what is wrong his with hips and I am always explaining that it has nothing to do with his hips. Your boy looks a lot like my boy, although Cajuns back is straighter up until the steep croup. Rear end is the same though. 
This being said he can run 25-30kms behind the four wheeler for hours. He is non stop go go go all the time and his cow hocked-ness has absolutely no effect on his stamina or ability to run. He can trot all day long. And he will be 7 next month  I would accept him as he is, feed him well and give him the best home he deserves.


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## Mikelia

I also meant to mention that I was told running him at a trot on a treadmill would help. Biking with him wouldn't do the same as the treadmill keeps perfectly even ground underneath him so his muscles would build evenly, whereas on the road he would be adjusting to uneven ground. If that makes sense? It was explained much better to me and makes sense but I don't know how valid it is. I also do not have/cannot currently get a treadmill long enough for a gsd to trot on so I have not tried it.


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## NancyJ

I don't know whether or not it would help but I knew some folks who rescued a dog very down in the pasterns (similar situation-kept in crate most the time) and they exercised it a lot on loose gravel / sand

Obviously you can't overcome the genetic structure but I would think building some muscle would help.


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## Vector

Thank you all. Now I hv better kniowledge about GSD. 
He is cute anyway He play with my Golden retriever all the time now and off course in a grass yard in front of my house. (soon my beagle will join them she is having one week old 6 puppies.) 

Cheers! God bless you all ...


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## Tysondk9414

*Leg shape*

My 3 and a half month male GSD pup has same kind of problem in his hind legs. What should I do?I am a first timer.Kindly suggest?


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## Tysondk9414

Same problem with my 3 m both GSD .what should I do?I am very worried?


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