# Critique "Iorek" Tamaska von Sch�ne Stadt - 10 weeks



## Kamahi (Feb 27, 2010)

*Critique "Iorek" Tamaska von Schöne Stadt - 10 weeks*

I know he is only a puppy and they will go through plenty of changes as they get older, but I'm curious as to what you all think of him? 

He is actually 12 1/2 weeks old _now_, but these are the most recent stack pictures I have of him, since he isn't the easiest puppy to stack! lol (What puppy is?!







)

Stack -



















Head shots -



















His head shot now (8/17/11) -










Profile shot -


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## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

Hmmm...were you taking the picture completley parallel to him? It seems like the angle is such that there is lens distortion and it is making his back end look tiny in comparison to his back end...like you were shooting at a front to back angle. I would also zoom out a little so you don't have barrel distortion...not sure that is helping.

But the front shots are super cute!! Awesome color and expression!


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## Kamahi (Feb 27, 2010)

When I took those two above stack pictures I was more towards his front end. I had to straighten and crop both of those stack pictures because it's difficult stacking a hyper puppy AND taking the pictures by yourself. I appreciate the suggestions though, and I had a helper take pictures of me stacking Iorek today. 

Here are the stack pictures from today... (so much easier when I had a helper to take pictures!!)

Stack -

(I cropped myself out of the picture and put it on another picture I took)









Head shots (from today as well) -



















Profile shot -


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

Very nice dark face.


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## 1sttimeforgsd (Jul 29, 2010)

I am not knowledgeable to critique your boy, but he sure is a handsome little fellow. :wub:


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## Xeph (Jun 19, 2005)

While acknowledging that this puppy will change quite a bit between now and 2 years old, here's what I see currently:

Beautiful ear set. Dark, masculine head, lovely for his age. Good length of neck, but set a bit low. Wither is flat, leading into an ok topline. Croup is long, but quite steep. Good tailset.

Good bone, a bit soft in the pasterns right now. Layback of shoulder is pushed forward and should be set back a bit. Underline is ok, but could use a more pronounced tuck (the issue is shaping more than anything).

Would like a better turn of stifle, but rear angulation is sufficient.

Very nice feet.

Cute baby ^_^


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## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

Oh yes that last picture does him much better justice!!

I hear ya about trying to wrangle those kids


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## Kamahi (Feb 27, 2010)

Thanks for all the replies! 



Xeph said:


> While acknowledging that this puppy will change quite a bit between now and 2 years old, here's what I see currently:
> 
> Beautiful ear set. Dark, masculine head, lovely for his age. Good length of neck, but set a bit low. Wither is flat, leading into an ok topline. Croup is long, but quite steep. Good tailset.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the critique!!! I really appreciate it! 

I _think_ his neck may look a little low in the picture due to my lack of knowledge on how to properly stack a dog (and I had my treat bag on the ground in front of him because I couldn't hold that and stack him at the same time lol and so he would at least look in that general direction, but I'm probably wrong. Do you think his topline is off because his hind leg is a little too stretched out? 

I couldn't see what his stack looked like from the front and my helper knows less than I do when it comes to stacking a dog, so Iorek's stack definitely wasn't perfect! 

Do you think some of the things you mentioned will eventually correct themselves as he grows? I know it's hard to tell right now, but I'm wondering if faults correcting themselves as the puppy grows is common?


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## Xeph (Jun 19, 2005)

> I _think_ his neck may look a little low in the picture due to my lack of knowledge on how to properly stack a dog


While this is part of it (and it takes time to learn how to #1 stack a dog and #2 learn how to stack a dog based on its individual virtues and deficiencies), when you start learning how to look at the skeletal structure *inside* the dog, and not just the outer shell, you can see the issue better.

Even if you brought his head up a bit, you would be able to see that where his neck ties into his shoulders, the set is a bit low.



> Do you think his topline is off because his hind leg is a little too stretched out?


Again, yes and no. Regardless of how you stack him, this puppy does have a very steep croup. You can make it look better or worse, depending on how you stack the dog.

Will his croup change? Probably a little bit. Will it ever stop being steep? No.

His pasterns should firm up a bit as he ages. He is still just a baby after all  His topline will likely do all sorts of weird things as he grows, and his underline will follow suit 

I actually took pictures of my little girl from week to week until she was about 6 months old, so I could see all the changes she was undergoing.


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## BlackthornGSD (Feb 25, 2010)

Xeph said:


> Even if you brought his head up a bit, you would be able to see that where his neck ties into his shoulders, the set is a bit low.


Also note that this is an AKC-style vs international style GSD issue--in the AKC conformation ring, the preference seems to be for a dog whose neck is more vertical than is selected for in European GSDs.


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## idahospud49 (Jan 28, 2011)

Look at his face!!! He's a cutie!


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## Xeph (Jun 19, 2005)

> the preference seems to be for a dog whose neck is more vertical than is selected for in European GSDs.


This is true, though I would like to say that I do not like a head that is straight up and down (it is often coupled with a shoulder layback that is incorrect, and that "ties into the neck").


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## BlackthornGSD (Feb 25, 2010)

Xeph said:


> This is true, though I would like to say that I do not like a head that is straight up and down (it is often coupled with a shoulder layback that is incorrect, and that "ties into the neck").


Very true.


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## Xeph (Jun 19, 2005)

The head does need to come up a bit from a structural standpoint IMO because just like a head that is too upright (and gives an upright shoulder angle) leads to a lifty dog, a neck that is set too forward and low does not allow the shoulder to open properly (even if the lay back is good), and you end up with a very stilted front action/ground pounding.

This is a *completely random* dog I found for sale on the PDB. This is the kind of neck set that I think is more correct:









An American dog who had a set of neck I liked, but needed a better shoulder layback


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## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

Personally.....I LOVE the fingers growing on the puppy! LOL!:wild:
Cute pup! Nice expression!


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## Kamahi (Feb 27, 2010)

Xeph said:


> While this is part of it (and it takes time to learn how to #1 stack a dog and #2 learn how to stack a dog based on its individual virtues and deficiencies), when you start learning how to look at the skeletal structure *inside* the dog, and not just the outer shell, you can see the issue better.
> 
> Even if you brought his head up a bit, you would be able to see that where his neck ties into his shoulders, the set is a bit low.
> 
> ...


Thanks again!! I know he will change *a lot*, so I'm hoping when he's an adult most of the faults will have corrected themselves. :fingerscrossed: I see what you're saying about stacking him so it will show off his good qualities vs the bad. Thanks for the tip!


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## Kamahi (Feb 27, 2010)

robinhuerta said:


> Personally.....I LOVE the fingers growing on the puppy! LOL!:wild:
> Cute pup! Nice expression!


Hahahaha... :laugh: I haven't seen any other dogs with this abnormal growth back in his pedigree, but so far I'm loving its unique "charm"!!!  LOL!

Thanks!!


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## Ramage (Oct 10, 2009)

I love the coloring on this pup and his expression. I'll be interested to see pics as he grows.


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