# Critique my two GSD's!



## N Smith

Ironhide - 25 months, 58-60lbs


















My first attempts at stacking while outside - I am waiting for better pics taken inside. 


Gladiator - 9 months, 60-65 lbs










His stack was harder and now I see his legs should have been more underneath him.


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## LaRen616

They are both absolutely stunning!

Gladiator. :wub:


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## gagsd

The black dog is hard to see. The sable dog is quite thin, so hard (for me) to give an assessment. Hopefully some of the more conformation savvy people will post.


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## PaddyD

gagsd said:


> The black dog is hard to see. The sable dog is quite thin, so hard (for me) to give an assessment. Hopefully some of the more conformation savvy people will post.


I agree. The black dog is too shallow in the body. The female is beautiful but her hip bones are prominent. They both look undernourished.


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## N Smith

PaddyD said:


> I agree. The black dog is too shallow in the body. The female is beautiful but her hip bones are prominent. They both look undernourished.


 
They both eat about 6 cups a day of TOTW and are exercised about 3 hours a day, and yes some people think they are too thin (so far all pet people) - however my training mentor, my ScH club, our ScH club friends in Alaska, her breeder and my vet think they are absolutely amazing, fit and healthy (Oh and me too!LOL). So not really looking for critiques on weight, just conformation. 

Thanks guys, keep 'em coming!

What do you mean by shallow in the body for Gladiator? Do you mean his stomach tuck?


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## robinhuerta

N.Smith..
Although the sable dog is thin....(she?) looks to be fit.
Nothing screams "wrong" with her...and she is in the average weight class for the breed, especially if she is a "finer" boned GSD.
As for the black *puppy*....*he is only 9mos old...and looks completely normal for his age.*
It is not desirable to be "too much" at his age....and the age (especially for a male) can be one of the *excuse me for saying*...ugliest times in growth.
Both dogs look good.
Best wishes!


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## N Smith

robinhuerta said:


> N.Smith..
> Although the sable dog is thin....(she?) looks to be fit.
> Nothing screams "wrong" with her...and she is in the average weight class for the breed, especially if she is a "finer" boned GSD.
> As for the black *puppy*....*he is only 9mos old...and looks completely normal for his age.*
> It is not desirable to be "too much" at his age....and the age (especially for a male) can be one of the *excuse me for saying*...ugliest times in growth.
> Both dogs look good.
> Best wishes!


 
Thank you! I really appreciate your words. I don't know you personally, but I have only heard good things, so I am greatful for your critique.


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## Wolfgeist

Gotta say, I LOVE those names!


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## carmspack

nice dogs -- I am in the "too thin camp" too much tuck (underline) ribs with no cover -- the sable looks like someone who has lost a bit of weight but is still wearing the old "fat" clothes , looks like there is more skin

conformationally the sable has a very steep croup 

both look to have nice feet and strong ligaments, pigment good


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## BlackthornGSD

robinhuerta said:


> N.Smith..
> Although the sable dog is thin....(she?) looks to be fit.
> Nothing screams "wrong" with her...and she is in the average weight class for the breed, especially if she is a "finer" boned GSD.
> As for the black *puppy*....*he is only 9mos old...and looks completely normal for his age.*
> It is not desirable to be "too much" at his age....and the age (especially for a male) can be one of the *excuse me for saying*...ugliest times in growth.
> Both dogs look good.
> Best wishes!


I agree with Robin.

I know you didn't ask, but for the rest of the posters.... I think the sable girl looks thin--but well muscled. And at 10-48 months, it's very, very hard to put weight on an very active, very athletic dog unless you restrict exercise while also upping food.

I personally don't like to be able to see the point of a hip in profile nor to feel the hip bones and the dips between them easily---however, there are several of my young dogs who are like that. I pretty much feed them as much as they can eat without having it just come out the other end as excess bulk. One thing I've started to do is look for higher-calorie foods--ToTW is not a bad food, but it's not particularly high calorie per cup. 

As long as they are able to put on and/or maintain muscle, they are *not* underfed. No more than you'd look at a marathon runner and consider them underfed.


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## PaddyD

Marathon runners are supposed to look underfed (I was one). GSDs are supposed to look like line-backers. As for my shallow in the body comment, I mean that he doesn't look as deep or full as a GSD should... even at his age. It could be the camera angle. He has a very nice head. My female eats 2-3 cups of TOTW, gets a lot of exercise and shows no bones.
If you ask for critiques then you have to put up with critiques you don't like or agree with. We calls em as we sees em.


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## BlackthornGSD

PaddyD said:


> GSDs are supposed to look like line-backers.


Actually, no they're not. The breed is supposed to be an endurance type, not a sprinter type. Think of the dog who can trot a border for miles each day--not a linebacker type.


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## N Smith

I feed TOTW because I get it free as part of a referal deal - so financially it is more viable for me to feed it.

They also get raw 3x/week, at about 3% of their body weight.

Also, I never said anyone could not have an opinion, just thatI am more looking for conformation critiques as opposed to weight critiques. If you don't like your dog to show bones, awesome! That works for you and your dogs. My dogs are fit, active, *well fed* and I have health certificates from my vet to prove it.

While I appreciate all critiques and people who give me the time out of their day to reply - I can still disagree with them. My dogs, my choice!

Also, I do completely agree with blackthorn on the non-linebacker comment.

Thanks again guys!


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## Emoore

PaddyD said:


> GSDs are supposed to look like line-backers.


I don't know much about football, but I know the linebackers are the biggest guys on the field, often pushing 300lb. Rotties and mastiffs are supposed to look like linebackers. GSDs should look more like David Beckham.

As for the hip comment, I agree that I prefer not to see it, but sometimes it really can't be helped. My Cashdog had it and I poured food in him. He just burned it all off.


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## Minnieski

I'm no expert, but I think the both look healthy! I have a sable, and for some reason they always seem to look thin...I think that the way their coats lay attributes to that. Good looking dogs!


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## MicheleMarie

Emoore said:


> I don't know much about football, but I know the linebackers are the biggest guys on the field, often pushing 300lb. Rotties and mastiffs are supposed to look like linebackers. GSDs should look more like *David Beckham*.
> 
> As for the hip comment, I agree that I prefer not to see it, but sometimes it really can't be helped. My Cashdog had it and I poured food in him. He just burned it all off.


Hot and Trim :wub:


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## MicheleMarie

Minnieski said:


> I'm no expert, but I think the both look healthy! I have a sable, and for some reason they always seem to look thin...I think that the way their coats lay attributes to that. Good looking dogs!


thanks for this post! your dogs are beautiful and I am in love with sables. I have a 14 month old sable male with the same problem. I am finding it impossible to put weight on him so I feel your pain-but I don't think the dog looks thin-you can see her muscle and she's fit. I also train for protection at a schutz/mondio ring club and they all think he's perfect too. He weighs around 70 pounds and all I hear is, "aren't german shepherds supposed to be BIG? I know a friend's one is like TWICE his size!"  lol.


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## N Smith

*UPDATED PICTURES - For critique*

So its been just over a year and Ironhide has finally matured into her body - she is so not my skinny-minny anymore.

Let me know what you guys think - feel free to re-critique!

I will post new ones of Gladiator soon. While we are in Hungary if I have a chance to show them, I will, but our schedule will be pretty full.

(Just noticed that her front feet are not on even ground, so her left foot is on a slight angle and her right foot is on a small mound, oh well)










http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af164/NiomiSmith/IMAG0792_zps1f183fd0.jpg


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## elisabeth_00117

Is it possible to link pedigrees for each dog?

She has definitely matured since the last photo's. Adorable.


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## N Smith

elisabeth_00117 said:


> Is it possible to link pedigrees for each dog?
> 
> She has definitely matured since the last photo's. Adorable.


Here is Ironhide's pedigree:
Lynx vom Lytle

And Gladiators:
Wales vom Lytle


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## AkariKuragi

She sure is a looker. Can't do much along the lines of conformation but I think she's gorgeous and she looks like she's in great shape. : ) I especially like her head.


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## mehpenn

Emoore said:


> I David Beckham.


Mmmmmmm... David Beckham. :wub:


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## mehpenn

I think she looks great. Definitely has added a little to her build since the first pictures you posted. (Sorry, no actual critique, I'm not nearly saavy enough to offer one.)
II love sables. My sable girl is 24 months, from working lines, and is a slender, athleticly built dog, like yours.


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