# Anybody with a Tall or "Lanky" Shepherd



## ILoveBella478 (Mar 13, 2015)

I'm talking to this breeder who has a tall stud at 75 pounds almost 3 years of age looks great I want a puppy from him next year. What it is like living with a tall shepherd ? Are they athletic are they fast can he or she jump high ?


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## CountryGirl01 (Dec 10, 2014)

Two things you need to be on the look out for in a GSD with unusually long legs that is also lanky: a gait called "crabbing" and a gait called "pacing". Not good things. Some dogs that have legs which are really long will occasionally have their feet hit each other. This causes the crabbing and pacing gait in a dog. And since you also mentioned that the dog is "lanky" leads me to consider that he might be a pacer. Dogs that pace are very thin because pacing doesn't allow the body to work out like it should. The dog will always have very little muscle so long as it paces. I would check with the breeder to see if the dog paces or does crabbing before purchasing. Also do not be sold on a dogs mere appearance, make sure the dog has good hips and elbows, and whoever will be the dam as well.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

It all depends on the structure of the dog, not just the height. Tall at 75lbs is how tall? My male is 27 inches and weighs 93lbs at 6 yrs old....he is very athletic and can jump a 3 meter wall gracefully.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Speed-wise, bigger dogs will generally be slower in things like agility and flyball where they are also jumping/doing obstacles. This is because their strides are longer, so their feet hit the ground less times, and air time is always slower than ground time. So, a GSD that is tall and lanky is probably going to be slower, but we're talking about sports that are competing in fractions of seconds. Many large, tall, and/or lanky GSDs do fine in many sports but if we're talking sports with points and titles that are earned or won based on speed, they will be slower. A tall or lanky GSD should be able to jump any height in agility or the IPO jumps no problem with proper *training*, so that's not really an issue. Conformation is important for jumping, but it's more complex than just height, and again more of an issue with repeated jumping and speed related sports like agility, not just the ability to clear the IPO jump. 

Are you planning to train and compete in any sports? If not, get whatever size dog appeals to you. Look for balance in the front and rear (angulation matches) and dogs that aren't too steep through the shoulder and upper forearm.


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## ILoveBella478 (Mar 13, 2015)

Liesje said:


> Speed-wise, bigger dogs will generally be slower in things like agility and flyball where they are also jumping/doing obstacles. This is because their strides are longer, so their feet hit the ground less times, and air time is always slower than ground time. So, a GSD that is tall and lanky is probably going to be slower, but we're talking about sports that are competing in fractions of seconds. Many large, tall, and/or lanky GSDs do fine in many sports but if we're talking sports with points and titles that are earned or won based on speed, they will be slower. A tall or lanky GSD should be able to jump any height in agility or the IPO jumps no problem with proper *training*, so that's not really an issue. Conformation is important for jumping, but it's more complex than just height, and again more of an issue with repeated jumping and speed related sports like agility, not just the ability to clear the IPO jump.
> 
> Are you planning to train and compete in any sports? If not, get whatever size dog appeals to you. Look for balance in the front and rear (angulation matches) and dogs that aren't too steep through the shoulder and upper forearm.


Oh no I'm not looking to compete in any sports it's just I'm very active I like to run I like to workout. I just want a GSD to fit my personal life style. This GSD belongs to a breeder in Atlanta GA and he looks great in my opinion I'll post a picture of him


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Then your concern would be not doing too much running on hard surfaces while your dog is growing. The larger the dog, the longer they take to physically develop. Other than that, it's personal preference.


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## ILoveBella478 (Mar 13, 2015)

CountryGirl01 said:


> Two things you need to be on the look out for in a GSD with unusually long legs that is also lanky: a gait called "crabbing" and a gait called "pacing". Not good things. Some dogs that have legs which are really long will occasionally have their feet hit each other. This causes the crabbing and pacing gait in a dog. And since you also mentioned that the dog is "lanky" leads me to consider that he might be a pacer. Dogs that pace are very thin because pacing doesn't allow the body to work out like it should. The dog will always have very little muscle so long as it paces. I would check with the breeder to see if the dog paces or does crabbing before purchasing. Also do not be sold on a dogs mere appearance, make sure the dog has good hips and elbows, and whoever will be the dam as well.


I will post a picture and I'll ask the breeder. I never heard of these things **** you guys come in handy because I was for sure I wanted one of his puppies


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## ILoveBella478 (Mar 13, 2015)

Liesje said:


> Then your concern would be not doing too much running on hard surfaces while your dog is growing. The larger the dog, the longer they take to physically develop. Other than that, it's personal preference.


The slow growth is the healthiest growth right ? And hard surfaces you mean by side walks and streets ?


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## ILoveBella478 (Mar 13, 2015)

onyx'girl said:


> It all depends on the structure of the dog, not just the height. Tall at 75lbs is how tall? My male is 27 inches and weighs 93lbs at 6 yrs old....he is very athletic and can jump a 3 meter wall gracefully.


Your boy looks freakin awesome his chest looks really big


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## ILoveBella478 (Mar 13, 2015)

Here are some pictures


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Robyn is tall and lean. 28 inches and 80 pounds. She is super fast. Her and Batman(greyhound mix that is also super fast) are perfect playmates. Robyn does well with agility too, she loves the A Frame.


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## ILoveBella478 (Mar 13, 2015)

I want a tall shepherd with great muscle mass


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

My girl was 24" at the withers at about 10 or 11 months old, if I measured her correctly (she was a little squirmy but I measured twice and got 24" both times, so I'll work with that for now). I don't think she's any taller, but I could be wrong; friends with big dogs see her and say, "I THOUGHT I had a big dog until I saw yours."

As for weight, she's in the mid-60s right now but I suspect she will reach 75 lb.

She looks pretty in motion, but she really isn't that fast. I think we'll try some agility just for the experience, but I don't expect her to do that well at it.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

ILoveBella478 said:


> The slow growth is the healthiest growth right ? And hard surfaces you mean by side walks and streets ?


Yes, you want slow growth, not just adding weight on just because. And yes, I personally avoid repetitive exercise (jogging or running) until the dog is about 18 months or so. I also don't do a lot of jump training or repetitive flyball stuff until the growth plates are closing and I've x-rayed hips, elbows, and spine.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

ILoveBella478 said:


> I want a tall shepherd with great muscle mass


Being tall, for this breed isn't necessarily better, the body will break down faster if the dog is doing sport work or service work....there are some SD breeders that do want a dog that can support a person who needs that type assistance, but most responsible breeders shy away from breeding over-standard or for the larger structure. 
Muscle mass is important, well toned body condition but not a dog that is so thick that it turns to fat if the dog isn't being worked. My male is on the thin side, muscled but not bulked....he could almost use a few pounds but I like the lean vs bulk.


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