# Body Condition



## Jax08

My plan is to show Seger in July at an SV show. I hear that the judges don't like the general body conditions of working line. To thin, to muscular, etc.

What is the premium body condition for show?


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## osito23

I have done some SV ring training and went the the WDA Seiger show last year. I heard the opposite about muscling/body weight, although we weren't specifically discussing working lines. I have been told that judges want lean, well-muscled, powerful appearing dogs. The prep for these big shows involves a lot of conditioning with weight pulling, hill work, even underwater treadmill. I'll be going to a much smaller SV show here later this month and will see how it differs.


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## Nigel

I know this is a bit off your topic, but my WL is a bit shorter in the body compared to my SL, is that a comon difference as well.


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## Jax08

osito23 said:


> I have done some SV ring training and went the the WDA Seiger show last year. I heard the opposite about muscling/body weight, although we weren't specifically discussing working lines. I have been told that judges want lean, well-muscled, powerful appearing dogs. The prep for these big shows involves a lot of conditioning with weight pulling, hill work, even underwater treadmill. I'll be going to a much smaller SV show here later this month and will see how it differs.


Seger will be in the 18-24 class. Not sure how much muscle is expected to be on that age group as they are just starting to fill out?

As far as conditioning, he'll be swimming in ponds and biking (which where I live is ALL hill work!)


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## d4mmo

Hey jax. A judge is looking for a strong substantial dog that can trott all day.
So lean and muscular and full of drive. I know sl breeders which work their dogs 5-8 miles twice a day weeks leading into a show


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## Jax08

Does anyone have any pictures of a working line male 18 mths in the show ring?


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## osito23

Jax08 said:


> Seger will be in the 18-24 class. Not sure how much muscle is expected to be on that age group as they are just starting to fill out?
> 
> As far as conditioning, he'll be swimming in ponds and biking (which where I live is ALL hill work!)


I'm not sure what the expectation is honestly. I got some flack for my 10 month old being too lanky and thin. Some people put a lot of time and money (underwater treadmill) conditioning young dogs. I just prefer to let my dog be a puppy without worrying about building muscle for show deadlines. If I decide to enter him in this show he will also be in the 18-24 month group, and his conditioning is running with me (which doesn't count for much), light biking until he's older, swimming, fetch, frisbee, agility, playing with the other dogs, etc. He has good muscle tone now but has a lot of filling out to do. Here's some pics I took of the 12-18 month old males at the Sieger show:







Lots of variation. I think the muscle tone/conditioning will effect group placement but not the overall rating. All of those dogs were SG rated.


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## osito23

Sorry I don't have any working line pics in that age group. Out of the entire Seiger show, the only time I saw any working lines was when I talked to the working club that set up the bite work, and they were just along for the ride.


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## Jax08

Thank you for the pictures. My working line looks very different. I'm really looking for working line pictures if possible.


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## osito23

I have these pics of a 2 year old WL being stacked in ring training. The SV show here is the 26th and there should be more WLs since it's being hosted by a WL schutzhund club. I'll get some (better quality) pics and share them then.


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## Jax08

Perfect! Thank you so much!


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## mspiker03

If you remind (pm) me next week I can try to take some pics at the regional show for you. They will probably just be from my cell - but my male will be showing in the 12-18 month class. He is very lanky.


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## Jax08

Oh thank you! I'll set a reminder for me. lol


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## mspiker03

Lol - Show is a week from this Saturday (NW Regional). Maybe I will try to take some video too. I forgot to last year at the show. Although last year I had my own personal photographer (Cassidy's Mom)


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## Jax08

awww...So Debbie dropped the ball on the video! Got it!


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## mspiker03

Haha no - I dropped the video ball. She took plenty of pictures.


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## Liesje

Pan got two SG ratings (one from an SV judge from Germany) between age 12-24mos. I don't have any stacked photos of him from either show since I was taking pictures at both, but this was him soon after his first show, and then shortly before his second show:

















I don't have any good movement pics of him. We actually did some hi def video of both my dogs moving on pavement so we could slow it down and evaluate the movement, but Pan tweaked something during flyball that day (we were recording in the parking lot) and had a bit of a stutter step so I trashed his video clips.

In my opinion, the judges want to see a dog muscled but LEAN, especially if it's an SV judge from Germany. They will berate a dog up and down if it looks even 1/4 a lb overweight. In Pan's first show, the SV judge was very very picky on size/height as well. I think the USCA judges (or at least certain one(s) in particular) will be a LOT more lenient on height/size so it will depend on the judge. For a Seiger show, the top contenders are being conditioned for like 2 hours a day leading up to the show, but the amount of exercise the dog will do in a club or even regional show in the USA is a fraction of what the working class does in a Seiger show.


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## Jax08

It's an SV judge. Wolfgang Lauber. 

Thanks so much Lies. That was very helpful. Sounds like if I just bike him in preparation for the AD we should be fine. Seger is tall. He's over 25"

Pan is so handsome.


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## Liesje

Yep some AD roadwork would be fine. I never did any specific conditioning for shows, other than *myself* since it's a lot of running! But if you're already doing AD stuff, training, etc, he should be fine. Doing flyball, IPO, agility, and also training for their ADs was enough for my dogs. All of them always got the highest rating available for their class and that was satisfactory for me.


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## LaRen616

Pan.............................. :wub:


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## Jax08

I won't be handling him. Leave that running up to the young girls! lol But I still have to bike with him. the handler thought he'd SG without an issue.


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## d4mmo

Post some photos. I'd love to see him


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## Jax08

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/critique-my-dog/534570-seger-16-months.html


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## osito23

Seger is very handsome - I'm sure he'll do great in the show.


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## Jax08

Thanks Osito. I wish the picture really showed his color. He looks washed out.


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## lauren43

Was Seger the one I saw? He looks totally different in this pic than I remember.


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## Jax08

Yup! That's my boy! His color is much richer in person.


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## Cassidy's Mom

Jax08 said:


> awww...So Debbie dropped the ball on the video! Got it!


Ha! :rofl:



mspiker03 said:


> Lol - Show is a week from this Saturday (NW Regional). Maybe I will try to take some video too. I forgot to last year at the show. Although last year I had my own personal photographer (Cassidy's Mom)


I don't think I'm going to be able to go after all, Melissa.  Saturday is my birthday and my MIL wants to take us out to dinner. If it were in the same place as Paisley's show I could do both, but it's a 3 hour round trip, which makes it harder. Hopefully someone there will be able to get pics of TJ for you.


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## mspiker03

I will miss hanging out with you guys - but understand. I wish it were at the same place as last year too! Even though it is farther for me, it is much easier having close to my parents house!!


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## gsdlover91

Oh Pan! Be still my heart. I am prepping Tesla for the Sieger show next month. She's still young so not much, but from what I learned when I showed Berlin last year, they like them in shape and lean. I cut Berlin's food back a bit before the show (a month before) and made sure he was well conditioned.


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## vomlittlehaus

Jax, what show are you going to?


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## Jax08

Middletown Orange County


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## vomlittlehaus

Was thinking about entering as well. Not sure if I can swing it.


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## Jax08

It's the only one I know of that will work for me, to get him ready and just my schedule in general


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## mspiker03

Lots of young male working lines entered at the show this weekend!


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## Jax08

YAY! Did you get pictures?


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## mspiker03

Show is this Saturday - I just saw the list of entries.


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## Jax08

oh! can't wait to see them then! If there a facebook page for the event? If you take pics would you rather just email them to me? It would be easier?


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## mspiker03

Yes there is a fb page - I will pm you. 

I will probably email pics. I hate photobucket and uploading pics to a server in general. Part of the reason I never post pics here.


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## osito23

Ok, did our first show, and pics as promised. It was a small club show with both working and show lines. Here's 2 females from the 18-24 month group:





The 18-24 month male was a small group with my boy and a working line. Here's some clips from the ring:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnnuivKbf5w&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riZNvCMNDTs&feature=youtu.be


Both boys got their SG  There was a photographer there too, so I'll share when I see those as well.


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