# 12 weeks back arch



## Jimmycth (Mar 25, 2012)

Hi all, I've recently brought home another puppy but the way she walks is giving me concern. Below are some of her pictures. The back (just above the tail) seem to have an unusual arch. What do you guys think?


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## cloudpump (Oct 20, 2015)

Do you have any pictures of her with her head up?


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## Jimmycth (Mar 25, 2012)

Tried taking a few more pictures but it's kinda hard


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## Timberdog (Dec 26, 2016)

Could it be because he is the Square type? if everything else is normal and he is active and healthy.

Movement of the Working Dog


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

conformation is so important -- and I am not talking about anything having to do with Show - of any type - just plain , "design" which brings balance and function to the dog .

this dog does not have this harmonious good conformation. It is what it is. You can't do anything about it . 
The breeder can ! By educating him/her self about the rhyme and reasons for a functional standard.

This dog looks like two different dogs joined together . His front belonging to one, the rear to another. Or a front belonging to a younger dog , and the rear is 2 months ahead in growth.
The defining line is a line drawn at the last rib of the rib cage.

His croup is short and steep. He is able to drive more in the rear than his front can open up to allow him to move forward .

You can't do anything. You didn't create the problem . You do have to recognize this as a functional handicap and not expect the dog to do something which he can not do. He didn't create the problem either. He inherited this.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

can you get video up?


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## Julian G (Apr 4, 2016)

Where did you get him? What kind of a breeder was it?


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

can the dog walk beside you at a normal pace or is he always lagging.


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## RainE (Jan 4, 2017)

My female Luna has the sort of the same type of back but her brother doesn't. I was wondering about it as I was bathing her the other day and it doesn't affect her walking or running. The only funny thing that she does when running she seems to leap with her front legs but no pain, not anything. Actually Luna seems worse than your dog, I'm not familiar with it unfortunately. I'm going to lurk in this thread though because I'm curious myself! 

EDIT: She was just at six months in that picture


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

pretty much the same .
the dogs are walking downhill. The wither is lower that the croup.
In a dog with a back arch or roach , the back is higher than the wither or the croup.
this is not the case with these two dogs.


the front lifts to get out of the way of the rear propulsion .


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## RainE (Jan 4, 2017)

So is there anything we're going to have to look out for our dogs then? Like elbow problems or anything in the front? I should try to get a better more recent picture with Luna. What should we do to lessen any burden that could come up with them. Do any dogs grow out of it or with training work it out or lessen the problem?

Below I'm posting a picture of her brother, where you definitely can see how different her back is to his. Same age. Some litter.


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## melissajancie (Dec 22, 2016)

Asking so that I can be educated. If this puppy is only 12 weeks old - could this back issue actually straighten out at some point in time?

I am curious because I raised a filly who had growth spurts - one week she was butt high and the next week she was wither high. In the end it all sorted out really well. So do dogs do the same thing? I have had many puppies but never a GSD. I don't recall ever having a puppy that had growth spurts to where one week their butt was high and the next week it was sitting low but then again that was over 15 years ago and my memory isn't what it used to be.


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## RainE (Jan 4, 2017)

melissajancie said:


> Asking so that I can be educated. If this puppy is only 12 weeks old - could this back issue actually straighten out at some point in time?
> 
> I am curious because I raised a filly who had growth spurts - one week she was butt high and the next week she was wither high. In the end it all sorted out really well. So do dogs do the same thing? I have had many puppies but never a GSD. I don't recall ever having a puppy that had growth spurts to where one week their butt was high and the next week it was sitting low but then again that was over 15 years ago and my memory isn't what it used to be.


See her's might do that being that it's so young, but what about mine who is now almost 7 months and still suffering from this problem? I've never seen her grow out of it and then go back to it. It's been consistent. Maybe the OP will get lucky if it he can grow out of it.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

quick and direct question of "Jimmy" OP --- are you this dog's breeder?

can you post pictures of sire and dam?


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## El_rex (Jan 14, 2016)

melissajancie said:


> Asking so that I can be educated. If this puppy is only 12 weeks old - could this back issue actually straighten out at some point in time?
> 
> I am curious because I raised a filly who had growth spurts - one week she was butt high and the next week she was wither high. In the end it all sorted out really well. So do dogs do the same thing? I have had many puppies but never a GSD. I don't recall ever having a puppy that had growth spurts to where one week their butt was high and the next week it was sitting low but then again that was over 15 years ago and my memory isn't what it used to be.


This is exactly what I saw in my boy, he was very uneven between 12 and 16 (maybe a bit older) weeks, croup was much higher than the withers, he also had a bit of a roach but he did straighten out. If I find pics to illustrate I'll attach them.. He also had this funny walk earlier in life, but he looks fine now (14 months as of today)


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## El_rex (Jan 14, 2016)

This is my dog at 12 weeks


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## El_rex (Jan 14, 2016)

And this is 12 months


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## El_rex (Jan 14, 2016)

I cant seem to edit my posts now..  Well, this video shows my dog running, he's about 6 months there

https://vimeo.com/200955763


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

El_rex said:


> And this is 12 months





El_rex said:


> And this is 12 months



El Rex- wow such big changes in his development im supposing from muscle gain and filling out. I heard puppies go through many physical changes. He looks great!


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