# Her hind leg and walk worries me.



## Sheldon Warren (Aug 14, 2018)

Hello guys my 10 week old GSD has a funny looking walk, she is from a show line breed. Her parents are akc certified and she was checked for hip dysplasia but this is what I got from the breeder. The vet says it looks like a puppy waddle but it stills worries me. I took some videos please tell me what you think. https://youtu.be/yaLO7-ZXbkU


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

Yup, she's a showline and that's how they breed them. They want the upper thigh as long as possible. There is nothing wrong with her other than her structure. The extreme overangulation of the hind legs has made them loose and floppy. She is also cow-hocked (hocks point in.)

Her legs will likely get stronger as she grows. 

Things you can do to strengthen her: avoid high impact exercises and sudden turns or jumps (that goes for any puppy, when the joints are still forming and growing.) Retrieving is fine - just don't overdo it. Throwing the ball 5 or 10 times is fine, 20 times is not. Lots of walking on grass, or sand. Swimming is great exercise too.

What are your plans for her? Given her extreme structure, agility or anything involving jumping is probably not the best idea...


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

If you want to avoid this in the future, look for a pup that resembles the first picture, not the second:

Yes, they are both American showlines!


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## KaiserAus (Dec 16, 2016)

I don't see any extreme over angulation in the video - I see a puppy who is trying to figure out how all these 4 legs work together and why do they keep growing so fast. Most GSD puppies are cow-hocked at some point during the early weeks and they quickly grow out of it. Give your puppy a chance to grow into herself - you don't know how she'll be until she finishes growing.

Sunsliver - those two pics you posted prove nothing - the dog in the bottom pic is stretched much further than the dog in the top pic


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

People keep commenting about puppies wobbling being normal. I have raised lots of baby puppies and clumsy yes normal. This whole wobbly thing? Never seen it. 
OP your puppy may grow out of this but do keep an eye on things. She definitely is cute and not as bad as some we have seen recently.


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

Kaiser, you know, I COULD have chosen a picture of the top dog in just as an exaggerated stack as the second one, and they'd still look like two entirely different dogs. (I wasn't sure I had permission to share that one.) 

The top one is from a time when some people were breeding their shepherds as light as possible, with feet the size of 50 cent pieces. The long, overangulated thigh helped propel them around the ring as fast as possible with huge strides. Unfortunately, they weren't good for much else. I talked to one lady at a tracking class who said she got out of the breed when one of her show dogs snapped its leg just running down a hill. No obstacle, no gopher hole, just a slight mis-step and SNAP!

The other dog has the substance and muscle to actually be able to work.

Sabis, I have seen posts like the OP's SO many times it's not funny, and it's ALWAYS a show line GSD puppy. When you exaggerate any part of a dog's body too much for the sake of the show ring you are going to weaken it. And that's what has happened to these dogs. Not all of them, of course, but some of them have such loose, floppy hocks they look like they're 'knitting a sweater' when they trot.


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## Sheldon Warren (Aug 14, 2018)

No particular plan, I'm a new dog owner and she's going to be a member of our family, we just suffered the tragic loss our son and we thought that having her in our life would some how help our family to heal. I have a lot to learn but I'm will to go the extra mile for her and my family. She's been gome for 2wks now and she's not eating like she should. I give her earthborn holistic wet and mix it with kibbles but she won't even finish one of the containers. I'm not sure if this is normal.


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

How much are you feeding (how many cups?) Has she been wormed yet? Any digestive problems like vomiting or soft, mushy poop?

Puppies her age should be fed 3 small meals a day.

I've only ever had one dog that was a picky eater. All the others just inhaled their food as soon as you put it down. So, picky eaters DO happen, but it's not all that common. Just make sure she's been wormed and has no other digestive issues that need fixing. She looks like a happy, healthy playful puppy in the video.

So sorry to hear about your son! That must be very tough. :crying:


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

First of all, my heartfelt condolences on losing your son; everybody's worst nightmare. About your pup: if you are in doubt and I agree with you, have her checked out by a vet, specialized in bone structures. They may give you tips regarding exercise and feeding. She seems healthy and happy. Tip: do not allow her to chase the kids. She will be big before you know it and it won't be funny anymore. Take her to a class so you'll learn how to train and manage her. She is who she is, you and your family are doing your best, so enjoy her.


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## Sheldon Warren (Aug 14, 2018)

She has been de wormed, but she's definately not eating 3 meals, she's very picky and eats really slow. I have to skip the second meal so atleast she will be hungry enough to eat the 3rd meal and still she doesn't finish it all. I'm getting concerned, I really would appreciate any advice, her next Vet visit is in 2wks. Thanks for your condolences he would have been 15 Friday coming.


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## Sheldon Warren (Aug 14, 2018)

Wolfy dog, thanks for the advice, I thought having them play with her would build a bond but I'll stop her from doing that. Thank you.


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

Sorry, Sheldon! Anniversaries are hard! August 15th would have been my wedding anniversary, and even though my husband has been gone many years, I still feel sad on that day.

Don't know what to say about the eating. Are you following the feeding instructions for a pup her age? She looks to be a good weight in the video. Though she's going through a lanky stage, I don't see any ribs showing.

It's far better for a dog to be _slightly_ underweight rather than overweight, especially when the joints and muscles are growing rapidly. Most dogs in N. America are overweight, and it's very bad for their joints and heart!


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## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

Your kids can still play with her! You just don't want her chasing them. They could throw a ball for her, get her to sit for a treat, or play hide and seek. There are plenty of things they can do with her.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

So sorry for the loss of your son. Yes dogs do help us if not to heal, because I don't know that we do, at least to cope.
Let the kids play. The caution was simply about the chasing as very soon she will be bigger then they are.


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## Sheldon Warren (Aug 14, 2018)

Thanks for all the advice, I'm looking to enroll in a training and education class on GSD, I thought I would be able to do it myself but just teaching her basic obedience may not be enough. When it comes to the food it's recommend she gets a 1 1/2 can per meal for her weight which is 20lbs


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

How big are the cans? That could be too much. That may be the amount for an adult. They are probably thinking she's getting only 2 meals a day.


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## Sheldon Warren (Aug 14, 2018)

Sunsilver they're 8oz tubs not so much cans, is that too much ?


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

Okay 8 oz. is 1 cup. So, are you talking 2 servings of 1 1/2 tubs each? That's 3 cups, or if you are trying to fed her 3 servings of 1 1/2 tubs, it's 4 1/2 cups a day. My _adult_ female GSD's only get 3.5 cups of food per day! 

She's only 10 weeks, so her tummy isn't that big. I wouldn't worry - just wait until she hits 5-7 months! If she's anything like my dogs were, she'll be eating you out of house and home!


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## Beau's Mom (Nov 9, 2017)

8 oz by volume or weight? Is it wet food or dry?


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## Sheldon Warren (Aug 14, 2018)

Ok, I get it so that 8oz / 1 cup maybe too much for 1 serving. So around 1/2 cup per serving should be good enough and do that for each meal 3 times a day.


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## aalleenn (Aug 10, 2018)

Sorry for spamming. This is video when I teaching him to walk on my left side. Pls comment his legs problems. Is his rear legs to bad? Thanks in advance. 

Also, sorry for my look. Overweight and no shirt )


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

Video won't play for me...


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## aalleenn (Aug 10, 2018)

Maybe because I made it private. I changed now to public, so you can try now. Thanks


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## huntergreen (Jun 28, 2012)

Looks ok to me, but not an expert.


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## Synne (Mar 17, 2018)

Sheldon, I don't have any advice to offer on your very cute pup but I would like to offer my condolences to both you and your family on the loss of your son.


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## Sheldon Warren (Aug 14, 2018)

Thank you for your condolences.


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