A big thanks to Jolynn @ Briairwood German Shepherds for compiling many of these pictures .....

Lanes or Asuperior shepherd -german shepherds in CA has also copied this page verbatum- I think the man really needs to pay for useing all of my hard work! He of course does not give me or Jolynn Credit for doing this page FOR HIM! I have once again done hundreds of hours of work writing ,compiling information and organizing pages to have them copied with no credit given .Anyway with that said please feel free to forward this page it is very good for people to understand what has happened to the great german shepherd. You can even copy just give me credit thankyou.

ALL PHOTO's ARE OBTAINED FROM PUBLIC SOURCES

German Shepherds from Past to Present

The illustrations below represent the sad state of German Shepherds of today (new lines). In the show ring today, both German & American, you will be shocked when you see the final pictures compared to the dogs in the 40's & 50's.

German show lines (German Seigers and VA dogs)are compared first, American show lines follow. The illistration below is what a shepherd should look like!

Early 1970's

Mid to late 1970's

The 1980's You can see the angulation increase an the shoulder becomeing higher then the hind end .

The 1990's Here the roach back really increases no dog in the wild would look like this.. Wolves and wild dogs have

straight back and hocks .

The 2000's

This Top VA champion German dogs topline and angulation is extreme notice the back hock touching the ground and notice his front feet the touch each other his chest must be very narrow in the front.

Now be shocked! The 1947 Sieger next to the 2003 Sieger & the VA 2 dog! And some say the Germans are doing a better job than the Americans? Not in my opinion!

` 1947 Seiger 2003 seiger VA 2 very extreme Notice the roach back or banana back, low slung hip placement and much more extreme hock angulation. Notice the level back and smooth, sound conformation of the 1947 winner. The Germans like to say they are doing a better job then the American style breeders? I don't think so.. and don't get me started about temperament that makes a great schutzhund dog , for most families does not make agreat family dog.

below 2004- 2007 seigers and va dogs they are getting worse I think, these dogs are looking crippled...

I am also seeing female style heads in some of the german show lines now to the same that happened to show dog males on the american side this heavy line breeding may be the cause

American show line change below!

1940's

1950-1960's

Late 60's early 70's

2001 and up

1959 American Show Grand Victor: A BIG,(! would guess 29" and 115lbs) a beautiful dog, straight-backed, normal hock angulation... then compair to todays standards, Wow! What a difference! No roach, but low slung hips with extreme hind angulation, chest hangs below elbows and a much smaller dog as well.

1959 champ 2003 champ

American show dogs for 2007 are getting a bit better I think still. They are very narrow when looked at front on and have a tendancey to have bat ears. I really like the black and tan in the middle look at the solid round feet and good bone, (less angulation) but his head looks like a females not a male other then that I am likeing what I see better..

Royalair FEMALE german shepherds side views

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Above photos are my foundation girls zoey, emma and brandy pictured from the side

Working line German Shepherds

German shepherds of working German lines, those with little or no show lines still seem very normal and old fashioned in appearence, temperament of these dogs is probably high energy and more aggressive then old line shepherds but with the right control they are probably more stable then the show lines in many ways .....These are the dogs that are police dogs... breeders of these dogs in my opinion are doing a good job of breeding dogs that can be used by law enforcement and other agencies.... My dogs being bred for the family in most cases would be to "soft" to make a good police dog...

these working dog photo's "solid sturdy conformations"

Below are wolves natural selection for them has selected, a straight back and a lighter eye wide head with a large heavy backskull (not a narrow colly head)also a wider front front legs do not touch because the chest is so narrow these are very skinny dogs so picture them with more weight and you have the look of the oldstyle shepherds a varity of colors too!

wild dogs -not wolves are the ancestors of modern day dogs you see the same conformation straight back wide heads solid feet and stong back skulls heavy legs and tight