Why are K-9 cops so freaky thin??

[EweSheep]

Well that Chance is an excellent example what a GSD should look like rather than extreme downhill topline like I have seen in shows and I bet he does not have the "wobbly" back end that just crawls to the stifle bone. Just plain ugly to see if you haven't seen one at the show.

Need to work on bringing back the TRUE GSD purpose and quit that downhill topline, weak hips and legs and messed up gaits.

 

[Olive Hill]

I'd never seen the show so I looked it up before replying and watched several videos on Animal Planet's website -- including ones with dogs Andy, Sully and Rico -- and I must say those dogs are in excellent working shape. They are not thin at all. I was originally going to address the fact that you have to put your hands on an animal to get an accurate BCS -- since some dogs really can be deceiving by looks alone -- but it's not even necessary those dogs are visibly in very good condition.

Americans are used to seeing FAT dogs and they're not accustomed to working dogs of any kind. It's understandable that you would think they were too thin. It's just a perception thing.

 

[gritsar]

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[ChickenAlgebra]

The GSD shown are so pretty! I love them when they look like they should with a level topline and not that dang "floating gait" that means they can't work.

 

[woodmort]

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Oh please. Will the cops and donuts jokes ever end.

I know lots of cops, never saw one of em with a donut in their hand. I'm married to one and he hates donuts.

Sorry about that but it is the stereotype that goes with the job like teachers only work 7 months of the year and ministers are invisible 6 days a week and incomprehensible the 7th.

 

[FireTigeris]

I had to Keep Jack (1L8) for the guide dog program 'ideal' meaning rationing food and changing the ration even through puppyhood (and it was a pain).









And some of those he was overweight.

 

[Terri]

having worked in pet health care for years, i think most Americans have grown!!!!!, to getting used to over weight pets.

over feed their children, over feed their pets, over feed themselves

blah, blah, blah, blah and blah

Working dogs are the most fit and healthy animals out there.

 

[sgtmom52]

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Thanks! He is my best buddy. He is very athletic and needs to have plenty of jobs to do to keep him busy ~ definately not a couch potato!
Both Chance and his sister Abby come from a long line of Schutzhund dogs and can trace their pedigree back to V Horand von Grafrath which was the very first "German Shepherd Dog" owned by Captain von Stephanitz ~ Originator of the German Shepherd dog breed.

V Horand von Grafrath (approx 1899)

 

[FourPawz]

I watched a couple of clips from the show on AP's website. The 2 dogs I saw, Sully and Cody, looked to be in very good condition for working dogs. Police dogs can't do their jobs effectively if they are carrying too much weight. Most pet dogs are kept heavier than police or sport (Schutzhund) dogs. Dogs involved in such activities risk injury if they're too heavy, and they won't be as fast as they could be, nor can they jump or scale as easily.

I've heard schutzhund trainers fuss at owners more than once that their dogs were too fat. And those dogs looked like the average dog - you couldn't see ribs or muscle on them.

One other thing. If you allow a young German Shepherd to get too heavy before it is mature, say before it's two, you are putting strain on the dog's joints that could predispose it to panosteitis, hip or elbow dysplasia and arthritis in later years. A dog, like a human, doesn't need to eat until it will eat no more to be healthy or treated humanely.

My 5 1/2 year old GSD is not as thin as she could be, but she's not doing schutzhund or agility. She's not obese, either. Heavy dogs are not healthy.

 

[dainerra]

OH if I had a dollar for every time I've heard "why is he so skinny?????"

even Rayden gets comments about how skinny he is and he is a touch more than he needs to weigh. Plus, he has a ton of plushy undercoat. And STILL people think he is tiny lol