The angle of the shoulder blade should be 45* in relation to a horizontal line. According to “Solara”, the shoulder blade is a flat triangular bone, which is positioned towards the front and on the outside of the ribcage at an angle from the top to the bottom and from the back to the front. It can perform several movements: forwards and up and and down, inwards and outwards the shoulder blade should be long and well-developed, so that plenty of space is available for long muscles. It is only kept in position by muscle action by those muscles, which start at the neck, the back and the ribs and which are attached to various on the shoulder blade. Therefore high withers as already mentioned enhance powerful muscles which keep the forehand together.

With flat withers these muscles are less developed and the shoulder blade will be pushed upwards especially during movement. The effectiveness of these muscles will be the greatest the more perpendicular the tendons and the line through which the muscles generate its power is in relation to the bone segment operate.

As the angle of the shoulder blade is also to some extend influenced by the roundness of. The first four ribs, the ribcage also influences the shoulder angle, as the shoulder blade at the bottom deviates about 100 too 150 from a vertical line. Strongly developed rigs and the correct deepness of fore-chest of which a good piece is visible from the side are the prerequisites for a well-laid shoulder blade. The reach of the fore –step is very much influenced by a well laid shoulder blade which can, to some extent compensate for a short and steep upper arm and the dog still shows good forereach. The static function of the 1 imbs however is disturbed and the anima, under prolonged exercise, will show signs of tiring.

Again, it becomes clear that in the end it is the harmonious togetherness if individual components that result in the stamina of the German dog.

The shoulder blade should be at a right angle to the upper arm. The ideal angle, which hardly exists (it is mostly somewhat larger (115 degrees), requires that the shoulder blade and upper arm should be approximately of equal length. This angle allows for a wide opening, which in turn results in far reach. The long and diagonally positioned upper arm moves the elbows and front legs further backward under the body. Here again we find the reason why, with good angulations of the shoulder blade and upper arm, together with the correct depth of chest, we should see a good piece of fore-chest when viewed from the side. Incorrect length and position of the upper arm shortens with certainty the forward reach.
The solid red line indicates the restricted forward reach caused by poor front angulations. By comparison the broken red line shows shows the reach resulting from excellent angulation.)
Here we have the most different deviations, partially coupled to the incorrect position of the shoulder blade.

A short and steep upper arm does for instance not necessarily indicate that there must also be a short and steep shoulder blade. Frequently, animals with a short and or steep upper arm, mostly those that are well handled in the show ring show seemingly good forereach. On observation, one notices however that the apparent reach is fictitious, as the point at which the feet touch the ground determines the reach. Under prolonged movement, the forereach becomes increasingly shorter. The point of gravity moves forward in a downwards direction and the dog falls on the forehand as the strong stretching of the front legs in an upwards direction in order to correct the downwards line of propulsion comes too late, due to the restricted front stride the body is too far forward and the corrective upswing of the foreleg comes too.

I have mentioned that a well laid shoulder blade can to a degree compensate for a short upper arm, although it will be at the expense of stamina as the lowering of the point of gravity requires the dog to use more power to move its front legs forward. So, again, the correct position and length of the upper arm clearly shows the impact on stamina.

The movement commences at the hindquarters. A dog, with slightly backward placed legs, is the natural and therefore the most balanced German shepherd. A drop line from the “pubis” or “sitting bone” should touch the ground approximately at a one finger width in front of the foot with a perpendicular (900) placed hock. This stance points to a correctly proportioned length of about 50/50 of the thighbone and stifle that is the thighbone and stifle are almost equal in length and correctly angled. An angle of near 900, it is nearer to 120 degrees is in theory the best for fast and on going movement as only then can long muscles with a strong contraction be attached.

Slightly backward placed legs ensure a firm stance and a thrust from the hindquarters which, once more, is to the benefit of stamina. Every tendency towards over-angulation reduces the overall firmness and the static function and as the muscles perform their action at too much of a tangent in relation to the segment of the bone to which they are connected they are under too much duress and thus in turn the stamina is effected.

The hindquarters comprise the pelvic bone, thighbone, stifles, metatarsus and the skeleton bones of the feet; these are connect via the hip, knee and hock joints. The thighbone is at the top connected by the head of femur in the socket of the pelvic bone and at the bottom to the knee joint. The “hock” joint connects to the strong metatarsus, the fibia and the toe bones. The head of the femur is, likewise the hock exposed to great pressure and should be strongly developed, and this also applies to the knee joint, which starts and passes on the forward movement. The knee joint is the most important joint in the dog. Its correct position depends on the length of the thighbone and a good hind angulations as well as the length and the angle of the croup. Strong joints are a prerequisite for straight and even more so on going movement. (the solid red line depicts the resultant direction of the various thrust lines generated by the hindquarters)

A further criterion, which is measured during the breed survey, is the chest depth to height ratio. This should not exceed more than half the height at the withers; 45-47% is the correct measurement.

A non-tiring trotter must have strongly developed inner organs like the heart and lungs. A well-developed chest space provides for these.

We talk about the fore and under-chest. With the fore-chest we mean that portion which runs from the throat to where the front legs start.

A well-constructed German shepherd dog shows a good piece of fore-chest. This points at an well-angulated and positioned shoulder. The combination of these parts results in the desired far-reaching stride. The under-chest connects to the fore-chest and slopes gradually upwards.
The ribcage is made up to 9 pairs of real ribs joined together by the chest bone and four false ribs, connected through cartilage and the last pair is often not connected (“floating”). The further set back last the pair is the better the width of the ribs, on which the respiration and again the stamina depends.

Especially in recent years, the fronts of our German shepherd dogs have been criticized. This is certainly a problem to be addressed by our breeders in the future. A correct front seen from the front and from the side with straight, strong and long legs together with a fitting width of chest and completely closed elbows is from nature advantageous for movement and again the stamina.

The elbows should form a firm connection between the upper and lower arm and should not bend outwards under pressure. Broad chested dogs are this way inclined. The turning out of the elbow joints is a serious working dog failure as it is almost always caused by a weakness of the ligaments. Under these conditions the muscles are now forced to return the elbows to the body and this greatly reduces stamina.

Turned in elbows is also an indication of limited working capability as the body should not be suspended on the front legs but should rather hang in between the legs.
Poor chest, especially front chest construction also restricts elbow connection. The shortened chest bone offers the chest muscles, which start there and keep the upper arm close to the ribcage, insufficient space for anchorage. They will develop poorly and will as a result of the increased distance of the upper arm be strained, as they have to return the elbows to the chest with effort, which again is to the detriment of stamina.

The pastern, seen from the side, should be at an angle of approximately 20o from extended line through the lower front leg. It should have a fitting length and have fitting firmness. A dog with a steep pastern cannot absorb the impact of the front leg; with weak pasterns the dog will stumble. Both incorrect types pastern influence stamina, as the animals get tired earlier.
The feet of the German shepherd dog are round, arched and closed. The pads should be strong and hard and the nails should be short and strong. Flat feet with long toes,influence stamina as these cannot absorb the impact.

Legs, which move close to the ground, parallel in the forward direction, flighty and cover ground, without wasting one centimeter, clearly enhance effortless movement.
When a dog produces far reaching fore-step in correct proportion to a powerful hind thrust whilst the feet move flat forwards without wasting muscles power and without high-lifting the front legs, it will be to the credit of stamina.

In summary, one can conclude that a German Shepherd dog, which possesses the above – described blueprint for construction in all completeness and harmony it, will perform enduring work. Additionally it requires the drive and will to perform. This will compensate for small construction faults, the best-constructed dog means nothing however when the motivation to give his last is absent.

It is for this reason that our breeders whilst preserving bloodlines, continue to strife for perfecting the construction and the willpower our Shepherd dogs to such an extent that our dogs can be exposed with the least possible effect to large tasks requiring much strain and stamina References: W. Trox, E, Orschler, Dr. Gorrieri and Bonetti, Dr.Wilhelm Wegner, Mcdowell Lyon and various articles in the SV Zeitung.