Back length.

[chartpolski 27,341]

The original afghan hound imports were very short coupled (before the show folks got their claws into the breed and ruined it), and they were bred for endurance and agility on mountain and desert.

 

 

Some european racing lines have preserved the old type

 

 

But - sadly - the majority of afghans today look more like this

 

 

It's a shame the Afghan had been so screwed up by the KC, but there are still a few strains out in Central Asia that do the job they were bred for, even if they do look like a Tazi, Saluki, Afghan, Borzoi cross.

 

Cheers.

[DottyDoo 500]

A long back is supposidly desireable, as with a cheetah, because the flexibility of a long back gives longer strides. How this would help a coursing dog on the fens, I could see, but would a long stride be advantagous to a lamping rabbit dog ? I've a 1st x Deer/Grey bitch and some people say she is short coupled, others say she has a long back !! I just think she is in proportion !

 

Cheers.

 

 

dont suppose ye fancy measuring her to the shoulder then the length of her back for me mate,

im just real curious noo as to what size backs most big dogs have.....

 

is it in any way related to height??? or breeds???

 

[chartpolski 27,341]

A long back is supposidly desireable, as with a cheetah, because the flexibility of a long back gives longer strides. How this would help a coursing dog on the fens, I could see, but would a long stride be advantagous to a lamping rabbit dog ? I've a 1st x Deer/Grey bitch and some people say she is short coupled, others say she has a long back !! I just think she is in proportion !

 

Cheers.

 

 

dont suppose ye fancy measuring her to the shoulder then the length of her back for me mate,

im just real curious noo as to what size backs most big dogs have.....

 

is it in any way related to height??? or breeds???

 

 

Of course I'll do that for you mate; but where would I measure from ? Top of her shoulder bones to her hip pins would be the most sensible to me, but what about base of the neck too root of the tail ? It's not something I had cause to measure before !

 

Cheers.

[DottyDoo 500]

top of shoulder bones to hip pins is 24 1/2inch on my pup an base of neck to root of tail is 29inch

 

he is bang on 28 ats, an still got loads a knuckle left

 

an his tail is 24 inch

 

 

[chartpolski 27,341]

Well, just nipped down the yard to the kennels and measured the Deer x bitch;She is 29" high, to the shoulder, and 26" from her shoulder bone to her hip pin, and 27" from the base of her neck to the root of her tail. Be interesting to see what others measure , hieght in respect of legnth.

Cheers.

[Millet 4,497]

For me a long back several inch's longer than the hight and a long tail to go with it..the tail want's to bend round under it's back end and wrap around the leg muscle and meet the base of the tail..coupled with that a good engine room and a dash of saluki and you wont go far wrong.. .

[DottyDoo 500]

cheers mate, id like to know others

[chartpolski 27,341]

You've got me going now !! LOL !! My little Beddy x Bitch is a fraction under 23" high, and 19" from shoulder to hip and 22" from base of neck to root of tail !

 

Cheers.

[DottyDoo 500]

my wheaten x bitch is 24 ats

 

20 inch from shoulder hip an 23 from neck to root of tail lol

 

[chartpolski 27,341]

So from the four dogs measured it appears that the length of back is shorter than the height ! Supprised me !

 

Cheers.

[dytkos 17,917]

So from the four dogs measured it appears that the length of back is shorter than the height ! Supprised me !

 

Cheers.

 

 

Going for tea now with me tape measure! Cheers, D.

[DottyDoo 500]

So from the four dogs measured it appears that the length of back is shorter than the height ! Supprised me !

 

Cheers.

 

 

i was half expecting it to be cock on wae the height

 

 

summat like the span of our arms is same as our height :icon_redface:

[fcuktheban 140]

Interesting, but I think that article is trying to explain something which is self explanatory. Why? Because all animals and humans have a head shape relative to their size: in other words, you don't get a draught horse with a narrow small head because the rest of its bones are also large and solid. The same could be said of dogs: a Greyhound would be 'head heavy' if it had a massive great head on a body made for speed with correspondingly long leg bones, for example. So to me, it is logical that dogs and horses have heads which fit in with the rest of the body shape.

 

OK, so you could argue that dogs and horses bred for speed need a more aerodynamic head shape than an animal which doesn't have to move fast; less wind resistance!

 

He does actually state this in the article, Quote: "The narrower (or wider) head is simply a skeletal trait that is an indicator of other skeletal traits," Unquote, so it really is stating the obvious.

 

Some other examples where form follows function: Dogs like the European sheep droving dogs, such as the Maremma and other herding/guarding breeds, are very heavy and large. Speed has never been a requirement for such dogs, but endurance is. Hence the heavy bones and large heads.

 

At the other end of the spectrum there are Whippets, whose ability to take off with lightening speed and be into top gear almost immediately matches their size and shape.

 

This is one of the reasons why I find lurchers so fascinating: when we breed we are using different types of dog to produce something which is suited to varying tasks in the hunting field.

 

Ther reason I found it interesting is when dealing with Lurchers that are mixed breeds of different extremes you can still use the head as a means of reference to the abilities of the dog. Sure when someone choses a mix with more running dog in it's line than anything else the odds are it will be faster but to be able to use the size of the head as reference when chosing a dog is a good idea.

[fcuktheban 140]

Just found the article on the study of speed in Borzoi

 

 

My link

[Sirius 1,391]

a long tail to go with it..the tail want's to bend round under it's back end and wrap around the leg muscle and meet the base of the tail.. .

 

I have never understood why people do that weird tail measurement, tell me what does it prove? Anyone know? The dog has a long tail? I have only seen lurcher people do it?

 

A good length of back will indicate length of pace, but like anything a extreme variants of either to short or to long are undesirable. I think as long as a dog looks balanced and in proportion it should be correct.

Edited July 12, 2011 by Sirius