Gsp pup with arched back?

sagewalker · Post by **sagewalker** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 12:08 pm

First post here though I have been lurking for some time. Seems like a lot of experienced dog owners here so i thought i'd ask a question.
I recently got a pick of the litter GSP pup that has good blood lines. Mother is a dog that has had lines in our family for years and the sire was a direct son of Tonelli's Rising Sun.
My pup was the largest of the bunch and had everything I was after. I have noticed though that he has a slight arch on his lower back area the has me a little concerned. None of his litter mates have it.
He gets around great but I was wondering if this will be a permanent thing or maybe something he will grow out of, and if it will slow him down and make him not run as well when he as he develops.
Anybody have any experience with this?

Echo Hill Kennel · Post by **Echo Hill Kennel** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 1:26 pm

I am not familiar with this? Have you talked to the breeder about this. Did you have your puppy checked by a vet shortly after you purchased it? I always recommend to our puppy buyers to have there puppy checked out by a certified Vet with in 72 hours after purchase. I am sure your breeder will work with you if it is a heath related item. The sooner he knows about it the better. Keep us updated.

reba · Post by **reba** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 1:33 pm

All the papers in the world will not change: WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET. And is the first rule in picking a puppy.

Who picked the dog from the litter?

"My pup was the largest of the bunch and had everything I was after" Sounds like you made the pick.

Size, sex or color means very little. Conformation is very important. Straight top line, strong feet, correct bite, tail set, shape of the nose, no cow hocked legs, etc etc etc.

Some Vets don't know what they are looking at either. Some will tell their clients they have a fine looking dog because they don't want to hurt anyones feelings.

I have sold "Pick of the Litter" and the customer NEVER picked the Pick of the Litter! They picked on size or sex or color or some other strange reason.

gotpointers · Post by **gotpointers** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 2:14 pm

I'm real sure a reputable breeder will take care of the problem. Give them a call and let them know your concerns.

Carolina Gundogs · Post by **Carolina Gundogs** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 2:29 pm

I have a pup with a slight dip in her back. When I checked with one of the most well known trainers in the country (who also raises an occasional litter) he told me that a lot can change in a pup while it is still growing and he would not be too concerned about it.
However, if I were you and it bothered me, I would go to my vet and talk with them about it. If I still had concerns after seeing my vet, I would then go back to the breeder. Any reputable breeder will try and make you satisfied with your purchase IMO if they want to keep a good reputation.

It may be what you are seeing will not effect the pup for what you are hoping to do with it. I have never planned on trying to win a National Show title at Westmenster with this pup so all is good.

ACooper · Post by **ACooper** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 2:45 pm

Post a photo.

sagewalker · Post by **sagewalker** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 2:45 pm

thanks for all the replies, the pup doesn't miss a beat as far as I can tell seeing him play with one of the other pups from the litter. He is just as coordinated and runs the same. I wasn't worried about it at all until a friend who is consumed with finding the best Drahtaar on the planet told me he read that an arched lumbar can make the dog get tired faster in the field because its sucking in its back end the whole time. Since then I have been more worried about it and was looking for
any info on it.
I definitely picked the dog so I can't blame anybody else. I did a lot of research, or at least tried to before I made the pick. The pressure was on to decide which one i wanted by the 7th week. In my opinion he had the best head, the color I was after, he was the largest(which to me was a big deal because the sire was a little smaller than I would have liked), he struck a serious pose with a dead chukar that I brought by after a day of hunting, and he was the friendliest and seemed the most adjusted. The arched back didn't really start showing up until later. He is 3 month old now.

sagewalker · Post by **sagewalker** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 3:16 pm

[attachment=0[/attachment]checking out the chickens

mountaindogs · Post by **mountaindogs** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 6:52 pm

Roached back is poor conformation for a GSP but as for running all the sight hoinds have pretty extreme roached backs. Probably increases speed but endurance may or may not be slightly influenced. You won't probably notice.

KwikIrish · Post by **KwikIrish** » Sat Mar 09, 2013 9:42 pm

Do you recall seeing this feature as a younger puppy? It looks like a severe roach over the loin (a structural characteristic) and its likely he showed signs of this prior to 7 weeks. If this is just a roached loin, he will likely perform to the standard you expect. Dogs structure can change well into their second year so this might change. By no means will it effect it's job as a pointing dog and hunting companion. The fact that you didn't do your homework regarding structural faults is by no means the breeders fault, but as a reputable breeder, they would likely try to make this right. I wouldn't blame them of they told you otherwise though. Did you buy this puppy to him or to show? I have no doubt it will be a fine hunting companion.
And regarding the roach causing the dog to work harder and become tired quicker, I believe it's too soon to tell (depending on the current age of the puppy) and what you expect of a hunting companion.

Post by **ezzy333** » Sat Mar 09, 2013 10:21 pm

Looks to me too just be a somewhat low tailset where the hips are highter than the pins which give him the sloping rear. Some of that will disappear as he learns to stand with his rear legs and feet extended alittle further back and will also lessen as the pup matures. There is always the possibility he is tucking up a little because he has an intestinal problem so just watch and be sure it isn't health related. I think he will look quite different as the weather warms and he has time to run and play.

Watch but at this stage don't worry about it. If it is strictly structursl it won't cause any problem other than possibly in the show ring. But I wouldn't consider him breeding material either at this stage at least.

Ezzy

mountaindogs · Post by **mountaindogs** » Sat Mar 09, 2013 11:49 pm

I googled roached back and found this interesting site.
http://www.workingpitbull.com/Soundness2.html
Totally different breed with different working build but informative in some ways...
follow the "step" links to go through several pages...

sagewalker · Post by **sagewalker** » Mon Mar 11, 2013 4:39 pm

mountaindogs wrote:I googled roached back and found this interesting site.
http://www.workingpitbull.com/Soundness2.html
Totally different breed with different working build but informative in some ways...
follow the "step" links to go through several pages...

thats a pretty cool link. I wonder how closely that applies to a hunting dog.

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