General Appearance | Head | Neck, Topline and Body and Tail | Forequarters | Hindquarters | Forequarters and Hindquarters together | Gait | Temperament
It only talks about the chest which is well rounded, not flat sided and reaching to the elbow.
1901–“B”
It talks about the legs. Legs: Straight, with toes well arched and closed. Elbows stand perpendicular under rump and must not turn out. Hindquarters powerful and muscular.
Circa 1901–“C”
Forelegs: Elbow possibly are right angle with shoulder blade. Should not turn to inside or outside and should be straight to foot joint.
Feet: Round, turned neither outside or inside. Toes should be arched and closed. Nails strong and well arched.
1920
Forequarters: Legs straight to the pasterns. Upper arms forming as nearly as may be a right angle with the shoulder-blades. Shoulder powerful with well-defined muscles, lying close up to the body.
Faults: Stiff or loose shoulders. Feet turning in or out. Weakness in pasterns.
Valuation By Points: Build (neck, breast, back, fore and hind quarters, paws, tail, ect…….40.
1925
Forequarters: Legs seen from front and side perfectly straight, with clear round bones, muscled and sinewy. Shoulder long, well angulated, lying close to the body and being muscular.
Faults: Listed at the end of the standard. Faults are all deviations from the above standard. Especially faulty are: deviations from the correct type and in particular borzoi and greyhound type dogs, a shy, cowardly and nervous character, too light, too heavy, too low standing or distinct high legged and too narrow body build.
1935
Fore Quarters: Shoulders well muscled, lying close to the body. Upper arms forming as nearly as may be, a right angle with the shoulder blades. Legs straight to the pasterns. Pasterns firm. Paws compact.
Faults: Loose or stiff shoulders. French of “fiddle front”. Feet turning in or out. Front narrow. Weakness of pasterns. Steepness of shoulder, (too short upper-arm or shoulder-blade). Insufficient forechest. Paws long, flat or splayed. Note: Faults printed in italics are MAJOR FAULTS indicating degeneration of the breed.
Scale Of Points: Forequarters
Shoulders, u
pper arms, legs and pasterns….5
Angulation………………………………………….4
Paws………………………………………………..2 total 11
Note: It is recommended that the Scale of points be confined in use in Match Shows and Judging Classes.
1942
Forequarters: Shoulder blade and upper arm should meet at an angle of at least ninety degrees and not more than one hundred and ten degrees. Proportion of shoulder and upper arm should be one to one.
Legs seen from the front and side perfectly straight and parallel from elbow to pasterns, with round bones, muscled and sinewy. In a normal position the elbow should touch the brisket.
Pasterns firm, with a almost perpendicular position to the ground.
Paws well arched, compact and cat like.
Faults: shoulders too loose, too steep, (too short), overloaded with muscles. Weak pasterns, paws turning in or out. Bones too heavy or too light. French front, bowlegged front, front too narrow or too wide. Paws too long, flat or spayed (rabbit feet). Too much gap between elbow and brisket and/or forechest. Elbow turning out. Dew claws.
Scale Of Points: Forequarters
Shoulders, upper arms, legs and pasterns….5
Angulation………………………………………….4
Paws………………………………………………..2 total 11
1948
Forequarters: Shoulder blade and upper arm should meet at an angle of ninety degrees. Relative length of shoulder and upper arm should be like one to one, excess length of upper arm being much less undesirable than length of shoulder blade. Legs , seen from the front and side perfectly straight and parallel to each other from elbow to pastern; muscled and sinewy, with round heavy bone. In a normal position, and when gaiting, the elbow should lie close to the brisket. Pasterns firm, with a almost perpendicular position to the ground. Feet well arched, compact and cat like, tuning neither in or out.
Scale Of Points: Forequarters
Shoulders, upper arms, legs and pasterns….5
Angulation………………………………………….4
Paws………………………………………………..2 total 11
1969
Forequarters: Shoulder blade: Sloping foreword and downward at a 45 degree angle to the ground meets the upper arm at an angle of 90 degrees. Length of shoulder blade and upper arm are equal. Height from elbow to withers approximately equals the height from ground to elbow. Legs: seen from the front and side, perfectly straight and parallel to each other from elbow to pastern; muscled and sinewy, with heavy bone. In normal position, and when gaiting the elbow should lie close to the brisket. Pasterns: firm, with almost perpendicular to the ground. Feet: well arched, compact and cat like, turning neither in nor out.
FAULTS: The foregoing description is that of the ideal Doberman Pinscher. any deviation from the above described dog must be penalized to the extent of the deviation.
NOTE: When I began as a Doberman fancier and breeder in 1960, this standard was in place.
Note: Adopted by the DPCA and approved by the AKC on February 6, 1982. Reformatted November 6, 1990. The only change in 1982 to the standard approved in 1969 was the addition of a disqualifying fault for dogs “Not of an allowed color.” The standard was reformatted only and no descriptions were changed in 1990.
Forequarters: Shoulder Blade sloping forward and downward at a 45-degree angle to the ground meets the upper arm at an angle of 90 degrees. Length of shoulder blade and upper arm are equal. Height from elbow to withers approximately equals height from ground to elbow. Legs seen from front and side, perfectly straight and parallel to each other from elbow to pastern; muscled and sinewy, with heavy bone. In normal pose and when gaiting, the elbows lie close to the brisket. Pasterns firm and almost perpendicular to the ground. Dewclaws may be removed. Feet well arched, compact, and catlike, turning neither in nor out.
FAULTS The foregoing description is that of the ideal Doberman Pinscher. Any deviation from the above described dog must be penalized to the extent of the deviation.
DISQUALIFICATIONS Overshot more than 3/16 of an inch, undershot more than 1/8 of an inch. Four or more missing teeth. Dogs not of an allowed color.
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Okay, this is the standard through the years on the forequarters. I noted that in the 1945 standard we allowed the shoulder blade and upper arm should meet at an angle of at least ninety degrees and not more than one hundred and ten degrees.
I learned from Marge Kilburn that good shoulders are recessive which she learned from her schooling of genetics from the Wistor Institute. Marge studied breeding programs of dogs, horses, cattle and pigeons. This study gave Marge the courage to selectively linebreed. I also learned from Marge, how equally important the selection of individuals is in linebreeding (in any breeding)–“you don’t just stick two pedigrees together and expect miracles.” Marge also learned this from practical experience. I have seen this too in the breeding that I have done. In my Dachshunds I have never swayed from good and correct shoulders and I still have them. In Dobermans however, I did sway and lost my good and correct shoulders in the one breeding to never have them return to the original shoulders that I had in the beginning.
My question is, could this be when we may have lost our shoulders with this 1942 standard, “Shoulder blade and upper arm should meet at an angle of at least ninety degrees and not more than one hundred and ten degrees” which allowed a little more wiggle room for shoulder angulation?
What do you think?
There has been an opinion and I think it is from Rachael Page Elliott that there is no such thing as a ninety degree shoulder and some agree and some disagree. I know that I have seen 90 degree shoulders in the Dachshund even today.
Marj