FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION
As a judge, I have found that because it is not possible to carry an x-ray machine in my back pocket (and unless height is a DQ in a breed it cannot be measured in the ring), what is left is the determination of structure through physical exam by determining the angulation from the landmarks that can be felt through the skin and musculature of the dog. These include the spine of the scapula, the point of the shoulder, the position of the elbow, etc. For this reason alone, I am including illustrations using a shoulder layback of 45 degrees, 30 degrees, and 20 degrees to determine the possible distance of the forward reach of the front foot of the dog. Seeing movement is one of the things that is so hard to learn as well as teach, so let’s take a look at the forequarters of the dog once again and see if we can under- stand the limits imposed by the structure of the dog. The forequarter assembly is composed of the scapula (shoulder blade) (Figure 1A) and the humerus (upper arm) (Figure 1B) which meet at the shoulder joint, often referred to as the point of the shoulder. Next in line is the elbow joint which joins the humerus to the radius and ulna (forearm) (Figure 1C&D). These two forearm bones are carried down to the carpals (pastern or wrist joint) (Figure 1E) and then on to the metacarpals (Figure 1F), the long bones that lead from the wrist joint to the toes of the dog (Figure 1G).
Figure 3. 45-Degree Shoulder Layback
Figure 4. 30-Degree Shoulder Layback
Figure 1. Fore Assembly
Figure 2. Articulation of Scapula to Humerus
A closer look at the junction of the scapula to the humerus shows that the head of the humerus protrudes out somewhat as a knob of bone, known as the greater tubercle. (See Figure 2A.) This tubercle almost acts as a brake in that it helps to regulate the opening of the angle of the shoulder joint. With a shoulder layback of 45 degrees to the horizontal, the reach of the dog should extend to a line drawn from the top of the scapula following the spine of the scapula to the ground. The more upright the shoulder becomes, the more the forelimb reach decreases. (See Figure 3.) Any decrease in layback angulation moves the shoulder blade forward on the body of the dog. Even a move of 15 degrees less than the “ideal” of 45 degrees shortens the ability of the forward reach of the dog’s foot. (See Figure 4. The red line indicates where the toes of the dog will land when the layback is 30 degrees.) When the shoulder blade is more upright, it not only drastically shortens the front reach of the forefoot, but the shoulder blade (by moving so far forward and upright) covers approximately one-third of the neck from view. This is not only due to the width of the shoulder blade but also due to the additional muscling on and around the blade. Every mammal has the same number of cervical (neck) vertebrae, which is seven. The neck is still there, but its usefulness is hampered in that it often affects the motion (or lack thereof) of the neck due to a change in the insertion and position of the muscles attached to it. (See Figure 5.) While we are just looking at the layback of the shoulder in this exercise, you can also see that the more upright the shoulder blade is set onto the chest, the
Figure 5. 20-Degree Shoulder Layback
more of the neck it covers up, making the dog look as if the neck is shorter than it should be. Again, what we are discussing is the “ideal” placement of the shoulder blade—and yet we all know that this is extremely difficult to obtain in almost any breed and even more difficult to continually produce in a line of dogs. Even so, we should always strive for the “ideal” in our breeding programs and try to reach the “ideal” structure for our breed. For any questions or comments, contact me via email at jimanie@welshcorgi.com.
110 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MAY 2022
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