Page 92 - ShowSight Express, October 27 2020

FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION
THE GERMAN SHORTHAIRED POINTER STANDARD STATES:
‘Forequarters: The shoulders are sloping, movable, and well covered with muscle. The shoulder blades lie flat and are well laid back nearing a 45 degree angle. The upper arm (the bones between the shoulder and elbow joint) is as long as possible, standing away somewhat from the trunk so that the straight and closely muscled legs, when viewed from the front, appear to be parallel.’
Shoulder Blade
(Scalpula)
B C
A
A
Figure 3. Landmarks of the Fore Assembly
Figure 5. The Shoulder Blade (Scapula)
Upper Arm
(Humerus)
The German Shorthaired Pointer Standard states: “Forequarters: The shoulders are sloping, movable, and well covered with muscle. The shoulder blades lie flat and are well laid back nearing a 45 degree angle. The upper arm (the bones between the shoulder and elbow joint) is as long as possible, standing away somewhat from the trunk so that the straight and closely muscled legs, when viewed from the front, appear to be parallel.”
The fore assembly of the dog is far more than just the shoulder blade (scapula), but it is this oddly shaped bone that serves as the foundation of the fore assembly. The bones of the skeleton form the armature—around and upon which the form of the dog develops. In my 50 years as a breeder (and also in my tenure as a conformation judge), I have come to the conclusion that the correct shoulder assembly for any breed is the hardest to come by and the easiest to lose.
The shoulder blade articulates with the upper arm via a shallow ball and socket joint. This angulation provides lever action in which the muscles exert force, allowing them to change their position thus producing
movement of the leg, which in turn propels the dog forward. (See Fig- ure 3.) The physical landmarks of the angulation of the shoulder to the upper arm that can be palpated on physical examination are: “A” Spine of the Shoulder Blade; “B” Supraglenoid Tubercle (defined as a nodule or small protuberance, especially one on a bone, for the attach- ment of a tendon); “C” Greater Tubercle of Upper Arm (the “point of the shoulder”); “D” Olecranon Process, (the “point of the elbow”). The space between B and C where the shoulder blade articulates with the upper arm is an easily felt notch on physical examination.
The shoulder blade (scapula) is the major point of attachment of the forequarters to the body (thorax) of the dog. The form of the shoulder blade never ceases to amaze me. The bone is flat on the back (dorsal) side (see Figure 4, B) and is fastened to the trunk via an attach- ment made of muscles, rather than a bony joint. This allows for the scapula to rotate with the movement of the upper arm (humerus) so that it can move smoothly across the rib cage. The raised bony “spine” (see Figures 4 and 5, A) protrudes upward from the front surface of the bone allowing for even more muscle attachment. This spine of the shoulder blade is one of the major “landmarks” for physical examina- tion. The ligaments joining the bones are labeled “D” in Figure 4 and “B” in Figure 5.
B A
A B
DDC
D
Figure 4. Shoulder Blade Profile
Upper Arm
(Humerus)
Shoulder Blade
(Scalpula)