Roachbacks...

[Rubidawg]

Grady has a lil bit of a roach to his back. It's easy to see in pics when he's just standing out in the yard, being relaxed. But, lately - especially during classes, when he's on "high alert" - I've noticed that when I get him to stand and he's really focussed on something, his topline looks nearly perfect.

If he's watching something in the yard, from the side, his back is perfectly straight. During class, when I put him in a stack/stand, because he's so busy watching everything, it seems like he straightens himself out. (but not if I try to get him to stack at home, when nothing exciting is going on around him)

Anyone else with a roachy dog notice this? Just a normal, relaxed stand...they look roachy....but when they are fully focussed on something, tail is straight up, and the back goes straight? Is it something that as he matures, might correct itself? He's 2.5 years old.

[BoxerWB]

Do you have any good pics of his "roach"??

I suspect that a "real" roachback can't go away.  Xena can't straighten herself out not matter how excited she is. It is hard to see when she's stretched out (back legs behind her, leaning forward), but structurally it is still there.

It is possible he's just got something akin to bad posture? The structure is sound but he carries himself in an odd way?

[Rubidawg]

I'm sure I do. I've got plenty of him standing around. LOL Will have to search. I've wondered if it's just bad posture.....from like sitting on his hips and rolling backwards on the couch, etc, causing him bad posture. He looks GORGEOUS when he stands nice and straight. Have had people from the club ask if I'm showing him. But then if he's just being a lazy-butt, I look at that topline and say, "stand up straight, buddy!" lol

I'll try to find a good, straight on pic.

[Samsons Mom]

I noticed the same thing with Samson lately, especially this weekend. He puts himself into a self stack when hes alert. His got a little roach back, but his back looks more smooth now that hes maturing.

[Rubidawg]

My 2nd pb account is giving me error/virus messages, so can't pull up anything more recent than this photo (from my first pb account) - which is last summer, and probably about the straightest side view I have in that account....



This is pretty close to how he stands on a normal basis. When he stands in class (or barking at something in the backyard, lol), that lil hump on the back totally straightens out, and he looks nice and square with his tail straight up.

[BoxerPerson]

Willie seems to have a roached back once in a while too...but when on alert or something has his attention his back is straight.  Seems he "roaches" when he is tired or naughty!

[BoxerWB]

I'm pretty sure that isn't a roachback, at very least it doesn't look anything like what Xena has, which I've been told is a roachback:

[Rubidawg]

I think Xena's is just far more pronounced and looks to be a bit "herring" gut too, making it seem worse than Grady's. I dont think Grady's is that bad, but I think his topline is definitely lacking...except for when he stands real strong/focussed.

I'll see if Shawn will go to class this week and get some pics of us stacking so you can see the difference. I'm sure structurally.....it's still there, but maybe he just straightens out when he's really focussing in on something.

[blynn03]

In that pic it just sort of looks like a bit of a bumpy topline and a bit of falling off at the croup.  I'm not sure if he's got a roach back from that pic, maybe a teeny bit but I don't think so. 

I think the fact that the transition at his shoulders isn't the smoothest and the fact that he falls off a bit at the croup makes his back look a bit "rounded" like a roach back, but I don't think he's got much of a true roach, if any.

[Theresa]

I don't really think he has a problem, IMHO.  If you moved his feet back 1/2"-1 " the roaching would smooth out.  Whereas with Xena, if you moved her feet to the proper stacked position, you'd still see some roaching. 

His topline needs to be a bit smoother in transition to his neck which I think would be a bit more pronounced if his head/neck were back a bit.

[BurningRiver]

Typically, with toplines, you see things in other areas that contribute to the appearance of "roaching".

In other words, it's pretty typical for issues like upright shoulder (scapula that is set at an angle that tilts too far forward) to cause a dip behind the withers. When combined with a low tailset and falling off at the croup, both issues can work in combination to make a dog appear "roachy". Typically, if you work on correcting these issues, the topline will work itself out.

[Mom2three]

Reekos topline is just like gradys.... Im hoping that when we go back into the show ring ill figure out a way to stack him so it looks straight. If I stack him it looks really bad but if he free stacks he looks alright..... have to find some bait that he will go for lol he hates dog treats for some reason

[BurningRiver]

One thing that can hide a poor topline is weight. I'm sure his just looks poorly right now because he needs weight.

[Mom2three]

That is very true Jess. Sorry for highjacking but with the weight issue....would putting him on puppy food help with that? Right now they are eating Blue Buff Fish and Sweet potato and are doing extremly well....the TOTW spiraled down hill with both having explosive poos. Now they are nice and solid. Hes eating about 4 cups a day and if he gets anymore his poos turn soft

[Theresa]

Search the forum for satin balls. They help to put weight on quick