Chest and Forelegs
WOLVES: Wolves’ chests are narrow and keel-shaped (like the front of a boat) with their elbows tucking closely underneath the rib cage. The legs are long in proportion to the body, oval in shape and thick, but not overly thick or rounded. Their wrists/pasterns are moderately angled, long and have exceptional rotation, giving their front legs and paws a slightly turned out appearance.
DOGS: In comparison, dogs generally have much wider chests that are more barrel-shaped in appearance, with their elbows coming up on the side of the rib cage instead of underneath. Dogs also tend to have straighter, shorter pasterns/wrists, resulting in front legs that look much straighter and no outward turn of the paws. Most dog breeds have shorter legs in comparison to their body length and height than wolves, with Alaskan malamutes and Siberian huskies taking on a stockier appearance with more rounded front legs. German shepherds can have similar pasterns and legs, though they are still typically shorter than a wolf.
Very narrow chest on an off-standard German shepherd
NOTE: With the number of dogs being bred today, many will not be true to their breed’s intended AKC conformation standard. They may display traits not common within their breed. Shown above is an example of a narrow chest in a German shepherd with NO wolf heritage at all.