Compare the wolf conformation with the GSD (German Champion).  The wolf has a flat topline, perhaps even slightly high in the rear, and has minimal to moderate angulation in the rear.  He shows a tendency to "cowhocks" and has well let down pasterns and large flat feet.  All of these traits add to his stability over rough terrain, agility on fast turns - (cowhocks) and ability to move through snow (low pasterns and flat feet).  If the gray wolf were accepted as a breed by AKC, I am sure that in 3 generations, they would have wide rears, sloping toplines and tight feet, and be completely incapable of catching their own dinner.

Now look at the poor misshapen "show" German Shepherd.  The grotesque angles of the rear end shout "WEAKNESS",  as does the roached back, a common indicator of ankylosing spondylitis.  Just a few generations ago this was a dog with normal canine conformation - a real working dog.

The wolf is the product of an unforgiving selection by natural forces for millions of years.  The GSD is (lately) the product of misguided human selection for "style".  Which do you think represents the most durable working dog conformation?

Taking this a bit further,  we see the same developments, "style over function" in the apso:

1.  Artificial rearrangement of functional head parts to achieve "chin" with a small folded-up nose and small nose leather.  This would render the animal incapable of breathing at high altitude (av. in Tibet 15.000 ft.)

2. Sloping toplines, upright shoulders, placed anteriorly on the dog, with short shoulder blades and upper arms.  This arrangement places the center of gravity forward on the dog and makes the front assembly less capable of bearing weight or cushioning the impact of jumps - in a country of rocky and vertical terrain. Even worse is the tipped up pelvis, sought to exaggerate the high tailset and "shorten the back".  This abnormality creats a sagging topline which does not permit support of the spine, nor transmission of power from the rear to the front end of the dog.

3.  Elongation of the bones of the rear end, with exaggerated rear angulation, and a gait in which the buttocks are pummeled by the hock joints.  Exaggerated action is an oxygen waster and at 15000 feet elevation, possibly incompatible with life.

In other words, the same sort of defective construction as has been inflicted upon the modern German Shepherd, and to a certain extent, on almost all AKC "show" breeds.  The Apso with the functional anatomy of a short legged fox is ignored in the show ring as being "dumpy", "inelegant" and unable to MOVE.  The  exaggerated "show" Apso can no more function as a small mountain dog than a "show" GSD can herd sheep all day.

The fact is that the blueprint for the functional canine is the wolf/coyote/fox.  The further we get from that conformation, developed over millions of years of selection by natural forces, the less functional and healthy the dog.  Period.