What do German Shepherds look like with dwarfism?

The German Shepherd is an excellent working breed. These dogs are excellent guards, searchers and defenders, so they can be found in the army, customs and security. But such a genetic disease as dwarfism deprives the shepherd of its value as a professional assistant. Although, this does not mean that such a pet cannot be a true friend for its owner and a favorite of children.

Dwarfism, or pituitary dwarfism, occurs among dogs as often as among other mammals. For a German Shepherd, such a diagnosis is a verdict. Dogs with this disorder cannot be used as service dogs. Moreover, the harsh laws of cynology require the sterilization of such animals. Dwarfism is inherited, so such a measure is necessary in order to maintain the breed standard that has been created over the centuries.

Pituitary dwarfism in German Shepherds can manifest itself in different ways. Some dogs differ from their healthy counterparts in abnormally short legs. Others maintain proportions, but look like 4-month-old puppies all their lives. In the most serious cases, dogs have a shortened spine, which greatly reduces their attractiveness.

Netizens are familiar with the German Shepherd named Quasimodo. This animal was born with normal proportions, but then its spine stopped growing. The dog quickly became famous on the Internet and became the hero of thousands of memes.

Despite small growth and violation of proportions, German Shepherds with dwarfism do not lose their qualities. They are also highly trainable, obedient, love children, and are extremely loyal to their owners. Moreover, there are some features that put such dogs above healthy counterparts.

Breeders note that physical inferiority in dwarfs is compensated by a sharper sense of smell and hearing. Also, these dogs are more trainable and generally have a higher intelligence. Truly, if nature takes away somewhere, it more than compensates elsewhere!

Miniature German Shepherds are also loved by dog breeders because they require less space to keep, are more modest in food and rarely show a bad temper. Such a dog, having no value as a breeding sire, will be an excellent companion, friend for children and guardian of a private house.

Unfortunately, German Shepherds with pituitary dwarfism live only 4-5 years. But all this time the dog will give its owner and his household his love and loyalty. And they have no less of this good than their big brothers. By the way, the owner does not always know that he is acquiring a special dog. It happens that a genetic deviation in an animal becomes a complete surprise for the owner. This is due to the fact that dwarfism manifests itself at 4-5 months of a puppy's life.

The content of such a German shepherd is fraught with some difficulties. Dwarfism is always accompanied by other health problems. The main trouble is that the internal organs of such dogs are often of normal size. But the skeleton of a dwarf shepherd dog is much smaller than the standard, and as it grows, the heart, stomach, kidneys and liver become crowded in a miniature body.

Also typical for these dogs are diseases of the bones and joints, impaired immunity, vision problems and all kinds of allergies. In this regard, the maintenance of a dwarf German shepherd is a big responsibility and, alas, additional costs for treatment.

By the way, a small shepherd dog is not necessarily a dwarf. There is an officially recognized Shepperdino breed, whose representatives look like proportionately built, but miniature German Shepherds.