Cute and touching, miniature German Shepherds have won the hearts of millions. Let’s review this breed from a puppy to a full grown dwarf German Shepherd.
The history of the miniature German Shepherd originates in Germany in the XVIII century. At that time, farming was developing rapidly and dogs were needed that could help people graze flocks of sheep. It is with this fact that the name of the breed is associated.
At first, no one was engaged in their exterior, all efforts were aimed at obtaining working qualities. Later, in the XIX century, breeders joined forces and as a result, a breed standard was obtained, which is highly valued today. While I have to say, do you know how to tell if a German Shepherd is a purebred?
Getting back on topic, the miniature German Shepherds were not bred on purpose. This is a genetic defect, and it manifests itself randomly.
Absolutely healthy animals can have a puppy with pituitary dwarfism. Most likely, the ancestors already had such a problem, because the disease may not manifest itself, but is inherited. It consists of the fact that the pituitary gland does not produce growth hormone. Carriers of the recessive gene should not be allowed to reproduce.
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Mini German Shepherds Character
According to their characteristics, mini German Shepherds differ little from standard ones. They are friendly, obedient, and loyal to the owner, thanks to their high intelligence, they are perfectly amenable to training.
They do not enter into conflicts with children and people around them. Even the smallest Germans are excellent service dogs that can be used to guard and perform other duties – escort, search for people, and prohibited substances.
They begin to be trained at 2-2.5 months, devoting at least 20-30 minutes to the lesson every day. Particular attention should be paid to physical exercises, as German Shepherd back legs need constant strengthening.
Despite the fact that the little dog is freedom-loving, minis learn with pleasure, enthusiastically mastering new commands. In general, despite their disease, they are no worse than other dog breeds.
Yorkshire Terrier, Golden Retriever, Border Collie, German Shepherds dwarf, and ordinary, it does not matter, they are all living creatures that need a home. Miniature German Shepherds cannot be used as a service animals, purebred dogs, medium sized dog breeds with the desired personal qualities are suitable for this.
Pros and Cons of Miniature German Shepherds
Despite the fact that miniature German Shepherds are a breed defect, they have their advantages and disadvantages.
The advantages include:
- excellent learning ability, the propensity to learn new commands, and perform tricks;
- loyalty to all family members and pets; loyalty to the owner;
- unpretentiousness to the conditions of detention and diet;
- sociability, balanced temperament; high security qualities;
- affordable prices for puppies; compact size;
- endurance.
Among the disadvantages of dwarf dogs are:
- frequent diseases;
- a tendency to allergies and baldness;
- mandatory completion of the basic training course;
- sensitive digestion;
- the impossibility of reproduction.
What are the advantages of miniature German Shepherd?
The miniature German Shepherd has its advantages. Besides the fact that these dwarf dogs, like ordinary German Shepherd dogs, are smart, hardy, and beautiful. So they also differ in increased nervous resistance, friendliness, and mental abilities. This mini German Shepherd puppy is well suited for families with children. It takes up little space as it is half the size of a service dog.
Unfortunately, a small dog will not be fit for service, unlike ordinary German Shepherds or Golden Retrievers. They do not have the desirable personality traits that are necessary for the service.
Maintenance and Health of Mini German Shepherd Breed
German Shepherd puppies, like any other dog breed, for example, Border Collie, need careful care and care. But as for the mini German Shepherds?
In order to prolong the life of a dwarf German Shepherd as much as possible, care for it should be even more thorough than for a normal one. A miniature German Shepherd needs regular walks (at least twice a day), and dosed physical activity. The thick wool is combed out so that tangles do not form.
They regularly clean their ears and teeth, cut their claws if necessary, and bathe once a month. The dog’s diet is made so that the amount of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates are balanced. Dry food is selected according to age, giving preference to brands with a high content of calcium and vitamin D.
It is not necessary to overfeed a dwarf so that the dog does not develop obesity. The pet must be regularly brought for examination by the veterinarian and strictly follow all his recommendations in order to preserve the dog’s health for many years.
German Shepherd puppies are most prone to diseases such as hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, and degenerative myelopathy. Unlike medium-sized dogs, a German Shepherd puppy requires more attention.
Dwarf German Shepherd dog training
The mini Shepherd is easy to train due to its devotion to the owner. Miniatures are interested in following commands and feeling loved and appreciated. Of course, in order for the pet to learn good behavior and commands faster, you can give it to a professional trainer for upbringing. But it is better to do the training directly at home.
So the animal will become more attached to the person, and will enjoy the process. To begin with, 30 minutes a day will be enough to teach your pet commands and service. After all, the German Shepherd has high learning abilities. You can start training when the animal is already 2 months old.
Diseases and Keeping the Miniature Breed Healthy
A genetic defect negatively affects the health of a dwarf German Shepherd. Often it is weakened, and there are many health problems German Shepherd:
- colds;
- allergic reactions;
- infertility;
- kidney disorders;
- hair loss and partial baldness;
- improper functioning of the thyroid gland;
- bacterial and viral infections;
- hyperpigmentation;
- problems with bones and joints;
- degenerative myelopathy;
- hip dysplasia (hip dysplasia occurs common, as is elbow dysplasia).
The small sized dog needs constant supervision and attention from the owner and the veterinarian. To protect the little German from serious diseases, he is given complex vaccinations against parainfluenza, distemper, enteritis, hepatitis, and rabies. Hormone injections are given as prescribed. To keep your dog’s paw joints as healthy as possible, pay attention to movement games and muscle strengthening.
What is dangerous about dysplasia of miniature German Shepherd?
In miniature German Shepherd, hip dysplasia is an abnormal formation of the hip joint, which is a more severe form can eventually cause lameness and arthritis of the joints. This is a genetic (polygenic) trait, which is influenced by environmental factors.
Also, a common disease in purebred German Shepherd and purebred miniature German Shepherd is elbow dysplasia and degenerative myelopathy.
The life expectancy of miniature German Shepherds
The life span of this dog breed is not long, only 4-5 years, and then, with good care. Miniature German Shepherds are born rare, and both from purebred German Shepherds and from a mixed breed.
How to Choose a Mini German Shepherd?
It is impossible to predict in which of the litters a miniature German Shepherd will appear. To find such a puppy, you will have to call a lot of kennels. Dwarfs are not much different from standard dogs.
They have the same color, the shape of the chest, paws, and tail, only the size and weight are slightly smaller. The breeder needs to find out information about the diseases of parents, the need for injections of growth hormone, rules, and conditions of detention. Pay close attention to the features of the puppy’s skeleton, since some defects are poorly visible externally.
Miniature German Shepherds exist on earth for a very long time, because the dwarfism defect appeared almost at the same time as the dog species itself.
The German Shepherd breed fell in love with everyone many years ago, currently, it is one of the most popular, along with golden retrievers and border collies.
Myths about the Mini German Shepherd
There is a lot of false information about a miniature German Shepherd on the Internet.
One of the most common is life expectancy, unfortunately, miniature German Shepherds live only 4-5 years, sometimes less. It all depends on whether the dog takes therapy and what eats.
The next common myth is that a miniature German Shepherd is obtained by crossing a female German Shepherd and other dog breeds, for example, a Border Collie.
But this is not so, dwarfism manifests itself in puppies only if there is a disease gene in two purebred German Shepherds. So the miniature German Shepherd is not a mixed breed dog. Also, the mini German Shepherd is not a separate breed of dog.
The next myth is that miniature German Shepherd is good service animals. Undoubtedly, a purebred German Shepherd will always be an excellent guard, but a mini German Shepherd may not be able to withstand too much physical exertion due to health problems. Due to the lack of hormones, various diseases develop that affect the motor function of the dog.
Responsibility of German Shepherd’s Owner
Before starting a Shepherd dog with a dwarfism defect, it is worth weighing all the pros and cons. A mini needs to be given maximum time and attention, take care of her health, and regularly show it to a veterinarian. If the future owner is not afraid of such difficulties, and he can provide conditions for its growth and development, a mini German Shepherd can be started.
Is It Worth Breeding a German Shepherd?
Many dog breeders and dog handlers are wondering whether it is worth breeding a dog that was born with a defect in growth and development. Only specialists can answer this question unambiguously and accurately. And they say that it is better to sterilize such animals so as not to allow them to reproduce.
Of course, there is no data on what will happen if you tie a bitch and a male who has pituitary dwarfism syndrome. But if a breeder wants to get a pure breed without defects, he needs to remove the parents of a dog who was born with this disease from the tribe. In addition, it is necessary to exclude from breeding all puppies born to these parents and their relatives. However, this does not give a 100 percent guarantee that in the future dwarfism will not affect other animals of this breed or will disappear altogether.
FAQ about Miniature GSD
How big do dwarf German Shepherds get?
An adult individual a mini German Shepherd has a weight of 10 to 15 kilograms (whereas an ordinary German Shepherd weighs from 27 to 35 kilograms). In height, the dog reaches 50 centimeters. Weaker animals grow only up to 40 centimeters. The miniature German Shepherd has such sizes in 5-6 months of its life.
It is almost impossible to identify a defect of the pituitary dwarfism gene in newborn puppies. After all, it begins to manifest itself only when the dogs are 2-2.5 months old.
At this time, they begin to differ from their brothers and sisters by a significant lag in growth. In a month, these animals generally look very thoroughbred: they have a massive head and a short muzzle. And at 2 months, dwarf animals have short necks, which should also alarm the owner.
Can a German Shepherd be a dwarf?
If a miniature German Shepherd is a dwarf, at the age of 8-12 months it weighs no more than 15 kg, and its height at the withers barely reaches 40 cm. The chest volume is smaller than that of a standard German, and the legs and back are shorter.
At the same time, the shape and size of the head and tail remain the same, which gives the dog some disproportionality. Sometimes miniature German Shepherd is confused with corgi.
A miniature German Shepherd of small stature is not separated into a separate breed. Moreover, individuals with such a defect should be sterilized to prevent unplanned mating and the appearance of unwanted offspring.
Dwarfism is considered marriage and a deviation from the standard. Such a dog requires more attention because his body has failed, he cannot function normally, and this leads to the development of other pathologies. With early detection of dwarfism, a course of growth hormone injections is prescribed, which will help avoid many complications in the future.
How much are miniature German Shepherds?
Miniature German Shepherd on average cost the same as regular shepherds, that is, the price varies from 1500-2000 dollars. It all depends on the pedigree. It is also worth considering the factor that such puppies are born much less often than ordinary ones, someone considers it a defect, therefore reducing the price tag, and someone else increases it, therefore, on the contrary. But mostly it’s $1500-2000 from good breeders.
Is there a German Shepherd that stays small?
The mini German Shepherds have their own dwarfism due to the genetic hereditary disease “pituitary nanism” or pituitary dwarfism syndrome.
The disease is inherited. It lies in the fact that the pituitary gland stops producing growth hormone, which is transmitted to the recessive gene. The appearance of dwarf animals in the offspring suggests that both parents accidentally became carriers of such a gene.
If at the age of 2-2.5 months a puppy with such a disease does not start taking special therapy, which can increase the amount of pituitary hormone, then it will remain small for life. If you start taking therapy on time, then the dog may almost not differ from its relatives.
Accordingly, dwarfism does not disappear with age, if you do not take therapy from childhood.
Conclusion about Dwarf German Shepherds
In conclusion, I would like to say that miniature German Shepherds, like any other dog breed, will become a wonderful friend to you. It doesn’t matter whether it’s miniature German Shepherd puppies, purebred dogs, mixed breed – they all deserve a home.
As with any other breed, the mini German Shepherd has its advantages, such as character, size, cons, health problems, and life span.
The miniature German Shepherd is not inferior to other breeds, so you can safely take such an animal. It is important to remember that regular vet monitoring is very important for this type of dog. Also, the miniature German Shepherd needs special therapy, nutrition, and physical regime, but it does not differ in complexity from other dogs.
Hope the information was useful!