A german shepherd with dwarfism | Animals | Forums

Well ain't he a cute little bugger

I first met John Coleman on my way home from work. He was standing outside Sydney's Erskineville train station with two German Shepherds: a large adult with a shiny chestnut coat and a much smaller creature with huge triangular ears and fluffy hair. "Oh my goodness," I squealed, as I walked towards the dogs. "How old is your puppy?" John smiled and sighed slightly, and pulled the dogs' leashes back towards his body. "I wouldn't pat him," he replied. "He's not a puppy. He's three years old and he has dwarfism."

Pituitary dwarfism affects dogs in much the same way as humans. It's a genetic disorder predominately found in purebred German Shepherds that reduces the production of growth hormones. This means the dogs stop growing at an early age, and live out their time as almost entirely proportionate bonsai. The result is undeniably adorable and puppy-like, although up close the dwarves don't really look like infant German Shepherds-more like a Corgi crossed with a raccoon.

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