Just a heads up for anyone that cares about checking into the ethics behind something before unabashedly fawning over it: with pituitary dwarfism, this dog is looking at a drastically shortened lifespan (often 5 years tops), and daily medications (primarily attempts at hormone replacement) to help alleviate some of the problematic side effects of their condition. So it’s not a benign condition in the least.
It’s caused by a recessive gene, so can pop up unexpectedly. But any responsible breeder needs to spay the dog that produces any pituitary dwarves and ensure the puppies from the litter are speutered as well, because even the normal looking ones can be carriers.
It seems like many breeders haven’t been willing to take these types of measures though, and dwarves are born more often than one would assume. You don’t see many out in the world as adults because they are often humanely euthanized due to the immense amount of vet care they require to live somewhat comfortably with their condition.
It goes without saying that breeding them on purpose or wishing that someone would breed them on purpose is not ethical. If someone is dead set on a small fluffy pointy eared creature, then they should just get a Pomsky or some other type of “lesser evil.”
ETA: no shade @ the owner of the dog. Last paragraph is directed at any people who like the look of this dog but wouldn’t want to support animal suffering by actively seeking out (i.e. creating a demand for) a pituitary dwarf canine.
Dumeck on April 13rd, 2019 at 01:47 UTC »
Get another German Shepard, name him Dr. Fleevil and call this one Mini Me.
Kerrygold33 on April 13rd, 2019 at 02:01 UTC »
Do not breed this dog.
somethingx2_dogs on April 13rd, 2019 at 02:57 UTC »
Just a heads up for anyone that cares about checking into the ethics behind something before unabashedly fawning over it: with pituitary dwarfism, this dog is looking at a drastically shortened lifespan (often 5 years tops), and daily medications (primarily attempts at hormone replacement) to help alleviate some of the problematic side effects of their condition. So it’s not a benign condition in the least.
It’s caused by a recessive gene, so can pop up unexpectedly. But any responsible breeder needs to spay the dog that produces any pituitary dwarves and ensure the puppies from the litter are speutered as well, because even the normal looking ones can be carriers.
It seems like many breeders haven’t been willing to take these types of measures though, and dwarves are born more often than one would assume. You don’t see many out in the world as adults because they are often humanely euthanized due to the immense amount of vet care they require to live somewhat comfortably with their condition.
It goes without saying that breeding them on purpose or wishing that someone would breed them on purpose is not ethical. If someone is dead set on a small fluffy pointy eared creature, then they should just get a Pomsky or some other type of “lesser evil.”
ETA: no shade @ the owner of the dog. Last paragraph is directed at any people who like the look of this dog but wouldn’t want to support animal suffering by actively seeking out (i.e. creating a demand for) a pituitary dwarf canine.