The Miniature German Shepherd: Is It Really A Different Breed?
When it comes to pint sized dogs that look like their full sized cousins, the Miniature German Shepherd is a very popular variety. But did you know that this dog actually isn’t a German Shepherd at all? In fact, it’s a mix between two different breeds. While these dogs are often sold as small versions of the full gr own breed they are often falsely marketed. Many breeders just want to cash in on the micro-mini fad cross, which is a mixed of full sized German shepherd with another dog breed such as the Border collie and Poodle. While there is nothing wrong with cross breeding two different dogs and selling their offspring. It’s just good business practice to be honest to your customers and tell them what they are actually buying.
Health Issues Can Be Hard To Determine With These Dogs
When you have a purebred animal it’s fairly easy to understand what health issues you might be faced with in the course of the dog’s life. But when you mix two completely separate breeds it can be very difficult to know what they may suffer with in the future. When the two dogs are mixed, you run into a wide range of health issues that could come from either side of the dog’s family. While it is true some mixed breed animals are healthier, others can suffer the worst of post parents getting diseases from both the mother and the father’s DNA. But doing some research on both the parents breed type, you can get somewhat of an understanding as to what your new puppy might face with down the road.
What about Miniature German Shepherd Temperament Issues?
This is also very hard to determine because you are breeding a variety of two different purebred animals. While some believe that cross breeding brings out the worst from both sides, the truth is, it all comes down to the individual dog. Just like people there can be some good and bad. So don’t prejudge your new pet until you see how they are going to react around others. But just like with any dog, aggression can be a problem, if the owner doesn’t properly socialize the animal at a young age. So to help your new puppy become a happy and loving pet, make sure to spend some time with them. Whenever possible, take your miniature German Shepherd to a dog park or over to a neighbor who also has dogs and allow them to get used to being around both people and other animals.
Image via Flickr.com
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We have a rescue who was a mix of a feral cattledog dog and a feral GSD. She basically looks like a mini GSD. She can walk right under her full GSD “brother” and people think she’s a GSD puppy. She had a sibling that was white pup who looked just like a cattle dog.
Mixed breeds actually tend to be healthier than pure bred dogs, so I wouldn’t worry about that. Also, temperament and characteristics for breeds are hard to predict, since many breeders these days mostly breed for appearance.