# Small GSD's?



## ChancetheGSD (Dec 19, 2007)

Whats the smallest GSD you've ever owned/met?

The more I read topics about puppies the more I realize that Chance seems SUPER small.

When we got him from Animal Control they said he was a year old...But they also said he was a Labrador mix.







After speaking with some GSD owners, everyone said he was around 6 months. Which would make him around 13 months old now. He's still only 22.5in? And when we got him weighted last week at the vet he was only 45lb.







They didn't say anything about his weight even though he's -dropped- in the last like 3 months. Last time (Well time before last) he was there, he was 52lb.

These are his pictures that I just took a few minutes ago.


















He's all muscle. You feel his arms and legs and it's solid muscle.

He's on Solid Gold Wolf King, so not any kind of cheap food.

Just wondering what peoples smallest GSD has been because it seems like everyones GSD's are his size at half his age! Even my neighbors GSD puppy is basically the size Chance is and only 5-6 months old.







Seems like yesterday he was a little 14 week old pup who Chance scared silly.


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## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

My GSD x chow is about Chance's same size, about 47 lbs. I wouldn't be surprised if Chance is a mix- I looked at his other photos and it's possible that there's other blood in his recent family history. If he's all muscle, don't worry about his weight. Chance is a looker, though! I bet he's one fast, agile cookie.


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## mkennels (Feb 12, 2008)

he can still grow some, took a while for my one shepherd he finally filled out at 3 yrs of age, his daughter was born at 8 ozs and she is around 50 to 60 lbs and solid no fat but she is not skinny but all muscle


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## ChancetheGSD (Dec 19, 2007)

I've wondered if he could be mixed too. (Animal Control pup with unknown history + he's Liver and Tan. Either way he certainally isn't a LABRADOR! ) I've had a few people ask me if he's got Kelpie in him. Which would be about the only breed I could think of that WOULD explain everything. But that'd be one rare breeding. xD I've met hundreds of dogs around here and never once met a Kelpie. Should ask the vet if she has any Kelpie clients to see if I'm just totally missing them around here. Lol!


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

going by the picture your dog looks like a Shep. i don't see the Lab in him. he looks young. my neighbors have a show dog and she's only 60 lbs or so and she's 1 yr. old. what did your Vet have to say about the weight lost. my boy slowed down on his eating and lost a few pounds. i think the heat has something to do with his eating. nice rescue, good luck.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

He does seem on the small side, be ok at the shoulder for a bitch, but small for a male. He's definitely on the slender side. And he's very leggy, so if he does fill out in the next year or so, he'll get some more weight them too.

Thing is, you can't know the health history of his mom when she was pregnant (nutrition?) as well as after the pups were born (nutrition?) so that may also have stunted his growth.


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## MelissaHoyer (Sep 8, 2006)

He might be mixed with something a little smaller...hard to say for sure. Looks like he is still narrow and has some filling out to do.

My smallest GSD I have ever had is my Kira. She is a midget at 22 inches and 60ish lbs, out of working lines. I absolutely love her size - very convenient with all the punch (maybe more in her case) of a larger GSD. When I get another GSD, I will definitely be looking for a breeder that breeds them small.


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## RubyTuesday (Jan 20, 2008)

He looks pb to me. He's small, yes, but a great looking guy. IF the appetite, gen'l health & activity level are good I wouldn't worry about lean. IF he drops any more weight I'd get him to the vet as he should still be gaining, not losing.


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## Spiritsmam (Nov 10, 2007)

You know, I think I may see a faint hint of something else apart from GSD in Chance - but you know what it doesn't matter, he sure is a handsome guy. I wouldn't get too caught up in his size - his body condition looks great and you mention he is well muscled.


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## ChancetheGSD (Dec 19, 2007)

Well he wasn't in for a check up or anything, I was actually taking my cat in. I brought him along to make sure MY scale wasn't off when I saw he was only 45lb. Only really had to get him some more Heartguard. I had a quick chat with the vet about his weight when we were deciding which pack we wanted to put him on. I told him that he'd been taking the 50-100 and that he also hadn't eaten yet that day (Took them in the morning and didn't want him eating then going to the vet for stress reasons, he's good at the vet but he'd recently had an upset tummy days before and I didn't want to risk another one) and so he went ahead and kept him on the same pack and didn't really say anything about the loss. =\

He's active, eats well and hasn't changed in any way. I've been checking his poops each day to make sure theres no worms and everythings normal. So no idea why he's lost. *shrugs*

On the stunted growth thing, wonder if he could have been stunted when he had Parvo? We adopted him with it in the late stages. He was 28lb and 18in at 6 months old. So size wise, he hasn't grown much at all in the last 7 months.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

My GSD is 21" and never more than 60lbs, but she's pure as they come.


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## ebrannan (Aug 14, 2006)

My girl is pure also, and small. We had issues with her weight, coat and poops and I started her on enzymes. Her poops are now perfect, coat and weight are filling out also. She will always be a small girl ... probably no more than 22 inches when she hits two next year. Weight will probably top out at about 55 or so. But man, she has more drive than I have experienced in quite a while. I'm actually tossing around the agility thought. She would excel at it and needs a job.


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

I can't recall how tall either of these two were, but Tex was my smallest male who weighed about 65 lbs at his heaviest. Too was my smallest bitch at 62 lbs. These were healthy weights, neither was sick (Kel only weighs 58 lbs but he's having mega health issues and should weigh about 75 lbs).


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## ChancetheGSD (Dec 19, 2007)

Just remembered that my cousin has 2 pictures of us together on her Myspace. These were taken 3 weeks after he came home (6 mo) with us back in December. Please ignore how terrible I look, my cousin catches me at the worst times. Lol! Keep in mind, I'm only 5ft tall.

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He's always been quite a small, odd looking pup. Looking back on these pictures I have no idea how I thought he was big! Lol! Too used to my Chihuahuas I suppose.









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Better picture of what he looked like at that age, cousin made him look a bit funky too. Lol!

And heres two QUALITY pictures of what he looks like now in case anyone really wants to guess if they think he's mixed or not...

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Click

Was trying to figure out how to work mummys new camera.  Taken a few weeks ago.


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

Love the baby pictures!!!

IMHO Chance is a handsome fellow ... if he's a mix, he's a handsome mix ... if he's purebred, he's still handsome ... if he stays shorter than the normal male GSD, yep, you've got it ... HE'S A VERY HANDSOME BOY!!!

If you think his weight loss is due to a health issue then I'm sure you'll discuss it with the vet. If it's due to him physically maturing or getting more exercise, then that's something you can control via his diet!!!

This is from the AKC's GSD standard controlled by the GSDCA:
"Size, Proportion, Substance
The desired height for males at the top of the highest point of the shoulder blade is 24 to 26 inches; and for bitches, 22 to 24 inches."
While Chance is 1.5 inches shorter than the AKC standard calls for, he certainly is not what I'd consider a "tiny" dog. And yes, I understand what you're saying. My Slider is exactly 24", the minimum AKC height and is very small when compared to the over 26" males who towered over him in AKC conformation shows. I don't care - I love him and IMHO he doesn't look small even when he's around the "big" boys.

Enjoy your beautiful Chance, as long as he's healthy don't worry if he's smaller than average. Don't forget that old saying, GOOD THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES!!!


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## BrennasMom (Mar 2, 2008)

Brenna is also fairly small at 50-55 lbs, but it hasn't affected her in any way.







She can jump a 4' wall like it's nothing. lol


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## ChancetheGSD (Dec 19, 2007)

I have upped his diet. Most days he gets 1-2 hours of exercise but around 3-4 times a week he gets 2-4 hours. (2-3 is average) So he's pretty active. But I'm not too worried about his weight, better a little under than over. He's not scrawny, he's got muscle that you can see just looking at him and so if he wasn't getting proper nutrition he wouldn't have that. He's just an active puppy. :3 Other than being lean, he's got clear eyes, clean/non-smelly ears, great teeth, great coat, no fleas/ticks/other bugs, he eats well, his got lots of energy...Nothing that screams sick puppy.

He is a good boy though. ^_^ He's my puppy, my first dog that I have 110% control and say over, my first rescue, one of the smartest dogs I've ever owned/met, ect. Only thing I wish I could change is his allergies.  Otherwise he's my special and perfect baby.


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

I think that's a great size. I had two sable puppies (maybe GSD maybe GSD mix) that never got above 50lbs and they were two of the most athletic and agile fosters I ever had - much to my continual frustration as they did things like hop up on the washing machine to check out the shelf behind it! 

To me Chance looks proportional and healthy but a little not quite PB GSD in the face, I think he's more likely to be a mix than stunted in any way. Hopefully that will work in his favor - sounds like he's got the good qualities of the GSD and maybe he'll miss some of the health problems! Congrats on a great dog!


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## Guest (Jul 7, 2008)

Males do take longer to reach full maturity and size. My Odin was much smaller his first year than his second and it took until his third year before he reached his full size. My previous males all exhibited the same growth pattern.


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

Oh no, GSDad-- do you mean that jumbo-Grimm at 19 months could still be g-r-o-w-i-n-g??














Small GSDs are super.. love the big galloots, too!


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## Guest (Jul 7, 2008)

I'd bet my paycheck on it, Patti.


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

That does it.. c'mon over, and bring the saddle! LOL!


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## Timber1 (May 19, 2007)

Although my Ex and I disagree she insists the best GSD I ever owned was a 60 pound male. Go beyond weight and learn to understand the dog. The pictures look great, and aside from size I wonder if you have any other concerns.


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## shadow mum (Apr 8, 2008)

My Shadow is on the small side as well. He's 5 1/2 months and 42lbs. I am noticing that he's growing quickly now, and his proportions are alright, so if he's on the small side for a GSD, I don't care, as long as he's healthy, happy and, as my son calls him, our little furball.


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