# Small head



## Matt-GSD (Jul 4, 2011)

My Shepherd is 1 year, 9 months old and I feel that her head is quite small for the age she is. I've spoken to my vet and she seems to think that because she is female she has a smaller, more petite head. 
Have any other female GSD owners notice this?


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

Females typically have more of a "feminine" looking fast than males. Males tend to have a more masculine and heavier head. 

The dogs genetics also play a part in the size of her head as well. What did your pups dam look like? Did she have a petite head as well?


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## Matt-GSD (Jul 4, 2011)

Lucy Dog said:


> Females typically have more of a "feminine" looking fast than males. Males tend to have a more masculine and heavier head.
> 
> The dogs genetics also play a part in the size of her head as well. What did your pups dam look like? Did she have a petite head as well?


Yes, her mother does have a small head. However her father's genetics are quite dominant and feature predominately in Zahra.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

Matt-GSD said:


> Yes, her mother does have a small head. However her father's genetics are quite dominant and feature predominately in Zahra.


That may be the case, but it sounds like she got her petite head from her mother as well as being female.

Can you post a picture? Looking at your avatar... she looks pretty normal to me. Nothing out of the ordinary.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Post a picture of her. Is she slender in the body, or chunky? Sometimes if they are heavy in the body, it makes their heads look small by comparison.


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## cta (May 24, 2011)

we also thought our dog's head was too small for his body...we used to say he had a pinhead. our dog is slender though...and i was told as they grow and until they are done filling out, their proportions can look awkward.


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## Chrissy_GSD (Jul 3, 2011)

I hope this worked. I'm Matt's sister, so I just took a quick pic of Zahra. Hope it uploaded


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## Chrissy_GSD (Jul 3, 2011)

Freestep said:


> Post a picture of her. Is she slender in the body, or chunky? Sometimes if they are heavy in the body, it makes their heads look small by comparison.


By the photo I posted, you can see that she's quick slender in build and not really chunky at all


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## Chrissy_GSD (Jul 3, 2011)

cta said:


> we also thought our dog's head was too small for his body...we used to say he had a pinhead. our dog is slender though...and i was told as they grow and until they are done filling out, their proportions can look awkward.


Yes I've heard this too. I've heard that they continue growing till around 3 years of age? Our vet (Who bred GSDs) said that she's filled out and won't get any bigger, I think that's what has my brother worried, because she is quite small in comparison to other shepherds


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

her head looks fine and normal to me from the picture.


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## Chrissy_GSD (Jul 3, 2011)

KZoppa said:


> her head looks fine and normal to me from the picture.


haha thanks, I'll relay the message to my brother :laugh:


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## bianca (Mar 28, 2010)

I'm an not an expert but she looks beautiful to me! My girl is way smaller than all the others I see where I live, and she has a little face too


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

Chrissy_GSD said:


> haha thanks, I'll relay the message to my brother :laugh:


 
lol great! thanks. I can understand the thinking she has a small head thing. I look at Shasta and think "man.... her head seems really small!" sometimes. I used to look at Zena the same way but Zena is also barrel shaped so it made her head look small when she's actually got a pretty good sized head. Shasta is a skinny butt though her head still seems tiny compared to the rest of her at times. I keep asking her when her head is gonna grow into her body and she naturally gives me some dirty looks lol.

i should also mention that Zena averaged 75-80lbs whereas Shasta averages 60-65lbs. Shasta is within breed standards but after having Zena, i still think she's tiny compared.


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## Chrissy_GSD (Jul 3, 2011)

bianca said:


> I'm an not an expert but she looks beautiful to me! My girl is way smaller than all the others I see where I live, and she has a little face too


haha thank you! She is one beautiful beast, a devil at times but definitely a beautiful one!  
Yes!! Everytime we walk her I always get the feeling she's the smallest Shepherd of her age. But then everyone who meets her comments on how big she is, and they often mistake her for a boy lol!


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

Chrissy_GSD said:


> haha thank you! She is one beautiful beast, a devil at times but definitely a beautiful one!
> Yes!! Everytime we walk her I always get the feeling she's the smallest Shepherd of her age. But then everyone who meets her comments on how big she is, and they often mistake her for a boy lol!


 
thats funny! I guess it just depends on people. Most people are used to seeing these big huge shepherds and then they see one who is within standard and they're small... or they see them and think WHOA!!! Thats a big freaking dog!!! I cant speak for anyone else but i get excited when i see other dogs that are pocket dogs or purse dogs but actual sized dogs! that can walk for themselves and have no business in a purse lol. Though no dog has any business in a purse. Probably why when i see people HERE actually walking a small dog my jaw drops.


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## bianca (Mar 28, 2010)

Maybe that's what is wrong with me, I am so used to the small end of the spectrum with Molly and then when I see other's they look like giants!


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## Lin (Jul 3, 2007)

Matt-GSD said:


> Yes, her mother does have a small head. However her father's genetics are quite dominant and feature predominately in Zahra.


Its in the breed standard for males to look masculine and females feminine, so even if the fathers genetics are more dominant it would matter more what his female relatives looked like. 



KZoppa said:


> Most people are used to seeing these big huge shepherds and then they see one who is within standard and they're small... or they see them and think WHOA!!! Thats a big freaking dog!!!


Thats what I run into too. Its bizarre, no one things my dogs are normal to large sized... Its either "isn't she small for a shepherd?" or "wow thats a BIG dog!" And there's how my roommates relatives/friends put it "man thats a BIG *** DOG man!" (usually said while running back to their car)


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## Chrissy_GSD (Jul 3, 2011)

KZoppa said:


> thats funny! I guess it just depends on people. Most people are used to seeing these big huge shepherds and then they see one who is within standard and they're small... or they see them and think WHOA!!! Thats a big freaking dog!!! I cant speak for anyone else but i get excited when i see other dogs that are pocket dogs or purse dogs but actual sized dogs! that can walk for themselves and have no business in a purse lol. Though no dog has any business in a purse. Probably why when i see people HERE actually walking a small dog my jaw drops.


Everytime I see a Chihuahua I just about die at the size of the thing...Zahra thinks it's some sort of squeaky toy. There's one down the road from us, fiesty little things!
I owned a Maltese before Zahra, beautiful beautiful dog. Polar opposite to Zahra in every way possible. I kinda miss having a dog that I can pick up, especially when they're mucking around and doing naughty things...fighting off a 30 kg dog somehow isn't the same haha!


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## Chrissy_GSD (Jul 3, 2011)

bianca said:


> Maybe that's what is wrong with me, I am so used to the small end of the spectrum with Molly and then when I see other's they look like giants!


I actually think it's true! When Zahra is at home in her own surroundings, I think she's huge. Then when my uncle brings his two long hair shepherds over (6 and 4 years old), Zahra shrinks to dwarf size beside them!


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## Chrissy_GSD (Jul 3, 2011)

Lin said:


> Its in the breed standard for males to look masculine and females feminine, so even if the fathers genetics are more dominant it would matter more what his female relatives looked like.
> 
> 
> Thats what I run into too. Its bizarre, no one things my dogs are normal to large sized... Its either "isn't she small for a shepherd?" or "wow thats a BIG dog!" And there's how my roommates relatives/friends put it "man thats a BIG *** DOG man!" (usually said while running back to their car)


exactly!! Mostly the people who think she is huge/male, are those who don't know her from a bar of soap, those who aren't dog people at all, or those who own small dogs!


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

her head seems totally normal .
she is holding herself tight though, not relaxed (tail too) so that will pull things in more , like sucking in your gut .
check her out when she is really relaxed , sleepy or sleeping . She may appear fuller then .


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

KZoppa said:


> her head looks fine and normal to me from the picture.


 
I agree, beautiful dog. :wub:


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## London's Mom (Aug 19, 2009)

Her head looks fine to me, especially for a female. All my females have had more "delicate" features than my males. She's a pretty girl.


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## Chrissy_GSD (Jul 3, 2011)

carmspack said:


> her head seems totally normal .
> she is holding herself tight though, not relaxed (tail too) so that will pull things in more , like sucking in your gut .
> check her out when she is really relaxed , sleepy or sleeping . She may appear fuller then .


I hovered over her crate last night while she was sleeping and you're right! :laugh:


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## Chrissy_GSD (Jul 3, 2011)

MaggieRoseLee said:


> I agree, beautiful dog. :wub:


Thank you!


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## Chrissy_GSD (Jul 3, 2011)

London's Mom said:


> Her head looks fine to me, especially for a female. All my females have had more "delicate" features than my males. She's a pretty girl.


Our vet did tell my brother that, but he's a typical worrier


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

Lin said:


> Its in the breed standard for males to look masculine and females feminine, so even if the fathers genetics are more dominant it would matter more what his female relatives looked like.
> 
> 
> Thats what I run into too. Its bizarre, no one things my dogs are normal to large sized... *Its either "isn't she small for a shepherd?" or "wow thats a BIG dog!"* And there's how my roommates relatives/friends put it "man thats a BIG *** DOG man!" (usually said while running back to their car)


 
LOL exacty! We had a friend over and he knew we had german shepherds. He thought they were REALLY big dogs. I mean he freaked out over it. Then he saw the St. Bernard down the street one day and relaxed some but i'm always like "really?.... they dont seem that big to me!"


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

Chrissy_GSD said:


> I actually think it's true! When Zahra is at home in her own surroundings, I think she's huge. Then when my uncle brings his two long hair shepherds over (6 and 4 years old), Zahra shrinks to dwarf size beside them!


 
I'll catch myself sometimes looking at them and thinking gosh they're actually not that big. Why the heck do people say they're such big dogs? and then there's times where i'll look at them and i'm like WOW! they really are pretty good sized animals! Riley is a good sized boy but he's tall. its when we get around other dogs who are bigger, they look tiny. The neighbors have ankle biters (that nobody can stand according to other neighbors) and my dogs look freaking monsterous next to those things! peoples reactions are always the best though with the WHOA! or the HOLY COW THATS A BIG DOG!!!


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## Chrissy_GSD (Jul 3, 2011)

KZoppa said:


> I'll catch myself sometimes looking at them and thinking gosh they're actually not that big. Why the heck do people say they're such big dogs? and then there's times where i'll look at them and i'm like WOW! they really are pretty good sized animals! Riley is a good sized boy but he's tall. its when we get around other dogs who are bigger, they look tiny. The neighbors have ankle biters (that nobody can stand according to other neighbors) and my dogs look freaking monsterous next to those things! peoples reactions are always the best though with the WHOA! or the HOLY COW THATS A BIG DOG!!!


haha yes! My friends are all scared of her especially because she's very cautious of strangers, she jumps up on the glass sliding door to her full height coupled with a deep bark. Really freaks them out! :laugh:


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## robk (Jun 16, 2011)

Your dog is beautiful. Her head looks fine to me.


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

From the photo, I don't note a small head. She looks fine.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

She's a pretty dog with a nice, normal female head. You may find that when she reaches maturity at 2 or so that her head will fill out a little more.

We always thought Abby's head was too small too, but as long as it matches their body ............


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

PaddyD said:


>


Nice picture of Abby! Brings back bad, bad memories of this winter in New England though!


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