Police Puppy

Police dogs often face great danger while doing their jobs, and bullet proof vests can help them stay a bit safer.

Take a look at this German Shepherd puppy, named Tuco, from the Boston Police Departments K-9 force wearing his future vest:
VValYw6
(boston.com)

He still has a bit of growing to do before it fits him, but he looks so cute!

The vest is from Massachusetts Vest-A-Dog, a nonprofit organization which works to provide dogs to law enforcement along with other essentials like bulletproof vests, other equipment, and training.

Just look how happy Tuco is!
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(facebook)

– Fizz

Wednesday Woof! – Dwarf German Shepherd

I had no idea that German Shepherds could suffer from dwarfism. This is Tiger, a three year old dog and not a puppy like he appears:

Y0wqCyA
(vice)

While Tiger may be cute he has serious health issues due to his dwarfism. Pituitary dwarfism is a genetic disorder which reduces the production of growth hormones which limit the dog’s growth and can occur in any breed if the parents are carriers or if the pituitary gland fails to develop normally. Pituitary dwarfism is a recessive genetic trait, so both parents have to be carriers to pass on the disorder to their pups. It is not that uncommon, but is still not well known.

This condition also causes difficulty in growing adult fur, teeth, and skin. It can shorten the dog’s lifespan (GS dwarfs have a 5 year life expectancy), cause infertility, and give the dog a bad disposition with aggression or anxiety. The majority of these puppies are not considered suitable for sale due to the fact they will have health problems and be unpredictable, so they are sometimes put down shortly after they are discovered to be dwarfs. So while Tiger is cute, this is not something to breed for.

tiger2--1-
(vice)

The breeders who produced Tiger only breed one litter a year and were not aware until his litter that his mother, who they own, was a carrier. The father of the pups was a champion show dog used by many other breeders and it was never disclosed that he too was a carrier of the gene. Of the six pups in Tiger’s litter three were dwarfs. While a vet said the pups should be put down the family felt it was unfair to the animals and wished to simply give them the best quality of life possible. The man in the above pictures, John Coleman, took Tiger knowing what health problems he could have and was willing to give Tiger the best care possible. The other two remain with the breeder.

Here is Tiger with his two other dwarf siblings:
tiger-arnie-rocky
(vice)

Tiger gets a lot of attention from people who both understand his condition and those who think he is just a puppy. While many want to pet Tiger his owners keep strangers away because he has developed a bit of an aggressive personality and will bite. At home he is loving and affectionate towards his people and the family’s full sized German Shepherd Lydia.

tiger3--1-
(vice)

It is a good ethical question as to whether a dog which is a known carrier should be bred further. Any and all breeding should be responsible and with purpose, considering health and whether the pups have future homes or jobs (police, guide dog, herding, etc.).

– Fizz

Sources:
Tiger is a Three-Year-Old German Shepherd With Dwarfism – vice
Disorders of the Pituitary Gland in Dogs – Merck Manuals

Wednesday Woof! – German Shepherd

It is the middle of the week!

One important thing to remember when getting your cute little puppy is that they grow up really fast! It is only a matter of months before your puppy will be looking like a dog. So enjoy your time with your puppy!

Here are two pictures of Ava, a German Shepherd, taken 6 months apart:
BA1
(imgur)

If you want to see more photo time comparisons like Ava’s check out the article 28 Adorable Before and After Photos of Baby Animals Growing Up on Distractify.

Wednesday Woof! – German Shepherd – Collie Mix

Wednesday again! The winter seems to continue forever here, but spring is around the corner. Just have to make it…

Here is a German Shepherd and Collie Mix named Arya who looks beautiful in the white snow:
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(imgur)

And another shot of Arya, from the original source on reddit:
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The black fur offset from the white snow makes the composition of this picture wonderful. Hope these pictures help any of you under at ton of snow like we are here at FT!

– Cola and Fizz

Buddy the Dog

In Alaska a German Shepherd named Buddy saved his owners life during a fire.

Buddy’s owner was in a workshop when it caught fire, and he sent Buddy for help. The dog ran and found a police officer who was responding to the call of a fire but could not find the property. The officer followed the dog back to his owner. Buddy is being honored as a hero. Here is video from the dash cam of the police offer who followed Buddy:

This is a amazing! Good job Buddy!

You can read the whole story here: Alaska Dog Honored for Leading Troopers to Fire.