Does anyone have a picture of a dwarf puppy? Are they very obvious compared to normal pups? Anyone raise one? What is the outcome? Thanks.

I searched Dwarfism in Dogs and found a lot of info that you might find helpful but it's too much to post here. Good luck!

In dogs or in labs?, where?

I have done searches online and read the literature about dwarfism but I was hoping that someone had a photo of a Labrador puppy to share. Private emails are fine. Can you tell a puppy is a dwarf when it is born? Or is it something that takes weeks or months to start showing?

I've found pics of dwarf GSD but so far, not labs. This is something I came across about determining if a pup is affected:

"These dogs appear normal at birth, but show evidence of failure to grow by two to three months of age. Unlike chondrodystrophic (skeletal) dwarfs, pituitary dwarf dogs have normal proportionate sizes to their limbs, trunk and other body structures. They are simply smaller than expected.

What to Watch For


Short stature compared to littermates

Soft wooly hair coat, retention of puppy coat

Gradual development of alopecia (hair loss)

Sparing the head and limbs

Hyperpigmentation (darkening) of the skin

Delayed eruption or absence of permanent teeth

A shrill bark

Small testicles and sometimes infertility in the male

Absent estrus (heat) and sometimes infertility in the female"

Optigen has a genetic test for it, RD/OSD. Blood or cheek swab.

Yes you can tell as soon as it's born but it's not that obvious if you are not specifically looking for the characteristics. Around 6 weeks it's more noticeable. I once saw a 10 week old chocolate puppy on a Labrador pet forum and commented that she looked like she had chondrodysplasia (dwarfism). The owner was very defensive and upset and jumped all over me and said her vet told her the pup was perfect - just a little short "like some Labradors". The difference to me was her front legs were shorter than the rear but also slightly curved. She took the pup to a specialist at 3 months who immediately diganosed chondrodysplasia and she apologized to me.

Do you have a photo? Send it to me privately: wigwags@comcast.net

Sharon, I don't have a photo of a lab but have found on of a dwarf GSD. Let me know if you want it or are looking for one of a lab.

I had a pup with a form of dwarfism a few years ago. He was a stunning puppy at age 6 weeks - balanced, perfect topline, I mean a really exceptional boy who was evaluated by several of our top breeders. His show career was going to be incredible! He was even vet checked and passed with flying colors (we were looking for testicle #2). By age 8 weeks, there was a problem. I noticed that he was no longer level topped - he was going downhill in the front. We just chalked it up to growth spurts. We were just worried about ol" #2 still hiding. I kept him until 12 weeks of age, #2 finally arrived. His new owner noticed that he was different but couldn't pinpoint it. Another breeder noticed that his proportions were off. His body was long for the length of his leg and it seemed like his pasterns were long so we changed his diet not really realizing his real problem. I placed him in a loving home that understood his issues. He grew to almost normal height, lower in the front with paws that turned out. He had a gorgeous coat, normal bark, none of the other symptoms people mentioned.

Thank you to all for the information. I was away at EOLBA so this is first I've been on the computer. I'm not sure if he is a dwarf or not but there is definitely something not right with him I'm going to take him to the vet. He is 1/3 the size of his littermates even though he nurses well. It's sad and heartbreaking as a breeder.

He could also be a liver shunt baby.