The Shepherd is one of the most popular breeds of domestic dogs. She was bred as a shepherd's assistant - a shepherd - many centuries ago, when livestock had just been domesticated. The dog turned out to be smart, devoted, faithful and beautiful.
Today there is no need to protect every flock of sheep from attacks by predators, but sheepdogs are not becoming less popular. They are bred as human companions, loyal friends who help serve, brighten up loneliness or direct excess love to a living creature.
To date, more than 50 breeds of shepherd dogs have been bred. They are all very different in character and appearance. One has only to compare a big dog and a corgi!
In this article we will talk about the smallest shepherd dogs in the world, unique representatives of the breed. But small does not mean that they are stupid or easy to educate. Character is in the shepherd's blood.
Swiss, up to 50 cm
The Swiss Shepherd resembles a loyal white wolf. This is an incredibly beautiful dog up to 50 cm high with long snow-white hair.
This breed was developed in Switzerland. Its representatives resemble in appearance a German Shepherd, if they could be completely white. They are loyal, friendly and quite active, but less aggressive than their German relatives.
Such a dog is friendly towards people and is incredibly affectionate with children, and is friendly with cats and other pets. Swiss Shepherds do best in a country house, but can adapt to more cramped conditions.
Common Breeds
The smallest dog in the world: TOP breeds
Below are the most popular varieties, which are often jokingly called dwarf “Germans” due to their similarity in appearance.
Schipperke
The Schipperke is the smallest black shepherd. An adult representative has a height of 30 cm and a weight of up to 10 kg. The breed originated in Belgium 200 years ago, but exactly how this happened is unknown. Representatives of this species served as boat guards, informants of the approach of strangers, and were also used as a biting stimulant and work motivation for barge horses. In addition, they have the skills to catch mice and rats. Despite their dwarfism, these dogs are able to defend the home and owner.
Miniature American Shepherd
The world first learned about this dog in 1968 in California. The miniature dog has common features with the Australian Shepherd and is very similar to it, so they are easy to confuse. The average height of a male is 35-45 cm, weight 7-15 kg, bitches are slightly smaller. The dog is very active, but at the same time intelligent, friendly and social.
Miniature American variety
Note! The average lifespan of a Miniature American Dog is 12 to 15 years. This affectionate and loyal dog is perfect as a companion dog for active families.
Aussie
The Miniature Australian Shepherd (Aussie, or mini-Aussie) is distinguished by special intellectual abilities and has a kind temperament. The breed was developed by crossing the Pyrenean Shepherd Dog, the Bernese Mountain Dog with several varieties of the Collie breed.
Aussie named Count
Such dogs can grow up to 45 cm, adding a couple of centimeters at the withers per month. Weight ranges from 14-18 kg. Representatives of Aussies have an unusual bright blue or hazel eye color. This breed often has heterochromia - different colored eyes.
Welsh Corgi Cardigan
The Cardigan Welsh Corgi breed is an ancient and very rare breed of dog, whose roots go back to England. Miniature dogs have short legs and medium-length hair.
Note! The undercoat of this dog breed sheds quite a lot.
Dogs have a compact, square body and an elongated, upturned tail. The dog's height is 25-32 cm, and its weight is 14-17 kg. On average, representatives of the Cardigan Welsh Corgi breed live up to 13-15 years. The dogs are friendly and ready to give their attention and affection to the whole family. At the same time, they are very smart and can understand when the owner needs to be alone, and sometimes they show their own inner independence and demonstrate this with their behavior.
English, up to 45 cm
The history of the breed goes back to the times of the Roman Empire, from where it came with the conquerors to good old England. There it was crossed with other dogs, the ancestors of the modern collie, and used as a herding breed.
The English Shepherd is a short dog, up to 45-50 cm at the withers. She has a strong, lean body, the most common color is white-black-tan, but the standard also provides for other options, for example, white-tan or white-red.
Like most herding breeds, it is quite independent, but prefers to work in a team with a person and receive commands and praise.
Croatian, up to 45 cm
These dogs are widespread throughout Croatia, but they are rarely seen outside its borders. She has a rather unusual appearance, especially in puppies, which look more like lambs than dogs. The fact is that this dog, with its muzzle and build typical of a shepherd dog, has brown curly hair.
Like any shepherd, the Croatian is smart, quick-witted, dexterous and agile. Despite her small height at the withers, she requires constant movement. And he cannot do without frequent communication with the owner.
History of origin and appearance in the photo
"German" dwarfism is a genetic defect . It is called "pituitary dwarfism" or pituitary dwarfism syndrome.
The disease is inherited. It lies in the fact that the pituitary gland stops producing growth hormone, this is transmitted to a recessive gene.
The appearance of dwarf animals in the offspring suggests that both parents accidentally became carriers of such a gene.
Miniature German Shepherds are not allowed to breed.
Icelandic, 45 cm
This strong miniature white and red dog immediately wins everyone's sympathy. She has thick fur, short paws and a curled fluffy tail - a definitely touching combination.
Meanwhile, this is a very hardy, smart and non-aggressive dog that has lived in Iceland for centuries. She arrived on the island along with the first settlers, the Vikings, around the first century AD, and survived side by side with people in harsh conditions.
This is a herding breed with all its inherent character traits. She has a loud bark, which is very useful when grazing livestock, but will interfere with establishing relationships with neighbors. Therefore, the Icelandic Shepherd with relative freedom and a lot of mobility.
Aussie, up to 45 cm
Aussie is another name for the Australian Shepherd . She has an elongated muzzle, triangular floppy ears and short legs. Although different colors are acceptable, the most common Aussies are white, black and tan, with some of the white fur covered in black spots, which together with blue eyes gives a very unusual combination.
Despite the name, which seems to hint at the place of origin, the USA is considered the birthplace of the Aussie. The dog is known for its good nature and tendency to learn, so it is often used to serve humans. However, make no mistake, her cheerful disposition does not prevent her from giving a worthy rebuff to the offender.
Welsh Corgi, up to 30 cm
In recent years, this royal breed has been at the peak of popularity. Books are written about the corgi, films are made, and its appearance is actively replicated in pop culture, causing attacks of emotion. Everything becomes clear if you see what a corgi looks like. This is the smallest shepherd dog with short legs and a cute face.
Meanwhile, Welsh Corgis are born shepherds with a proud disposition. In order for the pet to grow up happy, and the owner not to get a lot of problems, you will have to take upbringing seriously, because the corgi is not a sofa dog.
Their homeland is Wales. This breed is considered royal, and nurseries strictly monitor the number of individuals and their life. Finding a half-breed corgi is almost impossible: if the owner does not plan to breed the breed, he is obliged to sterilize the pet.
Those wishing to purchase a dog will have to pay the full price for it. True, the investment is fully repaid by its cute appearance, loyal and kind character and good health, for which the breeders are responsible.
Miniature American Shepherd, up to 45 cm
The miniature American Shepherd resembles an Aussie in appearance. This is not surprising, since it was bred in the 60s by crossing Australians with an unknown small dog. This was done not so much on a whim, but rather with the goal of reducing the size of the Aussies, but preserving their intelligence, service qualities and character traits.
The new breed was officially recognized in 2010. The American Shepherd turned out the way it was intended: miniature, but strong, hardy, with a good nervous system. The coat can be white and black, white and red, with or without tan marks, with or without white markings - in general, the dog has a wide variety of colors.
Greek, up to 35 cm
This shepherd was bred in the mountainous regions of Greece to help shepherds look after their livestock. This is primarily a service dog, hardy and unpretentious. During training, consistency and rigor are required; the shepherd dog does not respond well to cruelty. But if a person is lucky enough to become a real master for her, then she will be faithful to him all her life.
The Greek Shepherd is a medium breed, it has a strong, muscular body, white, gray and black coat. The main goal was to obtain service qualities, so the color is not so important and the most diverse is found.
English line
Alabai Bulldozer: the largest Central Asian Shepherd in the world
The English Shepherd line belongs to the universal working dog breeds. At one time, they helped farmers graze their flocks. Dogs have a kind, energetic, adaptable nature and boast high intelligence. The average height of dogs is up to 45 cm, body weight is 16–25 kg.
For your information! The English Shepherd is very smart and tends to work competently.
Croatian
The Croatian Shepherd is characterized as an energetic and nimble dog, which is probably why representatives of this breed often take part in sporting competitions. The boy's height is 40–45 cm, weight 13–18 kg, the girl has slightly smaller, although quite comparable dimensions. Average life expectancy is 13 years. The dog is very attentive, smart and sociable, needs regular communication with a person.
Croatian variety
Note! The easily trained “Croatian” can be used to serve as a guard in a private home, since their genes contain distrust of strangers.
Swiss
Swiss Shepherds have the ideal set of characteristics for herding dogs. The white color of their fur helps them to get lost in a herd of sheep, which undoubtedly affects the quality of their work. The height of the dogs is up to half a meter, weight up to 35 kg.
Swiss dog
“Swiss” have intelligence and curiosity, and with the right attitude they will become excellent companions. White-haired dogs have a cheerful and sociable character. They enjoy communicating with children. Shepherds only show aggression when they feel threatened by strangers.
Catalan
The characteristic features of the Catalan Shepherd are short stature, stockiness and increased shaggyness. In appearance, representatives of this breed can be mistaken for a mongrel. “Catalans” are not classified as beautiful breeds; their value lies in intelligence and trainability. The dogs are of medium size, up to half a meter tall and weigh 17–25 kg. Life expectancy is 12–14 years. There are dogs with gray, sable, brown, fawn, fawn and black coat colors. The tail is elongated, although some representatives of the species may be short.
Catalan variety
Important! These dogs are very hostile towards strangers, but at the same time show affection and patience towards members of their family.
The “Catalan” has an almost perfect character. Dogs are capable of making independent decisions, while they are very obedient and easy to train.
Greek
The history of the Greek Shepherd breed has ancient roots. Representatives of this species are quick-witted, very friendly, and are also well suited for guard duty. Their light weight, about 10 kg, and height of 25-35 cm allow them to successfully hunt small animals. The hardy and active dog is an excellent companion in outdoor sports games.
Greek dog
Sheltie, up to 35 cm
A Sheltie can easily be confused with a Collie - the two breeds are quite similar. But Sheltie, Shetland Sheepdog , is much smaller in size: height at the withers reaches 35 cm, weight 6-7 kg.
The homeland of the Sheltie is Scotland, more precisely, the Shetland Islands, where the Sheepdogs came with the first shepherd settlers. There, dogs freely crossed with Spitz dogs, inheriting their color and light coat.
Shelties are cheerful, good-natured and curious creatures, ready to get acquainted with any fauna that comes along the way. They love to bark loudly and provocatively, so those who like silence should think twice before making such a friend. The Sheltie is a very active breed and requires active and long walks.
Schipperke, up to 30 cm
Miniature jet-black dogs invariably cause a lot of affection, but they are quite independent and proud dogs. They were bred in Belgium in the 19th century to hunt rats and mice.
Schipperke do not exceed 30 cm, weight ranges from 3-9 kg. The fur is black, shiny, triangular ears stand up, and the chest is decorated with a lush “collar”. Dogs cannot live normally without active communication, sports and frequent walks, so with homebodies and introverts they will only torment each other.
Description of breeds
Most of the small shepherds have long since moved from pastures to human homes. Today they are rarely used in service; the main purpose of most of them is to be a good and cheerful companion for humans. Each breed has its own characteristics that make it easy to cope with these responsibilities.
Welsh Corgi
These dogs are the smallest shepherd dogs on the planet. Their height at the withers does not exceed 30 – 32 cm. The birthplace of the breed is Great Britain. They are still valued here; Queen Elizabeth 2 herself has kept corgis for several decades, personally walking them in the palace park.
Welsh Corgis have a specific appearance: they have short strong legs, large high-set ears and a special “smiling” face. There are two varieties of the breed. Pembrokes are shorter, red in color with white spots, and have a slightly calmer character. Their coat is long and sheds very actively, so the breed needs regular brushing.
The Cardigan variety of Corgi can be any color except pure white. Most often these are dark dogs with white and reddish spots on the face and paws. They are more active, but at the same time friendlier than their counterparts.
Schipperke
This is the Belgian version of the Miniature Shepherd. The largest males reach 34 cm at the withers, females do not grow higher than 31 cm. All dogs have an even black color, only small inclusions of white spots are allowed.
The breed is ancient, it is believed that it appeared in Brussels in the Middle Ages. Such dogs turned out to be excellent hunters of rats and mice and literally saved townspeople from rodent infestations.
Schipperkes were used mainly for protection, but already at the end of the 18th century representatives of the nobility began to have them as pets.
Sheltie
This is a smaller copy of the popular collie breed - the Scottish Sheepdog.
They differ only in height: Shelties do not grow more than 38 cm at the withers.
Everything else is almost identical: aristocratic stature, elongated narrow muzzle, luxurious long fur of red, black or merle color with a voluminous white collar.
Wool requires careful care. Such dogs are washed and combed regularly. Only in such conditions do they retain their noble appearance.
Aussie - Australian Miniature Shepherd
Despite the name, the birthplace of such dogs is America. True, the breed was developed with the participation of dogs actually imported from Australia.
As a result of selection work, a breed appeared that retained all the service qualities characteristic of shepherd dogs, but “decreased” in size. The height of an Aussie male at the withers cannot exceed 53 cm.
One of the main advantages of the Australian Shepherd is their appearance. This is a long-haired breed with a bizarre coloration. The main color is black. Spots of red, blue and copper shades are allowed. Eyes can be brown, blue and even speckled.
