It’s a familiar wish for any pet owner: As our dogs grow and mature, we look at them with love, wishing, “Can they not? be a puppy forever?”
For Ranger the German Shepherd and his family, that wish has come true!
The pup has a dwarf form which means it will retain its soft puppy coat and small build into adulthood.
As adorable as he is, but there’s also a downside. “Ranger is cute and he is a great dog, but ultimately this is the result of inbreeding and we want to prevent that. Breeders need to know that this can happen and they need to try to prevent it,” said Shelby Mayo, owner of the Ranger. The Daily Star.
Pituitary dwarfism in dogs can have dangerous side effects – in Ranger’s case, a thyroid problem meant he had lost almost all of his coat before the medication and he also had malacia.
However, the four-year-old is living his best life and keeping up with his big sister, Jessie, as they run and play.
“The Instagram page really reflects his journey, but we don’t know what it will turn into,” Mayo explained to the Daily Star. When she and her sister started the page, it was to monitor Ranger’s health. But now, they’re using it as a platform to spread awareness about the condition and discourage “forever pups.”
Their most recent fundraiser was a partnership with Disabled Pet Rescue. “Having experienced many struggles with Ranger ourselves, it is important to us to work on a rescue that helps animals with disabilities. What better time to help a great organization than the holidays! “Mayo wrote on Instagram.
Follow Ranger’s adventures on Instagram here!
