German Shepherd Dog Forum:
Dwarf Gene?

I have a mixed breed dog and I am trying to figure out what breeds she is. I was told that she is GS/Chow Chow. I know that she is part chow because her tongue is mostly black. As a puppy she looked just like a GS, but as she got older her colors changed and her body began to lengthen, but she didn't get very tall (about 17 in. from paw to shoulder blade). I read in a book that there is something called a dwarf gene in some GS and/or GS mixes. Has anyone heard of this? The book had no further details on it.