Table of Contents
Congratulations! If you’re the lucky owner of a gorgeous dog, you’ve got yourself a true best buddy. Contrary to popular belief, mixed breed dog is no longer referred to as “mutts” because of their mixed heritage. Instead, we now use phrases like “blend” to describe their distinctive appearance. Let’s be real, shall we find out What Mixed Breed Is My Dog? When it comes to your dog’s genetics, you want to know everything about their ancestry. Instead of rushing into buying an expensive canine DNA test, learn about some of the characteristics that are common to both purebred and mixed breed dog.
We’ll look at things like the form of the muzzle, the tail, the type of ears, the coat, the body type, and the dog’s general demeanor. The classification of a purebred or mixed breed dog, like the ever-so-popular Goldendoodle, will also be discussed.
Suggested Read: How to Tell What Breed Is My Dog
How to Determine What Mixed Breed Is My Dog?
First and foremost, let’s get the ball rolling. To begin, make a list of your dog’s physical characteristics. You can begin your internet search when you’ve compiled a list of possible candidates for the position. Approach it as if it were a research project. As you go through the process, take notes using a pen and piece of paper.
Shape of the Muzzle
Canine head morphologies include brachycephalics, mesocephalics, and dolichocephalics, in order from shortest to longest muzzle. Dolichocephalics have narrow eyes and long muzzles, while brachycephalics have short muzzles and mesocephalics have the typical Labrador Retriever-shaped skull (Collies).
Style of the Tail
Depending on a dog’s breed, its tail might reveal a lot about its history. A naturally bobbed tail is one thing, but a docked tail is quite another. A young dog’s tail is docked in breeds, including Dobermans, Boxers, and English Pointers. Seeing one of these breeds without a tail dock may be startling, but modern veterinary care is headed in that direction (especially for non-working dogs).
A bobtail gene mutation can be found in over a dozen different dog breeds. The Australian Shepherd, Brittany Spaniel, and Jack Russell Terrier are just a few examples of the many dog breeds out there. Boston Terriers, English Bulldogs, King Charles Spaniels, Minature Schnauzers, and Rottweilers are among the dog breeds without the mutation but with naturally occurring bobtails.
A dog with a ringtail has a thick, full tail that arches over the dog’s back. A dog with a sickle tail also has an arched back and a pointed tip that points upwards toward the dog’s head. As with Pugs, screw tails look like corkscrews, while otter tails look like, well, otter tails. The otter’s large and full tail acts as a rudder in the water, helping the animal navigate. Your water-loving dogs have distinctive tails, like this one here: (like the Labrador Retriever). A whiptail is characterized by its length, slenderness, and straightness.
Types of Ears
Dog ears come in a variety of shapes and sizes. It’s easy to become discouraged when faced with a seemingly insurmountable task. The ear shape of your dog will serve as a good generalization rather than going into detail about each individual variety. Some examples of common ear shapes are provided below.
Unpricked: A dog’s ear that is not pointing down. The tips of these ears are upright and pointy (Husky).
Trimmed: Ears that have had plastic surgery to restore their normal shape. This isn’t how it works (Great Dane).
Ears that are either blunt or round have a smooth contour (French Bulldog).
Earrings that dangle, either as a pendant or a drop (Basset Hound).
A V-shaped ear is dangling down from the person’s head.
Neither entirely erect nor pendant when cocked or semi-pricked (pit bull breeds).
Type of Coat
Finding out what type of coat your dog has is as easy as identifying your dog’s breed. Short-haired or smooth-coated dogs have close-to-the-body coats. Grooming is required to keep medium-length coats from matting and tangling (Golden Retriever). Hair and fur that fall to the floor are common in long-haired dogs, making regular grooming a necessity. Curly-coated dogs have soft ringlets or waves similar to human hair, while wire-coated dogs have rough fur that feels rough to the touch. Dogs with no hair are truly hairless.
Color and Design of a Coat
Solid-colored dog coats are the most frequent. Dogs with brown coats can be classified as liver or chocolate brown, and dogs with red coats can be classified as orange, rust, cinnamon, or ruby. Cream coats are practically white, while gold coats are pale yellow, blonde, honey, and apricot. However, both black and white coats can have varying undertones. When compared to regular grey, blue dog coats appear off-gray.
Pattern
A patched or tuxedo coat has more than one color and is sometimes known as a bicolor coat. Typical color schemes include black and tan, as well as white on black (German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Border Collies).
Coats with three distinct colors are known as tricolor coats. Dogs with tricolor coats frequently have a white chest and underbelly, as well as colors on the dorsal, facial, and limbs, and tail surfaces that surround them.
In dogs with merle coats, patches or marbling of color can be found all over the dog’s body except for the stomach.
Great Danes have harlequin coats, which are black and white with uneven spots across the body, as opposed to the Dalmatian’s conventional spotting.
A classic tiger stripe, brindle (black, brown, and gold).
German Shepherds often have patterns on their coats resembling saddles, with the black on the back gradually fading away.
In sable, the black-tipped hairs contrast sharply with the animal’s paler coat.
A medium-sized, towering dog with long legs and a deep chest.
Type of Body
The type of body your mixed breed dog has may be one of the most telling indicators of their ancestry. Take note of these specifics.
- After a year, what is the typical weight of your dog?
- Do you have a short or long stature?
- Are you big and bulky, or are you long and lean?
- Do you have long or short legs?
- What body type do you prefer: lean and fit or bulky and athletic?
- Characteristics Not Listed
One of the most distinguishing features of the Rhodesian Ridgeback is its ridgeback, or a row of hairs running perpendicular to the coat’s direction of growth on the dog’s back. This characteristic can be found in dogs of any breed, including mixed breed dog.
A pair of webbed and dewclaws paws Examine your dog’s paws for any injuries. Are the bottoms of the shoes webbed? If your dog has dewclaws, also known as inner wrist and elbow digits or inner ankle and knee, then yes (human anatomy terms, if you will). Maybe your dog even has dewclaws on each of his front paws (generally characteristic of prominent large breeds).
Take a close look at your dog’s tongue. Is it pink like bubblegum, or do you see spots? Many people believe that the Chow Chow is the only dog breed with a spotted tongue. In reality, approximately thirty other breeds have this characteristic.
The color of your dog’s eyes—is one blue and one brown? Heterochromia: Even while it’s extremely unusual, there’s a chance that dogs like Huskies, Australian Shepherds, and Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dogs could be to blame.
Characteristic Behavior of a Herding Dog Breed
The way your dog behaves can reveal a lot about its ancestry.
This raises the age-old question of nature vs. nurture, although in many cases, dogs will follow their instincts regardless of the conditions. Herding breeds and pointers are two of the most well-known canine personalities. These dogs’ actions and mannerisms are impossible to overlook.
Herding
Sheepdog breeds like to herd, as the name implies. They’re also known to follow and track moving targets (people, small animals, or moving objects such as skateboards, bikes, etc.). Crawling newborns, running children, and household pets are all at risk of getting nipped by them. These breeds may have both herding characteristics and a strong predation drive, making them dangerous to children and small animals. You should be conscious of your dog’s desire to hunt prey regardless of whether this trait tells anything about your dog’s ancestry.
Pointing
When a dog is standing in the typical pointing position, it’s clear that he’s descended from a hunting breed. Sniffing out birds, the dog will freeze before “pointing” towards the prey. Dogs with a “soft mouth” are able to recover prey without mauling it, whereas those with “hard mouths” (terriers and ratters) may violently shake prey (rats) in their mouth and immediately kill it.
Water Dogs
When it comes to a dog’s love of water, it’s typically rather obvious (or does well in water, for that matter). It’s no secret that Newfoundlands like water; it’s nearly impossible to keep them away from it. Some breeds (usually the boxier, heavier, and more muscular ones) cannot compete with the naturals, despite their best attempts. Their greatest assets are found elsewhere. This should serve as a hint.
There is no such thing as a pit bull breed; pit bulls are just a particular kind of dog.
Don’t be concerned if your dog refuses to obey you; this is very normal. Here you can have your dog mentally taught.
FAQs
What are low riders?
Intentional breeding for a condition such as Chondrodysplasia in breeds like Basset Hounds, Dachshunds, and Corgis. In the world of veterinary medicine, these breeds are known as “low-riders.” Their physique characteristics, which include short legs, long bodies, and even bowed legs, provide them an advantage on the field.
