Dog Experts- a little help

[Eeyores Butterfly]

About two years ago I adopted a wonderful dog whom I have christened Eragon. Everywhere we go people tell me what a handsome boy he is and ask me the breed. The problem is, I have absolutely no clue. he shelter told me border collie, but he doesn't look like one at all. I have had people tell me he looks like he has collie, sheltie, and chow, just to name a few! He has a very beautiful red coat with a ruff and a little white patch on his chest. There is a top layer that is a neat shade of blue. His fur thins out as he you get to his bottom area and then his tail is like a flag. When he was a puppy he had a very thick undercoat that he lost for the summer. I thought it was just a puppycoat as it did not come back for the winter, but for some reason it has shown up just in time for summer and he is fluffier than ever!

He is full grown at just under 30 lbs. He does not bark much. He loves to run. When gets in the backyard he does laps. He can jump easily, he has actually jumped the pet gate I have that is waist height to me and the first day in our new house took a flying leap off the deck (about five feet off the ground!) I've been working with him so he does not repeat this particular feat. He does seem to have herding tendencies, particularly around Matthias, my littler dog. He is normally fairly calm. He will bark at strangers and other dogs, but not often and is pretty easy to quiet. He is a little leery of strangers, but that may or may not be a breed tendency. I do suspect that he was abused so that could be the reason he is a bit shy. Here are some pics of my handsome boy. If anybody thinks they know what he is, please let me know!

 

[Aimeedyan]

Looks like a good ol' mutt to me - I have two in my house. Best dogs on the planet!

You can send off DNA and find out what he is mixed with but I decided that my dogs are such a big mix of a bunch of diff things that it wasn't worth my $50. If you're interested, you could send it off just to see.

 

[disneyfreakk]

He really just looks like an extreemly cute mutt.

 

[meliss8599]

I would definitely venture to guess he is part Australian Shepherd and park Sheltie.

 

[JR6ooo4]

It is all guessing.... My guess is collie/sheltie ~ dachsund?

Mikeeee

 

[paintnolish]

I think I can see Sheltie, but that might just be the power of suggestion. Like others, I would say he looks like a good ole' Heinz 57!

 

[kellydizfan]

I agree with the Australian Shepard, Sheltie mix.

 

[kacaju]

he is a very cute mutt, mixed breed..whatever you want to call him.
I would not worry about it. As one of the pp said, if you really need/want to know you can get DNA testing done.
I have noticed that ever since all these *designer dogs* have become all the rage that people feel that EVERY dog is some kind of *breed*.
Shelters, in their good hearted way will have a dog come in, look at a chart of dog breeds and pick what it looks mostly like and then *declare* it is a (fill in the blank)
I have a shep. mix who is 10 year old. People used to be OK with the answer..he is a shep mix. Not anymore... they want to know what else he is mixed with. When i say I don't know they then feel the need to guess.

 

[saratogadreamin09]

he's a cutie



I have to agree he's a Shephard Mix, but in the last picture he looks a little like a Chow-Chow and I see alittle Tibatian Spaniel too

 

[MichelleVW]

I would definitely venture to guess he is part Australian Shepherd and park Sheltie.

I was thinking mini Australian Shepherd.....He is a cutie though.

 

[Hercules10]

Some long-haired Daschund maybe?

When people used to ask about my shepherd mix I'd tell them she's a 100% pure-bred registered Heinz57 dog.

 

[snoopybabe]

He's a cutie!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I was going to say Aussie but I can't because of the tail. It is a traditional border "J" tail with the feathering. I have to go with Border Collie Mix.

I also have a border mix who is 40lbs. However she is mostly border collie.

Does the dog have any spots on the tongue to indicate a Chow?

 

[hedgehog2owl]

I am seeing chow, long haired dachshund and sheltie. if I had to guess, I say (standard) dachshund x sheltie

 

[MichelleVW]

I was going to say Aussie but I can't because of the tail. It is a traditional border "J" tail with the feathering. I have to go with Border Collie Mix.

I also have a border mix who is 40lbs. However she is mostly border collie.

Does the dog have any spots on the tongue to indicate a Chow?

Some Aussie's have tails like that.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Some Aussie's have tails like that.

Yes, you are correct there since Aussie's are docked here in the USA and not over in Europe.

It is very hard to tell and we go back and forth on it ourselves. Here is a good article that is trying to tell the difference.


How can I tell if I'm buying an Aussie or a Border Collie?

Aussies may appear to be Border Collies without tails to those unfamiliar with each breed. Generally, Border Collies are lighter and smaller in stature than Australian Shepherds. The most common Border Collie color is Black Bi. Border collies can be many more color combinations than Australian Shepherds. Temperament-wise, the Border collie is more flighty, a workaholic, and far more energetic. It has a different working style than the Australian Shepherd. It has been said that a good rancher has both breeds, "the Border Collie works better from distances, and the Aussie supplies the punch."

So, how do you tell the Aussie and which is the Border Collie? The lack of a tail is not an indication. There are Australian Shepherds that have not had their tails docked. The European Standard is NOT to dock tails nor crop ears on some breeds. Which one seems to be a more massive dog? In other words, which looks like it has more substance? The Aussie is usually the correct answer. If you look at the heads, Border Collies tend to have the pointed ears, and you will see a type difference.

http://home.comcast.net/~out1rider/page12.html

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Here are Gracie and Butters at our house in TX. She is herding the pool vacuum. I need to get some recent pics on here.

Here she is as a puppy.

 

[Epcot luvr]

Could be a cousin to my mutt, not joking. I'd post a picture not sure how.
I think mine is long haired daschund, with some sheltie and a dash of spaniel.
Yours is the same size as mine, the redish brown color, same tail, same ears. Mine has some freckes. Mine was abandoned in NC near Hickory.

 

[MichelleVW]

Here are Gracie and Butters at our house in TX. She is herding the pool vacuum. I need to get some recent pics on here.

SO CUTE!!

Here's my Aussi mix, her mom is a full blooded Aussi and about 40ish pounds, Kacie is about 60 pounds and mixed with who knows what...

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Thanks! I ask more out of curiosity than anything because I get that question all the time. I am also curious because sometimes knowing what breeds can be an indicator of potential health problems as well as temperament. Like I know my other dog who is a dachshund/jack russell mix would be stubborn, energetic, prone to jumping, and potentially have back problems later in life. Of course, by getting a mutt you greatly decrease the risk of health problems because you are diluting the genes.

He doesn't have spots on his tongue like several asked. I was surprised at the number of people who said possibly some dachshund. I didn't think that with dachshund in him he would be able to get so big. I have two dachshunds, one of whom is a mix and both are quite a bit shorter than Erie.