# Rescue dogs breed???



## Lisa08 (12 mo ago)

My son and his partner recently adopted this adorable rescue dog and we would love to know what breed or cross breed he is...any ideas????


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## Toedtoes (Sep 25, 2021)

Some things about mixed breeds:

1. Outside of "designer dogs", most mixes have at least three breeds in them. Often more.

2. Not every breed in the mix will present itself physically. So while the dog may not look at all like a poodle, he may have poodle in his makeup. Same for temperament and behavior. The smaller the amount of a breed, the less likely you'll "see" it in the dog.

3. When breeds mix, they do weird things. The physical traits from each breed may combine to create something different. A large dog may have small dog dna - he just got his size from a large breed in the mix, or visa versa. A dog may get her body shape from a lab and her legs from a bassett. Or a dog may get her ears from a beagle and her muzzle shape from a pug and her tail from an akita.

With all that, the most accurate way of determining the breeds is to do a dna test. Embark and Wisdom Panel are good but more expensive. For dogs here in North America, a less expensive test is dnamydog. It doesn't test for breeds that are rare in North America and they don't do health testing, so the cost is lower. They also don't test for "pit bull" as it is not really a breed in itself. They do test for staffordshire, etc. that have been used to create "pit bulls". I've used them on my past three dogs and have been very satisfied with the results.


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## DaySleepers (Apr 9, 2011)

American Pit Bull Terriers are absolutely a breed, despite not being recognized by the AKC. The American Staffordshire Terrier (which is recognized) actually split off from them, if I recall correctly. Though I do think that the Staffordshire Bull Terrier (which is different than the Amstaff) either originated from the same ancestors or was part of the foundation for both breeds - I'm not sure which off the top of my head.

Granted, a lot of people use 'pit bull' to describe any smooth-coated, blocky-headed, muscular dog of any breed and mix, which is definitely inaccurate and misleading. But that doesn't mean that there isn't American Pit Bull Terrier in a lot of mixed breed shelter dogs in the US.

Mixed breed puppies are hard to guess! They grow and change so much, and a lot of distinguishing breed characteristics only develop at maturity. If I had to guess for this cutie (and this is just a guess for fun, it doesn't mean anything about this specific dog's future behavior or temperament), I'd say lab, husky and/or shepherd would be my top three.


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## Toedtoes (Sep 25, 2021)

DaySleepers said:


> American Pit Bull Terriers are absolutely a breed, despite not being recognized by the AKC. The American Staffordshire Terrier (which is recognized) actually split off from them, if I recall correctly. Though I do think that the Staffordshire Bull Terrier (which is different than the Amstaff) either originated from the same ancestors or was part of the


I am just sharing the company's policy regarding testing for "pit bull" so folks can make an informed decision on whether it is the right test for them. Per their website:

*Why is pit bull not on your list?* The DNA My Dog Validated Breeds are based on breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club® (AKC). The term “pit bull” has come to describe several types of dogs, often of mixed breed, that share similar physical characteristics. There are several AKC breeds with characteristics often shared by dogs referred to as “pit bull” that are in our database, such as American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Boxer, Bulldog, Bull Terrier and Mastiff, so these breeds could be identified. Please click here for more information. DNA My Dog actively does not support dog breed specific legislation. The use of DNA results for legal purposes vary by jurisdiction.

The underlined part (my emphasis) may make this test a more or less desireable choice for any particular person for that reason, so I try to include that information when I post about it. If someone wants to test for APBT, then they can see this test is not for them. If they want to avoid that identification, then this test may be right for them.

Back to topic, I would agree that shepherd, lab and/or husky are likely candidates. I wouldn't be surprised if there were chow in there or even a small dog breed (maybe shih tzu).


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## Invisidog (Jan 13, 2022)

I would say husky, shepherd, and probably another breed or two...But I'm not saying I know! These are just guesses. He looks like a sweet pup!


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