# My mixed breed brindle puppy is still a mystery!



## 10jester10 (Sep 7, 2017)

Her name is Luna, I rescued her a little over a month ago. She came from somewhere down in Tennessee, but I live up North. Posted a few pictures a while back but didn't get many responses. Any guesses? Probably part terrier, definitely part hound. Something else too, the vet seems pretty set on Dutch Shepherd (HH) but nobody knows for sure! I wanted to get her DNA tested but no tests seem to detect dutchie, any suggestions?

She's incredible  She is about 16 weeks now.


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

The last I heard, DNA tests weren't calibrated for Plott hounds, either. But a dog from the south, with that brindle coat, could very well have some Plott. The build and coat look like a Plott, but those ears are pointed the wrong way for a Plott.


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

What kind of voice does Luna have? Depending on how you feel about Plotts, or hounds in general, a Plott sounds like she's being tortured. (Think high-pitched howl.)


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## 10jester10 (Sep 7, 2017)

RonE said:


> What kind of voice does Luna have? Depending on how you feel about Plotts, or hounds in general, a Plott sounds like she's being tortured. (Think high-pitched howl.)


I thought Plott Hound, too! Especially because she came from the South and definitely has hound in her (sniffs, digs, climbs, tracks, you name it) but she is quite small. The vet said she will only be about 30-40lbs, and her paws are small as well. Deftinitely has a high pitched bark (much louder than you would expect) and only 'howls' when she is very upset, otherwise it's an agressive bark type thing. Someone suggested Treeing Tenessee Brindle or maybe Cur? But she doesn't really look like any of these to me. She is super energetic and very, very loyal and intelligent. Many people said pit (I'm not sure her head is blockish enough though?) and then dutchie. Wisdom Panel tests for Plotts now! Which is great, but they were the only one I could find, so I believe the addition is rather new.

Many people told me that both the Dutch Shepherd and Plott Hound communities are pretty tight and it is "very unlikely" I ended up with a rescue mixed with either. I don't know anything about this though, this is my first dog...learning all of this as I go! She also jumps like a kangaroo!! I mean she can jump five feet, easy. No clue where that came from either!


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## LeoRose (Aug 20, 2015)

Pittie X Rat Terrier or Fiest?


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## 10jester10 (Sep 7, 2017)

LeoRose said:


> Pittie X Rat Terrier or Fiest?


Thats possible, would be the first I heard it! Well not the pittie, I'm almost sure she's got that. But even if the brindle came from the pittie, she definitely has hound in her. These pictures aren't great (I'm trying to upload more) but you can really see it in her face and the way she acts when sniffing, digging, tracking, climbing, etc.

She also has all four totally webbed paws...


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## LeoRose (Aug 20, 2015)

Try using a photo hosting site like Flickr. Upload to there, then copy and paste the codes in your post here. 

I'm not really seeing anything that screams "hound" to me. Ratties and Fiests are intense hunting dogs, though.


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## 10jester10 (Sep 7, 2017)

LeoRose said:


> Try using a photo hosting site like Flickr. Upload to there, then copy and paste the codes in your post here.
> 
> I'm not really seeing anything that screams "hound" to me. Ratties and Fiests are intense hunting dogs, though.







































I was able to use photobucket, so here are a few recent pictures of her!


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## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

She's very cute!!!
As a Dutch shepherd owner, I will wager that your dog very, very, very likely not a Dutch shepherd. The reasons being they are a pretty rare breed and breeders guard their lines pretty closely. This is the official Dutch shepherd rescue page for the ENTIRE COUNTRY: www.dutchshepherdrescue.org/ The DS community is small and breeders are often help with the rescue group.

There is currently one dog available. I am not saying Dutchies and mixes never end up in shelters. I'm not saying there isn't a Dutchie/X in some shelter somewhere in this country right now. But again, the chances are very slim. Unless your vet has direct experience with the breed, I wager they are making the guess based on the brindle color, the (adorable!!) ears, and perhaps the puppy energy. But vets, much like shelter staff, are often not trained to identify breeds. Research has shown that shelter staff are over 50% wrong. I'm not sure if a similar study has been done with vets. 

Also, plenty of other breeds can contribute to the ear set, size, and the brindle color, especially if the pup came from Tennessee. I think pit X or feist X would be more believable.

That's my two cents.

ETA: I'm not saying she is a pittie either. But addressing your "blockiness" comment, puppies don't often have the same structures that their adult counterparts have. Pit pups can look quite scrawny sometimes and they can keep filling out and build muscle on their heads and bodies into their adult years.


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## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

And just in case you're interested, here's my Dutch.

~6 weeks









8.5 weeks









14 weeks









8 months


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## 10jester10 (Sep 7, 2017)

Wow! Those pictures are beautiful! I don't know what (if any) experience my vet has with Dutchies, she was recommended to me by a friend who has white German Shepherds, not that this means anything. I could see how people could infer Rat Terrier and Feist from the pictures, but she really doesn't look like either of those to me. People have also said Whippet or Basenji, but I just am not seeing it. Not saying she is a Dutchie either, but to be honest I don't have a trained eye! The shelter said she is probable Plott/Dutchie/Pitbull or some sort of mix with similar breeds, like a Treeing Tennessee Brindle or Cur. The possibilities are endless I guess! I'm going to be getting a DNA test done but I'm waiting to see what she grows into first, the guessing is always fun!

She has very strange traits, too. Climbs trees, jumps 5 feet EASILY, four totally webbed paws, and loads of white markings. She is fiercely loyal and protective, and extremely intelligent!


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

The webbed toes could be Plott. At one time , the Plott community WAS tight. If your name wasn't Plott, you weren't going to own one. Today, though it's a pretty common breed in the south. In Wisconsin, where people hunt bears, Plotts - and Plott mixes (like my Esther) are not rare.


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## 10jester10 (Sep 7, 2017)

That's very interesting, I wouldn't have known they were common...I'm new to all of this. I sent Wisdom Panel an email earlier today about not recognizing Dutch Shepherd, and this what I got back in case you were interested:

"Dear Jesse,

Thank you for contacting Wisdom Health, we have received your inquiry and are happy to help! Our science team is actively working to validate a genetic signature for the Dutch Shepherd, and it should be ready very soon. It is possible the Dutch Shepherd signature will be available within the next two weeks! As soon as the signature has been added we’ll update the “Breeds Detected list on our website, or you can give us a call to confirm. If there is anything else we can assist with, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or call 888-K9 PET TEST (1-888-597-3883).

Best regards,

Hanna
Wisdom Health"

So I guess they are adding it to their list, and I called and confirmed they test for and recognize Plott, and they do. She's quite a mystery. Thanks for all the great insight!


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## 10jester10 (Sep 7, 2017)

Also: The shelter said she came from this place (kennel, mill, I'm not totally sure) where they are trying to breed "the perfect hunting dog" and when they get rejects (awful) they either send them to a kill shelter or set them free as strays. She was from that kill shelter, although they didn't give me the name of it but it seems they go down there regularly and bring dogs/puppies back up North (I live in New York). Horrible.


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## LeoRose (Aug 20, 2015)

Not all pitties are the bulky, blocky, bully type. My Lily is an ADBA type pit, and is a whopping 19" tall and 36 pounds. 

2017-1-25 Lily & Leo DSC_0480 by Rosemary Elwell, on Flickr

For a size comparison, Leo, my GSD bitch, is 25" tall and weighs 64 pounds. 
2016-10-10 Leo & Lily DSC_0169 by Rosemary Elwell, on Flickr


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## Lillith (Feb 16, 2016)

I would recon that is a Hound/terrier/shepherd/heinz 57 mix.


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## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

If they were trying to breed the "perfect" hunting dog, she probably has lots of different breeds and crosses in her. Plotts are quite numerous in our are as they are used for bear and cougar hunting preferring them over some of the other hounds as they are smaller and lighter built.


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## Spicy1_VV (Jun 1, 2007)

Pit Bull mix is possible but your probably right about hound too. Very cute pup, I'm very fond of brindle.


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

There is a guy, not real far from here, that's trying to build a better bear-hunting dog by crossing Plotts and rottweilers. It's likely that my Esther is a product of this experiment. I can't testify whether she is even a good bear dog, since I have no interest in hunting bear. 

It's ironic, too, since the Plott family in North Carolina spent a few dozen generations building the perfect bear and boar dog. It's unlikely that some guy in Wisconsin is going to improve on that, but the urge to dabble is primal.


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## Sydneyrocky (Jul 16, 2017)

Could it be a X somewhere with a Carolina Dog?


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Sooooo many breeds can be or carry brindle - tons of hounds, working, toy breeds, bulldogs (in all senses of that word), some herders can carry it, even labradors. And ee dogs like golden retrievers can "hide" brindle and have it pop up in mixes. 

There is also a lot of interbreeding among some lines of malinois and Dutch, so dog who was visually a Dutch based on brindling could test as a mal on a DNA test. 

And down south there are all sorts of mixes of mixes... curs, bulldog breeds, hounds, etc. My guess is your dog is a mix of a mix of a mix.


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## 10jester10 (Sep 7, 2017)

I got my DNA test results back!! 

According to Wisdom Panel, Luna (pictured above in the thread) is 50% purebred American Staff Terrier and 50% purebred Australian Cattle Dog mix. Very exciting mix!


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## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

What a great combination! I'm so glad you have her and are loving her


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## russhw (Feb 5, 2017)

cool looking dog


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## Spicy1_VV (Jun 1, 2007)

LeoRose said:


> Not all pitties are the bulky, blocky, bully type. My Lily is an ADBA type pit, and is a whopping 19" tall and 36 pounds.
> 
> 2017-1-25 Lily & Leo DSC_0480 by Rosemary Elwell, on Flickr
> 
> ...


Your Pit is beautiful!



10jester10 said:


> I got my DNA test results back!!
> 
> According to Wisdom Panel, Luna (pictured above in the thread) is 50% purebred American Staff Terrier and 50% purebred Australian Cattle Dog mix. Very exciting mix!


That's awesome.


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