# What breed is she?



## Kelsey2009 (Oct 1, 2020)

We got this dog from a family member who said she is a golden retriever. As she grew it was clear she was not. We thought great pyrenees at first but now I am not sure. She does not have double dewclaws and her fur is getting more and more curly. This is the most recent photo I have of her. Since this picture, her fur has developed even more curls. She is almost 5 months old and huge.


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## LeoRose (Aug 20, 2015)

Pretty pup. 

Without seeing more than just a headshot though, it's hard to tell. She could be an over-sized, very pale, Golden. I've seen some that I thought were Pyrs. 

And "huge" can be relative... when I went to the shelter to look at a Doberman described as "a BIG boy", I was surprised that he was so much smaller than I was expecting.


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## Kelsey2009 (Oct 1, 2020)

LeoRose said:


> Pretty pup.
> 
> Without seeing more than just a headshot though, it's hard to tell. She could be an over-sized, very pale, Golden. I've seen some that I thought were Pyrs.
> 
> And "huge" can be relative... when I went to the shelter to look at a Doberman described as "a BIG boy", I was surprised that he was so much smaller than I was expecting.


I'll get some more photos later and post them. She was about 35 pounds at 3 months old. I will weigh her again when I get home but she has grown a lot since then. I used to have a great dane and I had a Rottweiler/bloodhound mix so big to me is big.


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## lad20050620 (Jul 15, 2020)

I have a Golden Retriever male. My grandparents have two Great Pyrenees. She looks a lot like a Great Pyrenees rather than a Golden Retriever to me. But as LeoRose said I would need to see some different pictures other than a side view headshot. How tall is she from foot to shoulder? Golden females are typically 20 to 22 inches {51-56 cm} from their feet to the top of their shoulder blades. Great Pyrenees females are typically 26 to 29 inches {65-74 cm} from their feet to the top of their shoulder blade. She could be a Golden Retriever/Great Pyrenees mix. but more pictures could help!! You have a beautiful pup by the way!!!!!


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## Kelsey2009 (Oct 1, 2020)

lad20050620 said:


> I have a Golden Retriever male. My grandparents have two Great Pyrenees. She looks a lot like a Great Pyrenees rather than a Golden Retriever to me. But as LeoRose said I would need to see some different pictures other than a side view headshot. How tall is she from foot to shoulder? Golden females are typically 20 to 22 inches {51-56 cm} from their feet to the top of their shoulder blades. Great Pyrenees females are typically 26 to 29 inches {65-74 cm} from their feet to the top of their shoulder blade. She could be a Golden Retriever/Great Pyrenees mix. but more pictures could help!! You have a beautiful pup by the way!!!!!


She is 21 in at the shoulder right now at almost 5 months and she is roundabout 40 pounds.


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## lad20050620 (Jul 15, 2020)

Ok Great Pyrenees are typically 20 or so inches as a female at around 5 or 6 months. Does her tail curl over her back or anything? Any of her features different? Golden Retriever females typically get to 20 or so inches once they are a year or so. Since she is 21 inches she is sounding like a Great Pyrenees or Great Pyrenees mix. Any features like the tail or anything different will help identify maybe.


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## Kelsey2009 (Oct 1, 2020)

This is the best I could get of her body shape. Her tail curls all the way over in a loop


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## lad20050620 (Jul 15, 2020)

Does it curl over into her back?


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## Kelsey2009 (Oct 1, 2020)

lad20050620 said:


> Does it curl over into her back?


Not like laying on her back like a samoyed. But the loop does touch her back some.


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## lad20050620 (Jul 15, 2020)

Sorry lol I have another question. Do her ears fall over or are they pointy? I am thinking she might be a Great Pyrenees/Shiba Inu mix, Great Pyrenees/Samoyed mix maybe, Great Pyrenees/American Eskimo Dog is the one I am leaning to the most though.


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## Kelsey2009 (Oct 1, 2020)

lad20050620 said:


> Sorry lol I have another question. Do her ears fall over or are they pointy? I am thinking she might be a Great Pyrenees/Shiba Inu mix, Great Pyrenees/Samoyed mix maybe, Great Pyrenees/American Eskimo Dog is the one I am leaning to the most though.


Questions are helpful! Her ears are always floppy and kind of triangle shaped like the first picture.


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## lad20050620 (Jul 15, 2020)

Ok. I am thinking she might be a Great Pyrenees/American Eskimo Dog mix from her wavy fur and facial features as well as her tail curling up. I could be wrong though. If you want to know for sure you could ask your vet for an ancestorial DNA test on her and it should tell you exactly what she has in her. I tell you what, you look up the Great Pyrenees and American Eskimo Dog and tell me her similarities and differences to both. If you don't have time let me know and I will be glad to do it for you.


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## Kelsey2009 (Oct 1, 2020)

lad20050620 said:


> Ok. I am thinking she might be a Great Pyrenees/American Eskimo Dog mix from her wavy fur and facial features as well as her tail curling up. I could be wrong though. If you want to know for sure you could ask your vet for an ancestorial DNA test on her and it should tell you exactly what she has in her. I tell you what, you look up the Great Pyrenees and American Eskimo Dog and tell me her similarities and differences to both. If you don't have time let me know and I will be glad to do it for you.


I will thank you! We are going to get a DNA test done sometime soon. If we do I will post the results here!


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## lad20050620 (Jul 15, 2020)

You are welcome. I wish you luck!!!


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## LeoRose (Aug 20, 2015)

Other than her coloring, I don't see anything that would lead me to thing she has any Shiba, Sammy, Eskie, or any other spitz bred in her. Carrying her tail high and curled over her back at times could just be a gay tail. My GSD's is pretty spectacular. 

2016-8-11 Leo &amp; Lily DSC_0091 by Rosemary Elwell, on Flickr

2019-11-2 Dogs in Yard DSC_0442 by Rosemary Elwell, on Flickr


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## lad20050620 (Jul 15, 2020)

@LeoRose Very True but the OP's dog's facial features remind me of an Eskie. This is just my opinion though, I am not an expert. What were you thinking she was? I could also just see her being a Great Pyrenees as well.


OMG IT JUST HIT ME!!! She could be a Great Pyrenees/ Wavy Coated Retriever mix. She has the body style and coat. What do you think LeoRose? I would say for me I think either a Great Pyrenees/ Wavy Coated Retriever mix or a Great Pyrenees/Eskie mix. Now that I am thinking about it though, I would have to lean more towards the Wavy Coated Retriever mix. What are your thoughts?
Btw your GSD is gorgeous!!


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## LeoRose (Aug 20, 2015)

Okay, Google has failed me with "Wavy Coated Retriever". I know of Flat Coated Retrievers and Curly Coated Retrievers, and even Bearded Retrievers (one of the names used by people striving to develop retriever x Poodle crosses into an actual breed), but the only reference I saw to "Wavy Coated Retrievers" was an article on the foundations of the Golden and Flat Coated breeds. 

A Pyr cross is always a possibility, or even a Kuvasz cross, although considering the rarity of Kuvasz, less likely. 

And yes, Leo is a beautiful glamor girl.


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## lad20050620 (Jul 15, 2020)

@LeoRose I meant flat-coated, and yes I think a Pyr. cross is a possibility. The OP said they were planning to do a DNA test and see what she has in her. I am interested to see if I was close or not. She a gorgeous dog either way!!


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## LeoRose (Aug 20, 2015)

Flatties aren't any larger than Goldens, and considering how uncommon they are, probably about even with Kuvaszik, I'd be skeptical of her being a Flattie cross.


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## lad20050620 (Jul 15, 2020)

True..... Well I guess we will have to wait and see lol!


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## storyist (Sep 19, 2019)

I realize different breeds mature at different rates, but my Rottie bitches all gained about 10 pounds a month until approaching maturity. Assuming a similar growth rate, that would mean a dog that's 35 pounds at 3 months would mature somewhere in the 90-pound range, which is pretty typical Pyr size from what I see on websites. I thought they were bigger - must be the hair. I'd guess quite a bit of Pyr in her, and the first pic with the profile of the head does look like a Golden's to me.

If the OP is going to have a DNA test done, she might enjoy this blog post:

Embark: Do Dog DNA Tests Really Work? | Keep the Tail Wagging

What I found interesting is Kimberly had her mixed breed dogs tested by 3 companies, and she has 2 sets of littermates. While it is possible for a bitch to be bred by more than one male during a heat and therefore produce puppies with different sires in one litter, the results from the first company seem highly unlikely. I can almost hear my mother saying, "You get what you pay for." All 3 companies gave different results. Anyway, it's all fascinating.


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## Deacon.dog (Mar 8, 2020)

just looks like a not so well bred golden to me, I see alot of those english creams going around, and alot of the "goldens" I see have that wave down the back and around where the feathering should be..








Well bred Golden.

Vs... What people are used to seeing









Vs.. Field lines
















& A "english cream"

My neighbors on both sides have goldens, one looks like the second golden pictured, the other one has curlies down her back, but otherwise looks like a typical "golden"


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## lad20050620 (Jul 15, 2020)

@Deacon.dog true. I never thought of that. My Golden has field lines. His parents were field dogs and came from a long line of field dogs. So he looks exactly like the third picture you posted. So she could very well be an ill-bred golden. My cousin has a WELL-BRED show Golden and she is gorgeous!! She and Patriot (my goldie) look alike in the face {like a golden} But their bodies are different. She has long, lighter hair, like the first picture. Patriot has dark, long fur but not as long as hers. He still has his feathering, and no curls at all his hair is straight as a board. So I have to agree with you she might be an ill-bred Golden.


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## Deacon.dog (Mar 8, 2020)

Yeah, Lol. I saw the dog and I was like... looks like a white golden to me. The curly hair is in their DNA, but not supposed to be there (not in their standard). I LOVE goldens but I don't like what the general public thinks are goldens, lol


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## lad20050620 (Jul 15, 2020)

Yes. I don't like the "public Goldens" either. I had a real debate with myself in between getting a field bred Golden or a show bred Golden. I ended up going with a field bred Golden because when I met him I completely fell in love with him. I liked the show Golden male I looked at. But... I liked the way the parents looked on the field line side better. Plus we duck, quail, and dove hunt so a field dog comes in handy. LOL.


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## Deacon.dog (Mar 8, 2020)

lol, I'd get a field just because i prefer the slim look with more drive


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## lad20050620 (Jul 15, 2020)

Yes! I couldn't describe it but that is exactly why I wanted him. LOL.


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## parus (Apr 10, 2014)

She does look a lot like a Pyr. I assume if they say she's a golden, she's out of a golden dam. Perhaps daddy was an unexpected visitor. I could easily see her being a Golden/Pyr cross.


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## lad20050620 (Jul 15, 2020)

@parus Yep. I am thinking that now too.


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## Tan (Apr 18, 2020)

Kelsey2009 said:


> We got this dog from a family member who said she is a golden retriever. As she grew it was clear she was not. We thought great pyrenees at first but now I am not sure. She does not have double dewclaws and her fur is getting more and more curly. This is the most recent photo I have of her. Since this picture, her fur has developed even more curls. She is almost 5 months old and huge.
> View attachment 263222


Hi there, possibly a Maremma?


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## lad20050620 (Jul 15, 2020)

Tan said:


> Hi there, possibly a Maremma?


Good idea! I forgot about them. Maybe she is... lol who knows!


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