# Carolina Dog or GSD Mix?



## nifrmada (May 6, 2016)

Hi! I have a 5 month old puppy named Kona and was told that she's a GSD mix. After researching breeds and getting suggestions from others (cattle dog, malinois, basenji), I finally came across the American Rare Breed Association's breed standard for the Carolina Dog. After reading, it seemed like Kona fit the bill. Her face looks shephard-like without the dramatic eats, her body is balanced in frame/height/length, she has a coarser topline with shorter fur on the head, sides, and legs, plus she has the slightly wrinkled forehead! I was wondering if I could get people's confirmation or opinion on what she may be. Any input would be greatly appreciated!


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

Honestly, Carolina dogs are basically 'feral' dogs of an area. Ie: their background is actually a whole lot of mixes, mixed together, for generations before they became a breed. 

Your dog looks... like a whole lot of mixes in his background. When you mix dogs for long enough you ultimately end up with a medium sized, brown, short coated, prick eared dog. That's why Carolina dogs look vaguely like dingos and why street dogs everywhere are medium sized, brown, prick eared, and short coated. 

So basically just a really muttly mutt is most of what I see in your girl.


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## CrzyGIRL (Oct 12, 2015)

She is really cute! I see maybe traces of cattle dog in her. She looks a lot like our youngest cattle dog from the back. Love the ears!


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## Terriermon (Mar 19, 2016)

probably a long, long, longshot given their rarity, but part Ibizan Hound?? Huge ears and tail just like them!


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## fourdogs (Feb 3, 2014)

She's very elegant looking. Maybe a DNA test?


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## Remaru (Mar 16, 2014)

Where is your dog from? As CptJack said Carolina Dogs are feral dogs. There has been some research done trying to prove that they are the original dogs brought to the Americas. A DNA study trying to link them to other primitive pariah types. They are a more primitive dog and fairly rare (becoming more rare as people have taken most of the land they used to live on). However any time you get a multi-generational mix you can wind up with a "little brown dog" and many mixes do look pretty similar, particularly GSD and ACD mixes. Your puppy will change as she ages as well, some of those standout features may not be quite so prominent as she matures.


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## BeeKay (Jul 11, 2015)

Terriermon said:


> probably a long, long, longshot given their rarity, but part Ibizan Hound?? Huge ears and tail just like them!


You see Ibizan hound? I think the color and size of the face and body is all wrong. They're so leggy haha



nifrmada said:


> Hi! I have a 5 month old puppy named Kona and was told that she's a GSD mix. After researching breeds and getting suggestions from others (cattle dog, malinois, basenji), I finally came across the American Rare Breed Association's breed standard for the Carolina Dog. After reading, it seemed like Kona fit the bill. Her face looks shephard-like without the dramatic eats, her body is balanced in frame/height/length, she has a coarser topline with shorter fur on the head, sides, and legs, plus she has the slightly wrinkled forehead! I was wondering if I could get people's confirmation or opinion on what she may be. Any input would be greatly appreciated!
> 
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She's very cute! I definitely think you should just watch how she changes as she grows. Its so hard to tell at a young age what she could be.


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## Doriano Pezzato (8 mo ago)

nifrmada said:


> Hi! I have a 5 month old puppy named Kona and was told that she's a GSD mix. After researching breeds and getting suggestions from others (cattle dog, malinois, basenji), I finally came across the American Rare Breed Association's breed standard for the Carolina Dog. After reading, it seemed like Kona fit the bill. Her face looks shephard-like without the dramatic eats, her body is balanced in frame/height/length, she has a coarser topline with shorter fur on the head, sides, and legs, plus she has the slightly wrinkled forehead! I was wondering if I could get people's confirmation or opinion on what she may be. Any input would be greatly appreciated!
> 
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Hi, my Leo is also a carolina/german Shepard mix..


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## DaySleepers (Apr 9, 2011)

The original poster hasn't been active here since 2016, when this thread was started, so I'm closing it to further replies. Feel free to start a new thread on your pup, or join any of our current discussions!


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