# Guess the mix!



## TxRider (Apr 22, 2009)

Things were going real good with the new girl, I took her to the dog park, to work, she's already met at least 30 people and is starting to open up to people now.

She was starting to open up to dogs too and looking like she might actually go play yesterday on the second dog park trip but today wasn't good.

There was a woman there with a ridgeback and for some reason it decided it wanted a piece of her. It seriously attacked her instantly right as she came in the gate.

We got it off of her, it was about twice her size, and a minute later when she let it go it ran right to her and attacked her again.

Poor girl was scared to death, I was going to leave but the lady with the ridgeback left so I decided to stay. It wasn't good though, she stuck by me like glue getting defensive to any dog that got near. Seemed more like a protective thing going on so I made sure to pet every other dog there profusely and she got the hint and stopped reacting after a while.

She was so sketchy acting after that she would have been in another fight without close supervision, a couple of other dogs were keying in on her insecurity, but she was ok after a while.

I have seen the dog there before, someone told me it's a regular occurrence with that dog. She wasn't hurt though.

Anyway thanks for the name suggestions, the best two names I like the most are Kaya and Gypsy. I can't decide!

I tried to take pic to see if folks could guess at what she might be mixed with, but they came out too blurry on my phone..

But one does show her tail curl and stance. About 40 lbs. 3 years old, Her tail almost touches her back half the time, when it's up anyway. That's how she carries it while we're out walking or she's not worried about something.










And playing with a toy



















And a face shot.










Any guesses on what she could be mixed with? Some northern breed?


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

What mix?? She looks straight GSD to me.


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## tirluc (Aug 29, 2006)

mostly GSD but there's definitely a slap of Northern breed in there....the tail, coat and ears all say so....and also something about the shape of the head....


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

Meh... honestly just looks like a poorly bred shepherd to me but could might possibly have some nortic in there.


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

I think she's pure just poorly bred. Other than her tail, she looks all shepherd to me and tails sets are one of the first things to go when breeders aren't paying the most attention.


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## TxRider (Apr 22, 2009)

Laurelin said:


> I think she's pure just poorly bred. Other than her tail, she looks all shepherd to me and tails sets are one of the first things to go when breeders aren't paying the most attention.


Her markings are all GSD as far as I can see.

But her fur is very fine and soft around the neck and down her shoulders, very much unlike Hope's, her tail curls all the way over to her back, and something about her head and muzzle are not so shepherd.

That and she's only 1/2 the size of a GSD. About the size of a 4-5 month old GSD puppy maybe smaller, which is what everyone takes her as on sight, a young half grown pup.. She's not as large as the pics make her look.

Is there such a thing as a miniature shepherd?

But is she a Gypsy or a Kaya?

I would also add her face and marking say GSD, but her hind end the way she stands and walks, especially when she's walking away says otherwise, Hope has that smooth shepherd gait, this girl has a wiggly back end when she walks.

I've been trying to pin down her personality and character, the way she moves, paws and acts and plays, is kinda of terrier like.


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

She's a Kyrie


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## TxRider (Apr 22, 2009)

Dog_Shrink said:


> She's a Kyrie


Ohh damn, that kinda fits her too.

Now I really can't decide.. Poor girl is going think her name is little sister if I don't make my up mind soon...


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## TxRider (Apr 22, 2009)

Woohoo! This little girl is a natural fetcher. How sweet. Anything I shake and toss she rips after and runs right back.

And it took about 30 seconds to have her interested in a nylabone frisbee and fetching it with enthusiasm. And she doesn't even have a name yet..  This could lead to good things.

Something is telling me there's no way I'm going to re-home this dog. I was afraid that would happen.

Now I'll bet a dollar Hope will also start fetching frisbee out of sheer jealousy that the new dog is doing it. Hope has been a tennis ball kinda gal, but not so into fetching.

Hard to see how this little girl stayed in a shelter so long.

She's picked up sit, down and frisbee fetching (at least in the house) and she already recalls quite well without even a name. She is going to be a breeze to train up.

She's picked up the "stop" and "lets go" when walking from Hope and she's getting the sit for me to hook up her leash and the sit at the door before I'll open it routine down.

All in a week, and no accidents in the house. Nothing destroyed. No separation anxiety though she is beginning to copy Hope's total freakout whinefest when I come home.

I'm pretty darn impressed. She could top the best dog I ever had list with a couple years work maybe. She's a smart little cookie, pays real good attention and is eager to please. I scored big time.

The games these two girls are playing with all the jealousy is wearing pretty thin though. I gotta get a handle on that.


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## RaeganW (Jul 14, 2009)

I don't know my Northern breeds very well, but I kind of see Klee Kai in her face. My second guess would be poorly bred GSD, but don't they tend towards larger than smaller?

She definitely a Kaya or a Kyrie, some sort of K name.


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## TxRider (Apr 22, 2009)

I posted this and asked over on the big German shepherd forums, and some there think she is full blooded Shepherd as well, just an anomaly in size and tail etc.

Hmm..

At any rate, I have decided. Kaya is her new name!


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## azh25 (Sep 27, 2009)

Shep/sheba?


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## Darkmoon (Mar 12, 2007)

RaeganW said:


> I don't know my Northern breeds very well, but I kind of see Klee Kai in her face.


Klee Kais are very VERY small. Like Ankle high. I doubt that would be in her.


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## TxRider (Apr 22, 2009)

Here are a few more pics..


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## jinnyretr0 (Oct 13, 2009)

Love her name! She's beautiful!


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

She could have a tiny dab of husky in there. I've seen quite a few small huskies lately...around 35 lbs. 

Maybe she's just a badly bred small GSD? I've seen a few badly bred pet shop Papillons lately and they were all like 15-20lbs, short coat and a little strange looking but they had purebred papers... puppy mills get some dogs quite out of the standards of the breed.

She's gorgeous though! I would totally steal her from you if I was closer =)


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## TxRider (Apr 22, 2009)

I posted pics over on a big German Shepherd forum and some there think she's likely pure bred too, just an anomaly in size with a "gay" tail.

It's pretty interesting I must say.

Everyone who sees her just takes her for a half grown shepherd pup.

In fact they usually comment that Hope doesn't look pure, and Kaya does. 

I think more because Hope has a blanket coat pattern instead of the saddle back so associated with Shepherds that Kaya has, and her ears are both shriveled from scars and don't stand up that makes her look more houndish.

Regardless she's learned sit and down well already in her first week with me, hasn't had a single accident in the house yet, and is just adorable, she's a real keeper.

I just have to have the heartworm positive issue dealt with.


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## PappyMom (Jun 5, 2009)

I have to go with pure, just poorly bred. She's so freakin' cute though!


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## TxRider (Apr 22, 2009)

PappyMom said:


> I have to go with pure, just poorly bred. She's so freakin' cute though!


And she's just as spunky, affectionate and attentive as she is cute. I lucked out big time I think.


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## TxRider (Apr 22, 2009)

Mmm Bad news today, Kaya has pretty bad heartworms, worse than I had hoped for.

The vet wants to give her some time to get acclimated to her new environment and calmer, and then do an overnight treatment, then another later for two nights...

I also got a good weight on her though, 48lbs. So she's a little closer to GSD standards than I thought. That would put her right on the very low end of the standard for a female.

Hope at 70 lbs, is right on the top end of the standard for a female.

The vet seems to think she may not be a mix as well.


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## Thracian (Dec 24, 2008)

I'm sorry the heartworms are so bad.  I hope the treatment goes smoothly. Keep us posted.


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## TxRider (Apr 22, 2009)

Thracian said:


> I'm sorry the heartworms are so bad.  I hope the treatment goes smoothly. Keep us posted.


Thanks, I will update, but it will be a few weeks.

I had a dog as a kid that had them bad, they used arsenic then I believe. She lived to ripe old age but the treatment definately took a big toll on her.

My vet says since then they have isolated the single compound found in arsenic that kills the worms, and it is much less damaging to the dog.

She's been on a heartworm preventative, and I gave her one today, he says that will actually make it easier.

She'll just have to kept from any strenuous activity for a month or two.


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## Locke (Nov 3, 2008)

She looks a bit Malinois-ish to me.


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

Awww Tx I was hoping you would have gone with Kyrie... it sounds sooo cool when you call it Ky-rieeeee... but congrats all the same. Why wouldn't your vet maybe recommend a half a year using ivermectin to lighten her load then try a more invasive treatment. If she's that bad I would think going directly to a high kill method would really be harmful. 

Ya might want to run it past him In some high load cses they'll even try a lower dose of ivermec every 15 days at least then you don't have the 3 weeks of inactivity to worry about. 

PS welcome to the failed fosters club... I'm also a member... my toy fox and my boxer/bulldog are both failed fosters. Now lets see if the cocker foster makes it to a new home


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## TxRider (Apr 22, 2009)

Dog_Shrink said:


> Awww Tx I was hoping you would have gone with Kyrie... it sounds sooo cool when you call it Ky-rieeeee... but congrats all the same. Why wouldn't your vet maybe recommend a half a year using ivermectin to lighten her load then try a more invasive treatment. If she's that bad I would think going directly to a high kill method would really be harmful.
> 
> Ya might want to run it past him In some high load cses they'll even try a lower dose of ivermec every 15 days at least then you don't have the 3 weeks of inactivity to worry about.
> 
> PS welcome to the failed fosters club... I'm also a member... my toy fox and my boxer/bulldog are both failed fosters. Now lets see if the cocker foster makes it to a new home


I don't get the impression he thinks it's severe, just not ligth case as I had hoped.

The rescue said she was a a year old so I was hoping it would be lighter.

I don't think it's severe like my dog decades ago had, with her heart enlarged and all.

I believe she's been on Iverheart or something for the better part of a year, but I don't know what's in that. At least it was prescribed for her in her records, but with cash running out at the rescue, and going bankrupt several months later, who knows if she actually received it.

One of my neighbors shared last night that she recently had her 8 year old golden treated, and he swelled up badly and almost died, I didn't need to hear that.


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

It still might be worth talking to your vet about just incase Tx. It never hurts to lighten the load before going with a more invasive heartworm treatment. Ivermec doesn"t kill adult heartworms but kills all the microfloria. There was a good link with another post that I'm watching... I'll have to get it for ya.


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## TxRider (Apr 22, 2009)

Dog_Shrink said:


> It still might be worth talking to your vet about just incase Tx. It never hurts to lighten the load before going with a more invasive heartworm treatment. Ivermec doesn"t kill adult heartworms but kills all the microfloria. There was a good link with another post that I'm watching... I'll have to get it for ya.


I've been reading up a lot.

The stuff he gave her was ivermectin based, as was the stuff on the shelter records.

Seems ivermectin kills one stage of pre adult worms and seem to shorten lifespans of adult worms. It's out of the dogs system in about 72 hours from ingestion.

I have seen just ivermectin recommended only for light cases, class 1 out 4 classes, with the stipulation that the adults will die off over the following 1-2 years. But it leaves the dog vulnerable to embolism etc. for the whole 1-2 years if the dog is active.

The immiticide is much the same, but the danger of embolism passes in 4-6 weeks, and is much higher as are other risk of other serious side effects.

I'm doubting she is a light enough case that ivermectin alone would be a good idea. I will ask though.

Right now I think all I can do is hope the immiticide side effects aren't too bad for her, only 5% death rate, and it doesn't leave any permanent muscle damage at the injection site and implore the vet to be careful with the dosage and injection.

Keeping her quiet will be my problem, I plan to just close her off in my bedroom away from Hope while I'm at work, but the thought of getting her a crate is also in my mind. I'm not sure how she will react to either one though. Her and Hope have become a lot closer now, and are roughhousing around a bit.

She has been sleeping on the foot of the bed all night since I got her, while Hope prefers the floor or a sofa in the other room so overnight won't be an issue.


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## baorb (Mar 14, 2009)

Might be a little husky because of the size.

I highly doubt it's not mix with klee kai, since they are pretty rare to come by. 
They also a lot smaller. The husky is around 50 pounds, and the klee kai around 13.


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