# Confused on her breed



## Firestorm (Feb 21, 2010)

Alright, I have this dog who has confused me for years. I first got her as a young pup, sadly when she was really too young to be taken from her mother, IE: No teeth, ears closed, eyes a vivid dark blue color. Her fur was pretty dark and blended coloring. Also, strangely, her paw pads were black unlike the usual pink. 

I was able to take her, since the guy mentioned about the dog pound, and back then having a distrust of dog pounds, (Specifically in that area where I once lived), I took her home. I already had experience with puppies before, including newborn puppies, and at that time I had an older dog at home. She was bottle fed every two hours with... Similac. Which oddly enough worked.

Well, she grew, and her coat colors lightened and her eyes turned a light brown color. Now, another strange thing (to me at least) was that she did not come into heat until she was eleven months old, and that was in January. After that, it was a heat once a year, except for one time only when she was about two years old. After that, it was back to once a year.

Between December through March she is extremely grumpy, snarling, snapping, growling, tends to sleep more often. Also, during the winter months,her back and sides becomes a much lighter color, and is blended in with grays, white, and black hairs. During the summer, it looks almost solid black. I've not seen too many breeds like this, but I'm wondering if anyone would know about this as well. So far, I haven't found anything online, or anyone who's had a dog like this.

There have been people who have mistaken her for a red wolf mix (Impossible), or a coyote mix (Doesn't look like one to me).

Unfortunately, I have no photographs from her puppy age to prove the black paw pads as back then my camera was stolen, and the film included.

However, these are some pictures of Keisha from about seven months old to recent.

If anyone can identify or guess her breed, that would be great.

http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/179/keishaalert.jpg

http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/4604/depressedkeisha.jpg

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/8815/pics2h.jpg

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/9880/keishawithmypillow.jpg

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/9922/keishasit.jpg

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/8284/keishatuckinghernosein.jpg

http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/3074/keishachewing.jpg

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/7431/myshoesbyfirestorm09.jpg

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/5103/mybackpackisapillow.jpg

http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/9080/keishalookingmeancing.jpg

~

Just for fun:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v339/Firestorm0179/Keisharobe1.jpg


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## zimandtakandgrrandmimi (May 8, 2008)

definatly German Shepherd. possibly mixed with something spitzy...


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## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

German shepherd, siberian husky mix


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## trumpetjock (Dec 14, 2007)

zimandtakandgrrandmimi said:


> definatly German Shepherd. possibly mixed with something spitzy...


I concur.






Ten characters...


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## nekomi (May 21, 2008)

Definitely Shepherd, but I don't see any Husky there... to me, she looks VERY pariah-like... like a Carolina Dog or Canaan Dog mix. 

I don't know what to tell you about her heat cycles or seasonal aggression... apart from wolfdogs, I don't know if any of the very primitive breeds go into heat once a year, or demonstrate winter aggression. The two do definitely go hand-in-hand.

Not a coyote or wolf mix - the body structure, skull shape, ear set, eyes, angle of back, etc. is all wrong. I looked VERY hard for any evidence of wild canine in her because her heat cycle and aggression IS very unusual. But what I see is all dog - small feet, sickle tail, squarish jaw and skull, wide-set very large, thin ears, and a tight smooth-looking coat. 

I would be looking into the pariah breeds. Her facial structure reminds me VERY much of the Carolina Dog:




























Also, according to the page I just read:



> Carolina Dog
> This breed is also known as the “American Dingo”, and has been genetically linked with such primitive dog breeds such as the Australian Dingo and New Guinea Singing Dog. They are an amazingly versatile breed. Unlike other domestic dogs, who have an estrus cycle twice a year, Carolina dogs have a single estrus cycle during the year like other wild dogs. . It is a pariah dog of the American Southeast, and I can remember seeing these “yellar dawgs” running through the woods of Lexington County during my teenage years in South Carolina.


http://listverse.com/2007/11/20/top-10-rare-dog-breeds/


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## Firestorm (Feb 21, 2010)

Thank you for your replies, everyone. I can tell there is German Shepherd in there. I almost once confused her for a Czechoslovakian wolfdog until I looked at thirty photos of different ones. 

I should also mention something else about her fur. There is a period of time just between the end of winter and spring where her fur will start to get thicker. Oddly enough, from April to August her fur is extremely thick (though in some of the photos it doesn't look like it). By about August, she will start to molt in clumps. I often find myself picking up clumps of fur everywhere, even in the weirdest places. Also it's very very coarse unless I give her a bath, then it becomes fluffy upon drying. While it's damp, it sticks out in all directions making her look.. well like a drown rat for a lack of a better phrase. 

I must say though that the first photo in Nekomi's reply looks almost identical to her except for the color.

I am now curious even more, particularly as to if any of these breeds stand with their hind legs close together. I've caught Keisha in this positions several times, her front feet apart, her back feet close together. Sadly, I wasn't able to get any pics of when she actually does it. I am also curious if any of the pups of those breeds are born with black pads on their feet.

Also, she hardly barks unless she is excited or she hears something. Most of the time she is pretty quiet, but makes grunting noises, whimpers, and sighs (The last one cracks me up a little). She used to howl quite a lot until Shadow (who helped me raise her) passed away nearly two years ago. Now she hasn't howled except for maybe once this year. (I'm guessing she misses him still). She won't even howl with Shadow Jr who I got as a gift shortly after Shadow's death. 

I may have a DNA test done on her to find out for certain what she was. The guy who I got her off (for free I should add) told me she was a Labrador/German Shepherd/Husky mix.. But I don't see Labrador in there, and I've had Labs, even a Lab mix like now. 

Not sure if I see Spitz in there either, but it's very possible.

I feel like I have a unique dog compared to the other dogs I've owned. I think a DNA test will help though. Just as soon as I can afford it.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

I was actually going to say I see a bit of Lab in her. I had a very light yellow Lab that had a very similar face. Of course her ears stand up like a Husky or a GSD but her face does look like my Lab's. Let me see if I can find a pic.....

I would say that GSD/Lab/Husky is very believable.

Ah, here's a pic. Doesn't show her face as well as I'd like but it's all I have in my photobucket album right now, LOL.









ETA: a Husky is a Spitz breed  .


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## ioreks_mom (Oct 1, 2008)

She is very pretty. 

I have a GSD/Husky/??Lab cross now. He is 7 months old. I brought him home at 5 1/2 weeks (I know I know, but they didn't want him anymore!) and his toes were black then. I don't remember what colour they were when we first met him at 2 days old. 

Here is a picture of Brom's toes at 5 1/2 weeks










Here is a picture of Brom in case you would like to know what he looks like. He is supposed to be 3/4 GSD and 1/4 Husky but we are suspecting something else in there because his fur is not really GSD or Husky fur, more like lab fur.


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## Firestorm (Feb 21, 2010)

I met the supposed mother of Keisha, a yellow Labrador, but I honestly couldn't believe she was the mother. Reason why, was there were several other puppies, most of them black, and one dark brown one that resembled Keisha. The black puppies all had the teeth of eight week old pups, their eyes were open and were brown, and their ears were open. They were lively and quite active.

Keisha and the other resembling pup, a male, were the only two who were not playing, and both had no teeth, blue eyes, and their ears were closed.

That's the very reason I can't believe that Labrador was her mother, though I believe she was the mother of the black pups. 

Ioreks, that's exactly how Keisha's paw pads looked. We estimated her age to about two weeks old, perhaps less since her ears were closed at the time. The only difference is, which I forgot to mention was that Keisha's nails were also black, except one nail which is white. At least to me it looks white.

She also has a humorous play position when she isn't being a grumpy pants. When she plays, she does her little bow as any playful dog would, but then she'll stay low to the ground, dodge from different angles, and then she will spin in a circle one way, pause, growl bark at me, then spin the opposite way before taking off. 

She is, or was at one time very fast. I once owned a registered greyhound some years ago, and she was clocked at 35 mph. Keisha clocked at close to 40 mph. Except now that she is older, she's slowed down. But she still likes to do her spin thing, and walk with her toes spread out to the sides.

Also, I must say there are beautiful dogs on here. The lab is gorgeous. And Brom reminds me of a dog my dad once had. Roscoe. Roscoe was a German Shepherd, Husky mix I believe. 

Keisha doesn't like socializing with other dogs for some reason either. She took to Shadow right away because she was very young when I brought her home, and he was at that time six years old. 

It took her a couple of weeks to get used to Shadow Jr, and when she finally played with him, she 'dominated' him by knocking him on his back and standing over him.

Come to think of it, she does this with a lot of dogs she comes across. Knocks them onto their backs and stands over them with a growl. Then again, I think my sister's Husky did this too. Could be a Shepherd or Husky trait I'm guessing?

Bah, sorry for all the questions and such. It's just making me really wonder as her behavior is so different from the dogs I've raised and been around.


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## zimandtakandgrrandmimi (May 8, 2008)

as to why its different...it happens just like it happens with people. i have a dog who has some seriously unusual behavior characteristics. but unless they cause problems(like my dog's) i wouldnt worry about it


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## Firestorm (Feb 21, 2010)

That's the thing. I wouldn't be this concerned if it wasn't causing problems. She growls and snaps at Shadow Jr, she growls and snaps at people.. And worse yet, she bypassed our fence and attacked the neighbor's dog. (Both turned out fine, all she did really was knock him on his back and stood over him with her fangs bared. Thankfully, the neighbor was cool about it. Now I have to take her out on a leash when before she was perfectly content staying in her territory. The last thing I need is for

At least this only happens during the winter time. She'll start calming down between May and April. Seems a long way off though. Oh well, I'll deal somehow.


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## SelenaDrake (May 20, 2011)

I have a Carolina Dog and although she shares similar characteristics I believe she is a German Shepherd mix. This is a picture of my dog Casper. One thing that Carolinas do that is unique is what I call a "meerkat stand" where they stand on their hind legs for extended periods of time. I've seen Casper do it for 20 minutes just watching birds. Females also come into heat twice a year but a couple times in a row. That is to ensure that they will become pregnant. They are also VERY clean. I've have not had to give my dog a bath in a year as dirt and mud just seems to slide off him.


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## Firestorm (Feb 21, 2010)

Yeah, I don't think she has Carolina dog in her because she doesn't stand up on her hind legs.. I know she mostly has German Shepherd and some type of Husky...but there's something else there... She, walks with her head lowered... Not to sniff anything out, but just walking. She mostly single tracks when she walks. When she stands, her hind legs are generally close together, giving her an awkward appearance. Her paws, not always, but sometimes will turn outwards. Despite not showing up very well in photos, she has very thick fur around her neck and in her ears. Her rump is narrow compared to the rest of her. 

Then again, I've noticed that some people have claimed their dogs do these things too. But I am not worried about it.


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## luvntzus (Mar 16, 2007)

Wait, did I read wrong or did you say that you know for sure the mom was a Lab? In which case I'd say Lab/Shepherd.


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## marsha=whitie (Dec 29, 2008)

Her mother could very well be that lab you were told was her mother.

Example.
This: (my dog Callie)








Came out of a dog VERY similar to this one:








And this was one of Callie's siblings:


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