# Breed mistaken identity?



## juliemule (Dec 10, 2011)

Are your dogs mistaken for other breeds often?

My malinois are very rarely identified correctly. I hear " pretty German shepherd", or " is that part shepherd" alot! 
In tractor supply the other morning, a man passes the aisle we were in,does a double take. "That a malinois! ". We talked for awhile, and I asked how he was familiar with the breed. He had worked for the secret service, which uses mals exclusively now. 

So what are your dogs ever mistaken for?


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

Pomeranians and Chihuahuas most often. I used to hear Chi the most but lately I seem to get pom more often. Shelties or toy collies is probably the third most common. Yesterday I was walking my three and was asked if they were shelties. Back when I did have both shelties and papillons people always thought the paps were the shelties' puppies.

I am finding more and more people know what they are now as opposed to almost 8 years ago when I got Beau. No one ever guessed the right breed then. But they're getting a lot more common.

Shih-tzu, pekignese, poodle mix, all sorts of wild designer dogs, cavaliers, have also been guessed. We've also been asked if they were foxes (Rose), chinchillas (I think the guy meant to say chihuahuas), and then sugar gliders.


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

Esther looks like a lab. Most people assume she's a lab but it can be a huge surprise because she doesn't ACT like a lab.


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## Spook82 (Mar 16, 2012)

I have a long stock coat GSD which seems to throw some people off at times. People often ask what type of Shepherd she is.


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## stacey101 (Sep 20, 2010)

A pug.....
....
.....
Sure he has similar markings, but come on does this look like a pug?










I normally laugh and correct them


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## Loki Love (May 23, 2010)

Loki has been called a doberman and rottweiler in the past...


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## bonesygirl (Mar 2, 2012)

My yellow lab puppy isn't often outright mistaken for other breeds, but I get asked alot what she is. Her parents are chocolate so she's got different coloration than some people are used to, I guess.


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## Vicky88 (Jan 29, 2012)

No not really, when she was a puppy i was asked by a man if she was a Rottie, then a group of people asked if she was a crossbreed, but no-one has guessed since, i do often get asked what she is though.


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## naql (Feb 18, 2012)

Nobody ever mistakes Lizzie for any other breed. Yorkies are very identifiable I guess. She has a pretty typical yorkie personality too so that may help.

With Tessa I always get asked if she is a long hair chihuahua. Not too many people I meet seem to know papillons.


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## Bordermom (Apr 28, 2010)

Storee gets called a 'golden lab' or a golden mix, she's a golden.
Ticket usually is a BMD mix because border collies are really only black and white.
Kilt, aussie or aussie mix, or long haired heeler (???). Again, border collies are really only black and white, not blue merle.


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## AConklin03 (Feb 28, 2012)

Once a solicitor came to the door and said "oh a chocolate lab!" when he saw my silver weimaraner puppy.


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## Bateman (Mar 24, 2012)

Most people say "is that a mixed breed?" when they see my black and white border collie. I mean he doesn't have the most pronounced markings but come on. I know they've seen Babe.


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## frostywolf (Jul 5, 2010)

My boy doesn't get mistaken for another breed, but I've had multiple people tell me he must be a mix because he's so big. No, he's a purebred, but just a poorly bred purebred. (He's a rescue that originally came from a pet store / puppy mill). He just bigger than the breed standard. There can be quite a size variation in JRTs anyway. Most of the JRTs I see around here are either shorties or on the small end of the standard.


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## Avie (Jul 10, 2011)

Mike is often identified as a Husky. I have trouble seeing any Husky though. 









According to a friend of the family, Charlie was a Golden Retriever. 









Really now? 
Really? 

Though it was kinda funny  

In general though, people have trouble realizing my dogs are shepherds. Apparently the white coat color makes people adamant in thinking they must be some type of arctic/sledding dog, hahaha!


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## Max and Me (Aug 19, 2011)

Two Bits was 27 inches at the shoulder and 90 lbs. when fully fit. A definate Hienz 57 but she had been called:

Blue Heeler
Dalmatian
Griffon 
African wild dog
Zebra










Mick was 29 inches at the shoulder and 135 lbs. Most likely he was a GSD/Lab mix or something similar. He was called:

Wolf
Great Dame










Max was 31 inches at the shoulder and 97 lbs. He was supposedly a GSD/Lab mix. He was called:

Great Dane
Borzoi
Pony


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## juliemule (Dec 10, 2011)

Im loving all the pictures! I thought I knew the difference in a yorkie and a silky, but i have asked about a couple that looked like silkies, and the owners became pretty offended. I just ask now, rather than saying oh a silky (or whatever breed lol).


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## HollowHeaven (Feb 5, 2012)

AConklin03 said:


> Once a solicitor came to the door and said "oh a chocolate lab!" when he saw my silver weimaraner puppy.


LOL! 
Yeahhhh, I'm kinda in hickville. So it does happen a lot.

Troubles has been called a min pin -I guess I can kinda see it. But, he's also been called a "baby doberman". Really, the only thing he and a dobe have in common are being black with tan points. 







<- Definitely a dobe. Lol

Diesel got called a Newfie once, but other than that nobody really makes guesses on his breeds. They just concentrate on how fluffy he is.







This dog loves dirt. 

Aleu, however. >_> I thought Sibes were easily recognizable. I really did. When I first brought her home, a neighbor looked RIGHT AT her CKC form, went inside, googled 'white dog long hair' and rushed back out saying 'no you're a liar, she's a spitz' (meaning Japanese Spitz, because that's what the first picture was). That whole scene was ridiculous. Aleu's also been called a white shepherd. And of course, what would a husky be without being called a wolf once in it's lifetime. Because all wolves are white with blue eyes -_-' I've actually had people try to FIGHT their dogs with her because they won't believe she's not a wolf and they're twisted. She's been shot at, chased down and harassed because of this.







Feast your eyes upon the wild beast! Lol


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## naql (Feb 18, 2012)

juliemule said:


> Im loving all the pictures! I thought I knew the difference in a yorkie and a silky, but i have asked about a couple that looked like silkies, and the owners became pretty offended. I just ask now, rather than saying oh a silky (or whatever breed lol).


That is true. I always ask if I see people with big yorkies. It can be hard to tell when the yorkie is outside the breed standards. I've also seen some small silkies to.


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

Casper's always just called a "miniature husky." I've only had two people ever know he was a klee kai. (Oh, one little kid thought he was a coyote and was afraid of him, though, haha.) Crystal's been mistaken for a chihuahua, shih tzu (really?), and border collie. Not even "miniature border collie," just border collie. Who knew they were just 9lbs?  My brother's black and white pit bull was once called a husky.


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## Gally (Jan 11, 2012)

The top three I hear the most are dachshund, chihuahua and fox (yep I have a pet fox...).

I've also occasionally heard shiba inu, husky puppy and pom/dachshund cross.

When he was a puppy one lady really thought we were taking a rabbit for a walk on a leash because she only saw him from behind and he has the little docked tail and hopped like a bunny when he ran.


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## Mizuno (Jun 9, 2010)

Deebs is a jrt mix and people usually tend to get that. She is just much too tall to be an honest to goodness jrt. People tend to look at her and say, "Oh... She's... pretty!" we used to get a lot more when she was still half puppy body before she filled out, but now that she has, people just tend to see the over exuberant dog and want to feed her treats so she will jump. I hate it. 

My new borzoi puppy is throwing people off left and right, but to give people the benefit, I had only seen bz puppies at coursing events and they were always older. The most common thing I am getting with him is, "Awwwwww, is he some type of collie mix?" I can only imagine the guesses if I had gotten one of his black and white siblings! Pictures in the appropriate forum soon!


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## Miss Bugs (Jul 4, 2011)

Misty here is the only one who really gets mistaken and its always for a Heeler. years ago I had some show folks insist that she was crossed with Heeler, that it was not possable she was pure BC(she is a purebred pedigree'd BC from a breeder/rancher) because "her ears are too big" lol. otherwise the odd person just gets a glipse of her through the fence, see's pick ears and short coat and comments on the "heeler". and one rancher who breeds BC/Heeler X's for his cattle ranch asked if she was X'ed with Heeler or pure BC..but that wasnt really mistaken identity since he obviously knew she was BC lol 

other then her, even the Toller doesnt get mistaken and Tollers are rare here(no breeders at all) but even out in the general public its always "OMG! is that one of them Duck Tollers!!" lol Gem and Gypsy are Heeler X GSD, but the GSD isnt obvious..everyone just comments on my "pretty cattle dogs"..though the docked tails throw a few people off lol


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## Tennisball (Mar 10, 2012)

My corgi gets mistaken for a very oversized dachshund. I can see that they would think that because he's long, but he doesn't have any resemblence in his face. It's after I tell them what he really is that they're like...."Oh, I see it now".


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## ChaosIsAWeim (Feb 12, 2011)

My weims get mistaken for everything.

Most common are:

Mixed breed
Pointer
German shorthaired pointer
Vizsla
Labrador
Greyhound (my fav)
Great dane

And then there is the numerous mispronunciations of the breed name. So many hilarious ones.


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## Cafall (Jan 21, 2012)

Everyone thinks my Australian Shepherd is a Border Collie. I actually don't think anyone has ever recognized her as an aussie. I don't really blame them though since she has a full tail (which isn't common around here- most are docked) and she's a black tri-colour and I've discovered that most people expect aussies to be merle (nevermind that border collies can be merle as well...).


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## Donna5503 (Mar 13, 2009)

Chubby is a Siberian Husky, but alot of people see Alaskan Malamute. They are similar. I really hate when I'm walking him and people start to shy away & ask if he's a wolf. I don't see any wolf in him at all. It scares me that people see that, because if he ever got lost, I wouldn't want people to think that, I would want them to see how sweet he is & take him in without fear.


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## Hambonez (Mar 17, 2012)

I've been asked by several people if Hamilton is a chihuahua -- and last week a handful of people asked if he was a German Shepherd or part GSD. I was like "Whaaa?" He weighs 8 lbs. (He's a doxie mix)


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## Zoopie (Feb 22, 2010)

I hear all kind of mixes and guesses, but only once has someone correctly IDed my CED. I mostly hear husky, malamute, Great Pyr, Samoyed or all of the above at the same time.


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## juliemule (Dec 10, 2011)

Is that a real igloo dog house?


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## Zoopie (Feb 22, 2010)

It was an actual people igloo, I guess. We used to make one every year to throw parties in it. You could easily stand up in this one without your hands touching the ceiling. Could easily fit 10 people.


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## luv mi pets (Feb 5, 2012)

My anatolian shepherd:
mastiff mix, great dane mix and one guy even said it looked like it had wolf in it. HuH? No wolf seen it at all. Usually the comments are she is one big big dog. 

JULIEMULE: while I was working at the shelter a k-9 officer lost his mal and told us to keep an eye out for it. When one of the AC officers came in I asked him if he found the dog. He replied no that he had a long haired greyhound on his truck. I went to go get the dog and low and behold the missing dog was the dog in the van. The long haired greyhound was the missing mal. LOL!


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## Tofu_pup (Dec 8, 2008)

Kaki has been called GSD, greyhound, pit bull, aussie, etc. Most of the people that have correctly guessed CatahoulaX have owned or do own catahoulas. I am always delighted when a catahoula owner makes a bee line to chit chat about Kaki, their dog(s), and the breed. 

As for Malinois...
A woman whose dogs I used to work with lost her six month old purebred Malinois. She put ads on craigslist, talked with an animal communicator, and put posters up EVERYWHERE. I saw the posters at my coffee shop. They said,"LOST: six month old tan GSD." I guess she thought it would be easier for the general public to identify a GSD mix. I don't think she ever found the dog though.


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## LuvMyAngels (May 24, 2009)

Buster is all Saint Bernard. Guesses have included Saint mix, Great Dane (and mix), Dalmatian and bear.


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## +two (Jul 12, 2011)

Both my Boys are mutts but I still get some funny guesses. 

The strangest one I have heard for Tyler is dingo and Rottie. The guy insisted Ty was a Rottweiler and actually argued with me for quite some time. Tyler is a brindle, built like a tank Pitt mix. He has no points, a full tale and Pittie ears. 

Most people don't know what to make of Ozzie, and just ask. I have heard mini-horse, but I sincerely hope they were trying to be funny.


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## JohnnyBandit (Sep 19, 2008)

I get Australian Shepherd often. 
GSD puppy.
What type of mix he is
Got CHatahoula the other day. Not Catahoula but Chatahoula
Pit Bull GSD mix
Alaskan Sheep Dog
Border collie
I have had people think my dogs are very old and grey. But they are blue.
Mini GSD


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## juliemule (Dec 10, 2011)

Lol a long haired greyhound! That's a new one. I really like the ones that are guessing things that aren't even dogs.

My ex husband had called me one day, and told me there was a red fox in his garage that wouldn't leave. I preached about it possibly having rabies, he said it keeps running up to him if he went out. So I come over and its a Pomeranian mix (or large pup) that had even been shaved down except its tail and face lol.

The igloo is awesome! It doesn't even snow here except a few inches a year


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## Avery (Nov 22, 2011)

Hmm. Most of the people Mumble meets don't ask anything about his breed. That being said, I've actually had several people correctly guess Papillon. However, I've also had a lot of people assume he is a Chihuahua (maybe that's why people don't ask, they assume he's Chi?) as well as few Shih Tzu guesses. Once, though, I had someone say "So he's a Japanese Chin?" I was thinking "????" because 1. Chin have drop ears and flat faces, Mumble's clearly not brachycephalic and ears that lead many people to believe he can fly; and 2. they're not that common of a breed, so for someone to know them they're probably at least a little familiar with dogs, if they know the breed surely they know what they look like?

Our Westie was called a Scottish Terrier several times. I think we once got Yorkie and once JRT. Westies are more common and at least more recognizable, I think.


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## sheltiemom (Mar 13, 2007)

My blue merle sheltie and blue merle border collie are both constantly mistaken for australian shepherds.Occasionally someone asks if the sheltie is a collie...he is oversized but not nearly the size of a collie.


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## Cheetah (May 25, 2006)

Shippo is usually mistaken for a sheltie or a sheltie mix, and one time as a puppy he was mistaken for a fox when my neighbor behind me saw just his face peeking through the fence, But one time, a lady was very convinced he was a yorkie!








Yup... that's a yorkie alright lol...

Eevee gets mistaken for a wolf sometimes... usually when we're in rural areas. I'll be out walking with her and people will go "OMG is that a wolf?!"


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## HollowHeaven (Feb 5, 2012)

omg. How do these people even come up with some of these breed guesses? 
Long haired greyhound? FOR REAL? They don't even- I mean-
HOW.


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## JohnnyBandit (Sep 19, 2008)

Get this...... 

I walked into a show grounds with Merlin and was told by a committee member that I could not bring my mixed breed dog into the show....

It took me a minute to stop laughing and explain that not only was he a purebred but also one of the highest nationally ranked dogs in attendance....

About an hour later, I walked by the same committee member with Merlin and my OBVIOUS Lab Mix Buc and they did not say a word to me.


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## grab (Sep 26, 2009)

Goose gets Shar pei or a mix thereof quite often...not many are familiar with Chows in the smooth coated variety, I suppose. Aesop got called a lion once by a little kid 

Nog (Brussels Griffon) has been called a terrier mix and a Pug mix.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

On no less than three occasions I have been asked if Squash is a Dogo Argentino. Which actually isn't totally outrageous, he does kind of look like one with uncropped ears. Just not really a breed you see up here. No one ever believes me when I say he's a husky mix.

Pip's hairy half seems to make people guess whatever breed the guesser has. Aussie/BC /Spaniel /Setter/ whatever. 

Although people rarely ask about Maisy, when they do they usually ask if she's exactly what we actually think she is - hound/rottie.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

With the mutts, I figure their guess is as good as mine! So anything they say is fine. Nobody has had any crazy guesses like Yorkie or anything, LOL.

Someone once called Moose a pit bull. I thought Rotts had enough of a reputation to be recognizable, but whatever. Maybe the person just lumps all the "dogs people are scared of" in one category.


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## upendi'smommy (Nov 12, 2008)

Mina is commonly called a hyena (no I'm not kidding, she is a self blue merle). Upendi is commonly called a coydog or wolfdog, she's a gsdxhusky, and Cara is a red bi australian shepherd who frequently gets called a springer spaniel.


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## WTFCas (Jan 20, 2012)

With Saint its always a skinny Rottweiler. Kaida is always a Husky or GSD puppy, she's a Koolie mix. Domo is always labeled as a "bad ass pit." One man at Tractor Supply thought he was a Pointer, he's a Rott x Pit.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Jack McCoy is generally mistakenly identified. He has received several compliments for being a beautiful GSD and a beautiful Husky. He has also been though to be a mix of the two. No real feelings there, Elkhounds aren't a common sight, but I've certainly never seen a silver, white, and black GSD. 

Jonas has once been identified as a Rat Terrier (..sure), Smalls is mistaken for a Lab puppy, and Shambles is quite frequently a Pit. He sure is huge for a Pit.


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## Avie (Jul 10, 2011)

HollowHeaven said:


> omg. How do these people even come up with some of these breed guesses?
> Long haired greyhound? FOR REAL? They don't even- I mean-
> HOW.


Ah, i forgot one for mike: greyhound-white shepherd mix. Neighbor is totally convinced too. They believe shepherds should not be slender like mike so therefore he must be crossbred... Maybe people who arent familiar with malinois think something like that too. Malinois are slender built as well.


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

Tucker, my avatar, was a large blue Merle sheltie. He was called an Australian shepherd all the time. Our fox terriers were called jrt's all the time but I can understand that. Boone, the pbgv in my sign pic is usually referred to as a mutt. Sometimes, a dog person will ask me if he's a pbgv and get excited when they're right.


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## dagwall (Mar 17, 2011)

Jubel is a mutt for sure, plott hound X lab X something something. So I can't really argue too hard with the guesses I get but the most frequent is being called a pit mix. Brindle and stocky is all Jubel has in the pit look a like area as far as I'm concerned. I've had people insist that he is, that their friend/family/whoever breeds pits and he looks just like them. Certainly makes me question their friend/family/whoever's breeding practices but doesn't convince me he's a pit. People who actually have pits rarely think Jubel is a pit at least.


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## Rowdy (Sep 2, 2007)

Toby, my blue merle rough collie gets called an Australian Shepherd a lot. I guess people don't see past the color, but my boy is 75 pounds and has a very typical collie nose and ears.










Cameron, my tri colored smooth collie has been called all sorts of things. GSD mix is the usual. GSD X Doberman or Greyhound are the most common. (I must admit, though, that his pricked ears do make him look a bit more like a GSD.)


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## juliemule (Dec 10, 2011)

I think color plays a part too, as my dutchie is often called a pit bull mix. Her brindled stripes are the only resemblance lol.

I will admit, Greta is sable, where most mals are fawn or mahogany, so she does favor a gsd. She is also taller with larger ears than the breed standard.

Libby is more the color of typical mals.


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

These two little ones are/were always called Maltese or Westies? Never saw a Westie with floppy ears. :/ ... Leeo and Blu Boy


















And as far as Abbylynn goes ... I usually just have people walk far away from us or get dirty looks? :/ I once had a woman tell me that I should be aware of what Abbylynn could do to a person .... :/ ... Abbylynn


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## Miss Bugs (Jul 4, 2011)

lol I have to laugh sometimes at the supposed breeds some of our clients dogs are..there is 1 "golden retriever" who is indentical to my show quality Toller exept for the face(black nose, my Toller has a red nose)..or the "malamute" who is all of 55lbs, skinny, sable, smooth coated and has floppy ears..there was another "golden retriever" that nearly gave me a heart attack when I couldnt find the dog anywhere..because ya know..I was looking for a GR...not a 12" tall short coated, dwarf labish looking mix. we have a "shepherd mix" thats comes..the dog appears to be a Pom/Sheltie at my best guess, or one guy wanted a big dog and got what he was told was a BC/Rottie puppy, the dog grew up...to the size of a standard Doxie.


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## juliemule (Dec 10, 2011)

Oh forgot raven, the "pit bull" lol.


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## juliemule (Dec 10, 2011)

Miss Bugs said:


> lol I have to laugh sometimes at the supposed breeds some of our clients dogs are..there is 1 "golden retriever" who is indentical to my show quality Toller exept for the face(black nose, my Toller has a red nose)..or the "malamute" who is all of 55lbs, skinny, sable, smooth coated and has floppy ears..there was another "golden retriever" that nearly gave me a heart attack when I couldnt find the dog anywhere..because ya know..I was looking for a GR...not a 12" tall short coated, dwarf labish looking mix. we have a "shepherd mix" thats comes..the dog appears to be a Pom/Sheltie at my best guess, or one guy wanted a big dog and got what he was told was a BC/Rottie puppy, the dog grew up...to the size of a standard Doxie.


When I worked at the clinic, a woman came in with a thirty pound cute terrier mix. We always ask what breed, and she looked at me like I was nuts! " he is a rare black Maltese"! Ok, and to boot, she paid $1000 for him


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## kadylady (Sep 23, 2010)

I almost always get asked if Luke is a lab or a golden retriever...to which I reply, both! Half and half.










With Zoey, we don't even really know what she is, just guesses from the shelter and vet, and I'm kind of waiting for her to finish growing to really see what she ends up looking like. Best guess so far is plott hound mix (that's what the shelter labeled her as), vet said hound/lab mix. Our puppy class instructor said she sees boxer in her. We have been asked a couple times if she has Rottwieler in her. Which...who knows?! Maybe. But when I say plott hound mix, people always say "A what??" Except one friend who has a friend who just got a plott hound from a breeder and says they look exactly alike. So, who knows at this point.


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## Avie (Jul 10, 2011)

juliemule said:


> Oh forgot raven, the "pit bull" lol.


I truly can't believe how people could mistake a Dutch shepherd for a pit bull... 
And I gotta say, you've got some really pretty dogs, judging from your photographs. I'd love to get myself my native shepherd dog one day, only I prefer the longhaired version


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## juliemule (Dec 10, 2011)

Oh, we have plott hounds around here! 

And thank you Avie. I don't know that I would want any other breeds after working with these. They are the most active, agile, athletic, fearless, smart, fast, challenging, most protective dogs by far that I have ever encountered. Definitely not for everyone , but if you have the time and energy one requires, you can't beat them.


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## RoughCollie (Mar 7, 2011)

Aidan used to be mistaken for a Labradoodle every time. That used to irritate me, until I saw one in Petco who closely resembled Aidan when he was golden and shaggy, but was three times his size. Now his head is groomed more or less properly so he definitely looks like a terrier. People ask me if he is a Schnauzer, probably because of his size and his beard. Wheatens are uncommon around here.


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## BellaPup (Jul 7, 2007)

Many people think Bella is a Rhodesian Ridgeback. She does a good RR imitation! Especially when her hackles are up if the people have a dog of their own with them.


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## dagwall (Mar 17, 2011)

BellaPup said:


> Many people think Bella is a Rhodesian Ridgeback. She does a good RR imitation! Especially when her hackles are up if the people have a dog of their own with them.


Haha I have been asked if Jubel had some ridgeback in him before when someone saw him with his hackles up which can go all the way from his neck to tail when he's REALLY excited over something. Doesn't look a thing like a ridgeback so I had a good laugh and got to explain to them about hackles as well. When I told them he just had his hackles up they stepped back and quickly pulled their dog away fearing Jubel was about to "attack." He was just really interested in their dog and was very excited which resulted in the full mohawk down his back to his tail.


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

Rowdy said:


> Toby, my blue merle rough collie gets called an Australian Shepherd a lot. I guess people don't see past the color, but my boy is 75 pounds and has a very typical collie nose and ears.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I will have Toby and Cameron. Please & thank you!


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## spanielorbust (Jan 3, 2009)

I was walking with a friend and her dog in an off leash trail area of a small Alberta town. Many here have no clue as to what breeds are what but for the most common ones. The Tibetan Spaniel my friend owns is a parti color and as a passerby walked by with his crew he says 'nice Papillon there'. I was impressed he even knew the word, but shocked he applied it to a stocky Tibbie that is 18 pounds. LOL

SOB


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## jenz (Aug 20, 2010)

What a funny thread! 

My Greyhounds have been mistaken as:
Great Danes
Whippets
Dobermans 
A Pony and/or Dinosaur (from a kid, which was awesome LOL).

Lela has been called:
A Pit Bull
A Purebred Shiba Inu (LOL!!!!!)
A "Fox mix"

-Jen


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## Spirit_of_Cotons (Jun 21, 2009)

It's funny sometimes how people think they know a dog, but don't. Their responses are funny and you wonder sometimes how they come up with them. 

And yes, I get it with Luke as well. Luke is a Coton De Tulear of the Bichon family; they're cousins basically. So I get, "Is he a Bichon?" "Is he a Maltese?" The ones I find funny are, "I have a dog just like him at home." Oh yeah?...lol. So my answer is the normal, "Oh you have a Coton too!? That's so cool!" Then they say, "A what? He's not a Bichon?" Nope.


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## Platykey (Jun 18, 2010)

Cloud has been called a wolf, a coyote, a dingo, a pit bull, a shepherd mix, and a chihuahua. Behold the majestic wolf-chihuahua:














He is probably half Carolina Dog/American Dingo, so dingo is pretty accurate, and the rest of him could be some poorly thought out combination of Cattle Dog and Boxer. I totally get people not knowing what he is a mix of, but have any of you seen yellow wolves wandering about lately ?


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

People have called Denali a white shepherd, wolf, wolf-mix, malamute, samoyed, and even a schipperke (which top 15 lbs and are always black) when she was a puppy.









People recognize Kaytu as a husky, so now they are usually able to recognize that Nali must be a husky too.


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## ChaosIsAWeim (Feb 12, 2011)

Well actually Schipperke are not always black. They can come in cream and chocolate, and have done so way before the breed standard in Belgium was first proposed.


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

I was going to say that! Here's a light-colored one (cream?), and here's a red one. The KC accepts colors other than black to be shown. The AKC recognizes that those colors exist and are pure schips, but they can't be shown. Here's a neat writeup.

Even the light ones look nothing like Denali, of course!


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## Alerondogs (Mar 23, 2011)

When you have a dog that looks like this:










No one thinks it's the breed it is...actually, no one thinks it's a breed at all. Most people say "terrier mix" but when he was a puppy someone said they thought he was a meerkat! When out and about, I've had people act like I must have him with me because I'm looking to unload him LOL "Oh I've been wanting a terrier dog, how much do you want for him?".

Someone once asked if our corgi was "a pit?".

I had a Greyhound puppy for awhile and when she was about 8 months old, I took her to the flea market to walk around. A woman pointed and said to her kids "Look at that girl walking a goat!". If that wasn't bad enough, they came over and were petting her and the woman said "I thought goats had different feet than this...". I had to tell them that she was a dog....




JohnnyBandit said:


> Get this......
> 
> I walked into a show grounds with Merlin and was told by a committee member that I could not bring my mixed breed dog into the show....
> 
> ...


LOL That is too funny!


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## sscott87 (Feb 19, 2012)

^^^ A GOAT?! Wow...

Jax has been called all sorts of things followed by "mix" usually, lol. GSD, Akita, Malamute, Cattledog, Ridgeback, Chow, and most often Pitt-mix. Husky isn't typically agreed upon until I say it, and even then people often proceed to suggest otherwise. Now I at least know, 50% from a purebred Sibe line and 50% is 100% mutt lol. Every guess is followed by compliments on how awesome and unique he is, regardless of what the mix is though. Love my unique mix of awesomeness!


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## Spicy1_VV (Jun 1, 2007)

This was a great read. 

Julie I had the same problem with my Bmal. GSD or GSD mix. He was never called a longhaired greyhound though. Lol. 

That bit about the goat literally made me lol. Hilarious. I'd be embarrassed if I were her. How are people mistaking dogs for other species? 

My Pits: other than pit mix cause you know they are so small or their heads aren't big enough . ..... they've been called Rottie (black & tan), lab (buckskin), Dogo argentino (solid white), American bulldog (white w/ chocolate patches red nose), Shar Pei and this hadn't happened for a long time until last month when I had one of the dogs out a lady walking asked if she was one really. I know there are some which are not wrinkled though. With my male I was shocked because he had some forehead wrinkle but resembled nothing of a Shar Pei and had cropped ears which I've never need on a SP. The guy then argued must be a SP mix and couldn't be a Pit Bull.


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

ChaosIsAWeim said:


> Well actually Schipperke are not always black. They can come in cream and chocolate, and have done so way before the breed standard in Belgium was first proposed.


Oh really? I have only seen and heard of them being black. I learn something new every day here.


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## HollowHeaven (Feb 5, 2012)

Alerondogs said:


>


I feel like I'm adding to the derp here but... breed, please? xD ^-^'




> "I thought goats had different feet than this...". I had to tell them that she was a dog....


Now this one... this one takes the cake.


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## GottaLuvMutts (Jun 1, 2009)

My favorite was the crazy person who thought Kit was a JRT. Yes, lady, I have a 40lb JRT. Also a 2 ton camel who lives in my backyard.


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## Tofu_pup (Dec 8, 2008)

HollowHeaven said:


> I feel like I'm adding to the derp here but... breed, please? xD ^-^'


Pyrenean Shepherd?


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## Rowdy (Sep 2, 2007)

InkedMarie said:


> I will have Toby and Cameron. Please & thank you!


LOL. On those days when they've developed selective deafness for my voice, I'd be happy to give them to you.

Cameron gets called an anteater by kids all of the time. OK, he could be the winner of the "Extreme Nose" competition, but an ANTEATER?


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## melaka (Mar 31, 2010)

Buffy is often called a Pit Bull by people who don't know dogs. And ones who do know Pits laugh when I say, "well I believe she might have some Pit in her; I really don't know." But, for a lot of people brindle = Pit, and it does get tiring. She has longer hair, a fatter tail and a smaller head than what I would think of as a Pit or even Pit mixes that I've seen. She's also muscular but not as cut as a healthy Pit would be.

She also gets called dingo and hyena often, but I think the most ridiculous thing she was ever called was a Chihuahua. Yep, she's my 30 lb. Chi!


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## naql (Feb 18, 2012)

I forgot that the most common question I get with Lizzie is "is she a teacup?" I hate having to explain that yorkie breed standards are 5-7 pounds and she is right in the middle. Then having to explain why you should never buy a dog labelled as a "teacup".


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## Alerondogs (Mar 23, 2011)

HollowHeaven said:


> I feel like I'm adding to the derp here but... breed, please? xD ^-^'


Someone else answered but he is a Pyrenean Shepherd


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## malamutelove (Dec 6, 2010)

where can I begin

Akita 
husky
malamute husky mix
Alaskan husky
Today GSD mix
wolf hybrid. 
coyote mix


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## BellaPup (Jul 7, 2007)

Sibe said:


> Oh really? I have only seen and heard of them being black. I learn something new every day here.


I ran into neighbors the other day walking their Schipperke (black) - they seemed stunned and amazed that I knew what breed it was....LOL 
Very neat looking dogs that you don't see around here very often.


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## amosmoses89 (Jun 19, 2011)

Before we moved to Florida pretty much everyone knew what our dogs were because they were very "southern" dogs. Catahoula and ACD mix. But now I'm constantly getting Cata-what-nows? and "whats a heeler?" 

When we first moved in our hateful neighbors told me to get my pit mutt off the yard and on a leash. Pit... really?


Our little foxy lady 









Sydney with my mom


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## marsha=whitie (Dec 29, 2008)

Bryna is a boxer/lab mix, but she has been called a great dane, a cane corso, a greyhound, and is most often called a pit bull.

Callie is a pure mutt (her mom was a hound mix), so she's not really being mistaken. She has been called a husky, gsd, pomeranian, and a finnish lapphund.


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## juliemule (Dec 10, 2011)

Lol, there is a Dutch shepherd in a rescue they are calling greyhound mix. Looks lime a dutchie to me, but who knows.


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## 3labs (Mar 27, 2012)

I never got bothered when my dogs got mistaken for another breed. It just makes it more special when you run into someone who knows like you did!


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## Cindy23323 (Mar 31, 2010)

I've had animal control come over before. They were in search of a reported kittie that was seen running around with a jar stuck on his/her head. She seen Loki and Selene and said "boy do they look like coyotes" Lol

Loki









Selene


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## Miss Bugs (Jul 4, 2011)

we deifitly used to get weird ones when we had a Pyrshep! most of the time he was just some kind of "terrier mix" or "what the heck IS he?" either that or he was "really old" lol 

REALLY threw people off when we shaved him down lol


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## workerant (Feb 28, 2011)

Kenda is a purebred Roadside Terrier, meaning that she's a much-loved shelter mutt. She weighs 24 pounds, so most people can tell she's not a Border Collie. I've had people guess that she's a Basenji (srsly? In Podunk, East Tennessee?) and a Feist (much more likely, but still wrong.)

She says, "Thbpppt" to you all!


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

That's OK ... I thought my own rescue dog was a JRT or a beagle mix. :doh:


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## luv mi pets (Feb 5, 2012)

workerant said:


> I've had people guess that she's a Basenji (srsly? In Podunk, East Tennessee?)


My sister's basenji was bought at a garage sale. A friend of mine who is a garage sale crazy bought her at a sale and did not like her. I took her and gave her to my sister. That was over 12 years ago and they are still together.


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