Janie Grace Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 (edited) The listing is calling it a shepherd mix. What do *you* think? I don't want an aggressive breed in our mutt puppy. Edited March 9, 2011 by Janie Grace adding photo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Cute? Is that a breed? :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Unless you do a genetic test, or you personally know both pure-bred parents, you just can't tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H.S. Burrow Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Australian Shepherd and ???? :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle O. in MO Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 My 12yod thinks it has some German Shepherd in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Shepherd or doberman, or maybe mini pinscher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kipling Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Australian Shepherd and ???? :confused: and rottweiler? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 The lady on Craigslist says it is half Aussie and they don't know the other half but it seems to be small-framed. She is estimating it will be 35-40 lbs full-grown (I don't know if this is her opinion or a vet's). She says this puppy and her 2 littermates weren't wanted... were being kept outside and fed "hard" food at 4 weeks, so she offered to take them in. She doesn't have contact w/ the original owners so she can't ask them the second breed. Dog owners... would you adopt this puppy? Is this too much of a gamble? I *love* Aussies and we have been considering adopting a dog soon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 and rottweiler? That's what I'm nervous about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 The lady on Craigslist says it is half Aussie and they don't know the other half but it seems to be small-framed. She is estimating it will be 35-40 lbs full-grown (I don't know if this is her opinion or a vet's). She says this puppy and her 2 littermates weren't wanted... were being kept outside and fed "hard" food at 4 weeks, so she offered to take them in. She doesn't have contact w/ the original owners so she can't ask them the second breed. Dog owners... would you adopt this puppy? Is this too much of a gamble? I *love* Aussies and we have been considering adopting a dog soon... I believe lots of dogs have certain temperaments, but more so bad reps. I have seen the sweetest rotties and pit bulls. Its all about the upbringing. A great home can make a great dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cin Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Unless you do a genetic test, or you personally know both pure-bred parents, you just can't tell. :iagree: We had a dog that looked just like a Miniature Black Lab (don't think that breed exists, but if it did, Maggie nailed it!) Funny thing is, she was half mutt, half registered GOLDEN RETRIEVER. We had a cat that looked like a fat siamese. Even talked like they do. She was one of 4 kittens in a litter in which every cat looked like they came from a completely different family. And the mama was NOT siamese. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Milkbery Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 The Aussie could very well be responsible for the coloring/markings. When we see those brown eyebrows in a black face, we often think doberman or German Shepherd. However, chihuahuas and yorkies can have the same markings. The great thing about mutts, they are generally better dogs as far as health and temperament. Good luck deciding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EthiopianFood Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Rot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jplain Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 (edited) Its all about the upbringing. A great home can make a great dog. :iagree: If you're nervous about what breed your mutt puppy might be, consider waiting a while to get a dog. There's no way of knowing for sure what a mutt's background is, and there's also no way to get a temperament guarantee on a dog, purebred or not. Spend some more time learning about puppy and dog behavior and how to handle it. Consider that you'll have to provide constant supervision, because a puppy should never be left alone with young children, for the safety of both the dog and the children. If you aren't confident that you can raise your puppy properly, please don't take on the responsibility. It wouldn't be fair to your kids or the dog. A friend of mine recently returned a puppy after she became convinced that the dog must be part pitbull. She supported this conclusion with accounts of aggressive behavior toward her kids. Hogwash. It was normal puppy behavior. She just didn't have the time or inclination to work with the puppy (and her kids) to make sure they all stayed safe. Poor puppy. Edited March 9, 2011 by jplain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Once Again Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 How a pup is raised will have a big impact on it's temperament. It looks like it has a lot of aussie in it to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehog Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 I believe lots of dogs have certain temperaments, but more so bad reps. I have seen the sweetest rotties and pit bulls. Its all about the upbringing. A great home can make a great dog. :iagree: totally. An acquaintance of mine has 7 labradors and 3 Rottweilers, and I can tell you the rotties are the softest of the lot by a long chalk. It's much more to do with training and environment than breed IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VA6336 Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 We had Rottweilers growing up and the only time I ever saw them aggressive was when this one babysitter wanted to come in to our room after we were sent to bed to check on us. The dog wouldn't let her. :D Poor babysitter ended up calling my mom because the dog actually forced her back down the stairs and the babysitter was freaked out. The dog's low warning growl woke me up so I witnessed the dog slowly descending the stairs while the babysitter backed up. When the babysitter got to the bottom, the dog simply flopped on the landing halfway down. Things were fine as long as the sitter didn't look like she wanted up the stairs! It was entertaining to everyone but the babysitter. ;) It's all about upbringing and training. Just like people, there are always "bad apples" but please don't discount a puppy that needs a home because there might be an "aggressive" breed in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mohini Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 I've has 2 rottweiller mixes and they are the sweetest, most loyal dogs. The one I have now I got from the pound, she was about 2 yrs old and I had ds 1.5 and was pregnant with dd. Now, 3 yrs later, she has never been aggressive, she is soooo docile. The baby used to torture her and she would run away. She gets between the kids when they fight and howls... like the peter pan dog. Rotties are nothing to be afraid of, IMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixpence1978 Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 I grew up with rotties, so I can honestly say that I agree. How they are raised makes all the difference. All of ours were the sweetest dogs. However, I could be wrong, but I don't think this has Rottweiler in it. I would say that Aussie is a consideration. We had one that looked very similar. Aussies are also very nice, but can have energy. I'll also venture a guess that it could perhaps have Bernese Mountain dog mixed with something. They are also great dogs, but unfortunately can have some health problems. But since the lady said Aussie, and it looks like one, I would say you are pretty safe with calling it an Aussie mix. I would grab it up in a heartbeat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Rot? Looks like part Rottie to me too. I had a great Rottie, sweet and loving and wonderful with children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 Thank you! I am really encouraged... I don't want to be an alarmist about the CHANCE of Rottie... she is so cute. I think I at least want to meet her. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 and rottweiler? That's what I thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyFL Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 :iagree: and rottweiler? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsmith Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 One of the sweetest dogs I ever met was a rottie. He was a super cuddly giant of a dog! It's an adorable pup - I would go for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 (edited) The lady on Craigslist says it is half Aussie and they don't know the other half but it seems to be small-framed. She is estimating it will be 35-40 lbs full-grown (I don't know if this is her opinion or a vet's). She says this puppy and her 2 littermates weren't wanted... were being kept outside and fed "hard" food at 4 weeks, so she offered to take them in. She doesn't have contact w/ the original owners so she can't ask them the second breed. Dog owners... would you adopt this puppy? Is this too much of a gamble? I *love* Aussies and we have been considering adopting a dog soon... Google tricolor Australian shepherd puppies in images. The thing that would worry me most is how early they were separated from their mother. 4 weeks is way too young. I wouldn't take one that was separated that young. I'm not experienced enough, nor do I have time enough, to help it overcome that poor start. Edited March 10, 2011 by Laurie4b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celticmom Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 I would say that it would be incredibily difficult to try to guess the puppy's ancestry at this point because he is just too young. How old is the puppy?At that age black and tan dachshunds can look very similiar to that also. You can't really tell the length of the coat or the final shape of the body head and face yet. We have a Belgian Malnois(82 lbs.) that is very timid and a dachshund/pomerainian mix(8 lbs.) that is both the smallest and by far the most agressive of our 5 dogs. If you adopt the puppy I would carry him around as much as possible for about the first week or more to encourage him to bond to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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