Bark magazine has a great article on the benefit of not labeling a dog’s breed–or more likely, it’s supposed breed, on its cage in a shelter. A Shelter Dog’s Fate Can Rest on What Breed He is Labeled describes how breed labels are first, often wrong, and second, influence buyers of all dogs, and not in a good way.
There are so many reasons for this. First off, and critically in some cases, shelters and people who post about mixed breeds on Petfinder, are almost always guessing about a dog’s heritage. And are often wrong. I remember a study done a long time ago by Victoria Voith about that very issue. At an IFAAB meeting (Interdisciplinary Forum on Applied Animal Behavior), she showed us slides of dogs in a shelter and asked us to identify them by breed. I was not proud that most of my answers were “I don’t know.” (I’ve never been good at looking at babies and seeing what other people see either–“he has his father’s nose!” they say, when the baby’s nose is a tiny little rosebud thing and dad has a honker the size of my barn.) You can see the photos and an interview with Victoria here.
Turns out I was better not knowing, because DNA studies, granted not always 100% accurate themselves, had lots to say about the background of the dogs we saw, and it was surprising, to say the least. Many if not most of the guesses were incorrect, which was confirmed by another study done more recently by Lisa Gunter that this mislabeling continues: 55/120 dogs were identified as being bully breeds, when only 43 were. This doesn’t effect just adoptions–think of all the insurance companies who will insure dog owners for all but X,Y,Z breeds. If a dog is identified as one of those breeds, even if it is incorrect, it is less likely to be adopted, or result in a lot of heartache for owners.
What was most surprising to me from the study, What’s in a Name?, by Lisa Gunter and colleagues at Arizona State University, was that eliminating breed labels increased the adoption rate for all dogs. Shelter workers were reportedly less surprised than the study’s authors. Apparently, many people searching for a dog in shelter look at the card on the kennel without even looking at the dog.
If you’d like to read more on this topic, there lots more from the National Canine Research Council. (What a great resource it is!)
That sounds very much like my experience, in that the most common question I get asked is “What breed should I get.” My answer always asks them what they value in a dog, what they need in a dog, and what they simple couldn’t handle. And then I might suggest they, the family with three kids under the age of five, stop looking at Border Collies because they are “smart,” and look for a mellow, kid-loving dog of any breed. Mellow is what they need, and last I looked, Mellow is not a breed.
I have some questions for you, in part based on my own predispositions. First, if you work in a shelter or rescue setting, does this research match your experience? Does your shelter still use breed ID’s? If so, how do you determine the breed? For the rest of us, what role does breed play in adopting a dog? I will say straight out that right now, if I wanted a new dog, I would look for a Border Collie, no exception. I’m still hooked on getting better at working dogs on sheep, and that means BC it is. However, when the time comes that I’m no longer doing that and I’m feeling my age more than I am now, I’ll be looking for small, mellow, and sweet. And oh, playful. And okay, sorry, cute. Not that I’d be asking a lot.
What about you? Are you breed conscious now, or not? What has been your experience? Did you get a dog labeled as a Lab who turned out to be a Pointer, Boxer, Newfoundland, & “Unknown” mix? (Reminding us that most people assume a dog is a mix of only two breeds, when most mixes have a multitude of breeds in their background.)
I can’t wait to engage in this conversation–it goes to the essence in so many ways of what we love about dogs, what we need and want from our dogs, and what we can provide for them.
MEANWHILE, back on the farm. Well, it is absolutely balmy today, in the 20’s, but not long ago it was 18 below Fahrenheit, and that’s just too damn cold for me. Also for Maggie, who went outside, peed, and ran back to the porch dancing to keep her paws off the burning cold. (Such an irony that extreme cold feels like a burn!) Skip, on the other hand, the dog who should lead a sled dog team if he had a better heart, thought it was fantastic. He adores the cold; not surprising since he is so heat intolerant. I’ll never forget the first time (presumed) he saw snow, I wish I had a photo of his face. He was exuberantly, deliriously happy. Granted, last week, he did pick up a paw after not too long when it was so cold, so I brought him in, but he would’ve stayed outside until his paws froze. Not a good plan.
The photo below of the two of them won’t win any prizes, but I love the light and the movement. Skip also seems to have lost his head, something that happens with regularity.
Remember last week when I showed a photo of the sheep eyeing our Christmas tree? This is what it looks like today:
Yummy yummy! Bark and evergreen needles! (Lots of Vitamin C I hear.) (And no, I promise, our sheep are not starving. If anything they are a tad, uh, hefty.)
We had some interesting eating ourselves this week. A dear friend sent a box of exotic fruit from the Miami Fruit Company to ease the pain of below zero weather, day after day. Here’s one of my breakfasts last week, with my usual almond buttered toast, blueberries, and a half a banana. But what’s that in the upper left hand corner? Any guesses? (It was good, and I’ll fess up what it was in a few days!)
I’m behind on the “up the hill” training I talked about earlier in January (APDT’s Train Your Dog Month). Too cold. I’d say we are about halfway there though, after only 3-4 sessions. I’ll keep you posted now that I can get going on it again. But I am savoring the evenings now, loving that it’s still light when we walk the dogs after dinner:
Here’s hoping your week also including some interesting and fun things to keep you occupied during the winter. And let us know about your experience with breed labels on mixed-breed dogs. We’re all ears.
MinnesotaMary says
I’m all about the huskies, just like you are with the border collies. I find the breed challenging and fun to work with. Both of mine are adopted from rescues. Both were DNA tested to be full Siberian Husky. The rescue for which I volunteer is husky specific, although we certainly do take mixed breed dogs, as long as there’s some husky. My neighbor came home with a dog a few years back. I took one look and said: “You adopted a pit bull! That is so awesome! I love pit bulls!” Her reply was that the humane society, where she got the dog, had told her it was a lab/shepherd mix. I chuckled and indicated that the humane society will label a pit bull “lab/shepherd” to get it adopted. She ended up doing a DNA test on her lovely little girl since I was about the 4th person to tell her that her dog is a pit bull. Sure enough, the largest breed indicated was Am Staph. Pit Bulls get an undeserved bad rap. The majority of the therapy dog volunteers that I know have pits. They have the best temperament for the work.
HeatherE says
I volunteer at a shelter clinic on spay/neuter days and there have been so many times a litter of puppies are labeled (something) x and I’ve commented about them looking nothing like the (something). It turns out that they came in with mom which is where (something) came from! So guessing breed from looks seems to be a major crapshoot.
I have nothing to do with intake/cage cards but I’ll mention this to someone who does!
Trisha says
Good for you HeatherE, sounds like an important thing for shelters to do.
Kat says
I’m a sucker for giants, Great Pyrenees in particular. Your post is timely, as usual. We just adopted another Pyr or possibly Pyr mix. He’s from Great Pyreneese Rescue Society and not a lot is known about him. He’s from Texas and was found as a stray. He’s young but estimates of his age vary from 9 months to 18 months. He’s definitely Great Pyrenees but whether it’s mixed with another big white guardian breed is anyone’s guess. There are three things that are very much not Pyrenees. 1) He doesn’t bark–he’s currently living in a foster home with three other Pyrs so barking has been modeled plenty. His foster mom describes it as ‘creepy’ that he doesn’t bark. I’m sure my neighbors will describe it as a blessing. 2) He doesn’t shed–not like a typical Pyrenees sheds. I’m wondering if that’s because he still has a puppy coat so we’ll see. 3) He’s eager to work with me and figure out what I’m asking–he’s much more like a herding breed than a typical “I’ll take that request under advisement and get back to you with my decision” Pyr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/33350160@N02/albums/72177720296341228 He looks like a gawky adolescent Pyr to me but his foster mom spent a lot of time speculating on what else might be in there. I figure he’s mine now and I’ll do my best to raise and train the dog I have whatever whole or part Pyr he may be. And if I get curious I can do a DNA test for a little better idea what his genetics are.
He currently weighs 80 lbs and is obviously underweight. He has boundless energy. After playing with him yesterday 5 years older and 25 lbs heavier D’Artagnan is taking it easy. He slept like the proverbial log all the way home and for the rest of the day and night. Having a teenager to play with is going to be good for my middle aged guy. And having a calm mellow mentor is going to be helpful for the pup. And so the adventure begins.
Trisha says
Kat, this is so exciting! Keep us posted, I can’t wait to hear more.
Diane says
My first dog was a husky border collie mix…so they say and so I believed since it was long ago. We went on to lab and golden mixes. I think we did because we didn’t understand either the husky breed or the border collie breed at the time. Or to be more exact, we didn’t understand dogs in general at the time. If we were to get another dog after our current golden mix, we would probably get the same lab and/or golden mix breed, only smaller than our current 85 lb. boy, because these are wonderful dogs and seem to match what my husband looks for in a dog. But I have to say, my heart still has a warm spot for the husky and the border collie. A first love is not forgotten and time helped me learn appreciation of independence mixed with smarts.
Samantha says
My Bear is a Great Pyr/St. Bernard mix (one of these days I will get him DNA tested for funsies) but he is basically a St. Bernard colored Great Pyr as far as behavior is concerned. He is my first dog. I did NOT know what I was getting into. In his defense, his Pyrenees things are actually things I don’t mind as much. When he alert barks, I go ‘check’ and then the matter is done as far as we are both concerned. Does Tulip or any of the other Pyrs here like to sniff eyeballs too?
I actually had the good fortune to work on a farm with working LGDs and got to see how they are intended to function. I found much better success when I looked at training as if I were training an LGD who happens to live in a house instead of a house dog who is an LGD. I go with the flow of his guardian side. So his breed actually has shaped how I train him.
On a separate note, thank you for the Education of Will from the bottom of my heart. Bear was an outside dog entirely for the first year of his life, in a field, 700 ticks, no socialization. He is fear reactive to so many things in a very intense way. Because of my own mental issues, I struggled hard with the idea of not being the ‘right’ person for him. But reading your book makes me think I can do it. So thank you <3
Charlotte Kasner says
I too specialise in basal breeds, especially Sibes. Anecdotally, I think that Sibe crosses tend to bring the worst out in the other breed with the possible exception of GSD crosses (GSDs were, after all, originally crossed with wolves).
At the end of the day, we know that it’s all behaviour but the basal breeds are demanding in a specific way.
Having an idea of breeds helps trainers and owners to know whether they are working with or against typical traits but, that said, every dog is different and every environment is different.
As well as paying attention to the dogs’ tendencies, we need to pay attention to owner attachment styles too so that we can make a good match.
PH says
That’s a Mangosteen. Sublime!
Alison Lewis says
I love your love for Border Collies! They are my #1 favorite! I adopted a senior border collie mix a few years back and he was the most vibrant, trainable, happy-go-lucky pup in most situations (except certain types of handling like feet touching or collar grabs.) He passed away last summer and it still feels too quiet here. I live in a condo now so I’ve decided not to seek out another border collie. I think this life would be unfair to the beeed. Instead, I adopted a little, tiny (6 pounds at 6 months) condo-friendly dog who had the breed label Yorkie/Shih Tzu. I see neither when I look at her but her sister looked exactly like a Yorkie! Looking forward to testing her.
pat mommaerts says
Ah,mangosteen!
Becky G says
I volunteer at a shelter and am also part of a fabulous rescue group. I’m constantly frustrated that, unless the breed is absolutely obvious (e.g, the gorgeous sable GSD there now), the shelter staff labels 99% of the dogs coming in as “pit mixes,” even if it looks like an Italian greyhound! When we bring a dog into rescue and are trying to assign a breed mix, the tendency is to go strictly on physical characteristics. I often suggest that the foster family focus on identifying behaviors or other “non-physical” traits to help identify what might be in the mix.
Betsy says
We adopted our Gracie Helen Wheels (say it fast and it’s a description) as a puppy from Petfinder where she was listed as a terrier mix. She was a floppy eared , short haired, 5 pound, long legged strawberry blonde cutie. We did DNA testing and found out the most dominant DNA breeds present are whippet (l o n g legs), boxer, Great Pyrenees (floppy dew claws) and Irish Wolfhound. She’s a 40 pound cutie who just turned 3. What kind of dog is she? She’s the best kind — she’s MY dog!
Kelly Moran says
I volunteer at a shelter and consequently adopted on of the resident pups. He was labeled boxer/lab, but DNA testing showed that while he was many things, those were not in the mix. I was not surprised to see he was 45% amstaff, but the significant amounts of corgi and chow were not among my guesses. He has his quirks, as do I, but overall he is a pretty easy boy who loves to meet new people.
I will add that I do see labels making a big difference in how quickly dogs move out of the shelter setting. A rambunctious and in your face aussie shepherd or spaniel mix, are forgiven their “rude” behavior much faster than the pittie’s, particularly black ones, who are left to languish.
Shirley Wells says
I fell madly in love with a 13 month old shelter dog 6 years ago and adopted him. He had been rehomed previously but then taken to the humane society because of his over the top energy. I did have some concern about his prey drive level because he was “terrier mix”. The first time I saw him around a squirrel, he stopped to let it pass. Then came obvious herding instincts. To make a long story short my “terrier mix” turned out to be an Old English Sheepdog/Border Collie mix. Two of my very favourite breeds, lover of all small critters and the perfect dog for me.
Tori Beauclaire says
There is just something about a Greyhound! I work with a local Greyhound rescue and have adopted several rescued racers over the years. My current boy is unusually large and weighs in at about 100 lbs. (He is not overweight; he’s just a long, tall drink of water). I am realizing that, as I get older, it will become increasingly difficult to manage a very large dog if he/she gets ill or injured and must be lifted off furniture or carried to and from the car. I do love the sighthounds though and will probably look into adopting a Whippet at some point. They’re a little more portable than Greyhounds!😉
Julia says
We got our “lab mix” puppy Juno from the humane society 4 years ago, and after thinking about it I fully support removing breed labels in rescue settings. From a DNA test it turns out that Juno is mostly am staff and pit bull, and it’s definitely true that our lives are less complicated because all her paperwork still says lab mix – no problems with home insurance, vacation dog care, etc. I think the term “lab mix”, however, can feed into inexperienced dog owners positive breed associations when instead they should fully consider what they’re getting into. If only there was a proactive warning for people who’s partners had grown up with ‘the most mellow lab in the world’ that not all dogs are like that in real life 🙂 We love Juno a ton, appreciate how incredibly smart she is (observant, always thinking and calculating, quick to pick up new concepts), but also have had to learn a lot about dog-dog and dog-person anxiety/reactivity in our nervous girl and manage her surroundings to keep her feeling safe (we’re working with a vet behaviorist).
Overall, breed guesses can turn people off from adopting great dogs and also can lead people to adopt dogs that aren’t what they were expecting. The traits of the individual dog are more often relevant than the breed, and first time dog owners like myself sometimes don’t know this as they look at the “label”.
Trisha says
Betsy: “Gracie Helen Wheels” made me spit my tea out. Please apologize!
Sue says
It seems just human nature for the first question to be “What is he/she?”.
I recently welcomed a new dog labeled as a Patterdale Terrier -to which I responded “huh??”-and later googled the breed. I was immediately glad I hadn’t done that before she came home because I may have hesitated-and missed out on the sweetest little girl whose nickname is Sassy Pants. As someone who had always been drawn more to larger dogs, no one was more surprised than me to fall for this little 17 pounder.
I volunteer at our local animal shelter where breed “estimates” are posted but the major section of the profile is about the animal’s age, personality, needs, and the environment that will be best (kids/no kids, needs a fenced yard, no apts., experienced owners, etc. These experiences have really reinforced for me that you can’t judge a book (or an animal or a person) by their cover.
Kaari says
I definitely have a breed (or type) preference–sighthounds/greyhounds. The first dog I had as an adult looked and acted like a greyhound or whippet/golden retriever cross (but he was a rescued vet school “practice dog” long before the age of DNA tests, so who knows?) My husband and I fell in love with the goofy, angular, 40-mile-per-hour-couch-potato look and personality, but we also loved the longer coat on our mixed guy–so we have our second and third staghounds (greyhound/deerhound/wolf hound mix. Probably). They look and act like furry greyhounds. We love their chill, goofy personalities, their quietness, their joy in running, and of course (as any greyhound owner will understand) we find great amusement in commenting on all of their strange and wonderful sleeping postures (and no one beats greyhounds for epic “sleep zombie” faces–eyes half open, third eyelid half deployed, jaw slack, tongue flopping out. Always good for a laugh!)
Carole says
This is a great topic! I foster for a local shelter and have adopted two of my fosters. The first was called a Catahoula mix by the shelter in Oklahoma. Here is Illinois they decided he was a Border Collie mix. (He is smooth coated, black and white, and has ice blue eyes.) DNA test showed him to be Husky/Am Staff/Beagle… with the fourth grandparent being a true mixed breed. My second ‘foster failure’ was listed as an Australian Shepherd mix. (She is black with brindle markings like a Doberman, and has a heavy Rough Collie type coat.) DNA test showed that one parent was a Rottweiler/Chow and the other a GSD/AmStaff. My third dog ia a Saint Bernard/Rottweiler mix. I met both parents, but he looks nothing like either one. People assume he is a Mastiff. I heartily agree that labeling dogs as Pit mixes often hurts their chance of being adopted. Until shelters and rescue organizations are able to DNA test every dog (tho I realize this is not 100% accurate), all dogs for adoption should be labeled large, medium, or small mixed breed. Also… many years go we had an accidental breeding of a Mini Dachshund and a Toy Fox Terrier. Both pups looked like Dachshunds. Nobody would ever have guessed that their mama was a leggy Toy Fox Terrier!
Gail McGarry says
I’m a mutt girl. All of my dogs have been mutts and I don’t really care about their “breed”, although it’s kinda nice to know if you live on a main street not to have a beagle that will get a scent and go! One was a “Rottie” mix (although her mom wasn’t even close), one was a German Shepard mix (no idea of heritage) and our current mutt I believe has boxer and hound – but who cares? They are all so totally different and each and every one are so loveable.
Rachel Lachow says
I imprinted on sighthounds long ago and am stuck there. I was once given a standard poodle puppy by a client and training him was a sublime and magical 13.5 years. But in the end, it still has to be a barky, destructive, silly, sensitive Pharaoh Hound. When I get too old for one, maybe I’ll downsize to a Cirnecco or a whippet.
It’s a lychee fruit, yes?
Nancy Crabb says
I volunteer at a shelter and we do list our guesses of multiple breeds on the kennel cards because visitors pretty much require it. But as we talk to them, I think the most common breed is “Your guess is as good as mine”. 😉
R Stein says
I think shelters should lean harder on “size” than what they guess the breed to be. If the dog is already an adult, it can be labeled “small, medium, large, extra large” and go from there. Puppies in shelters should have those labels as well “should grow to be XX, XX, XXX” etc. Because often that’s what pet owners need to know. How big will this dog be? How active? How loud?
I’ve been an Aussie person for almost 20 years now, but I think my next dog will be “something else” and I’m excited. 🙂
Lorraine says
People often forget that is an awful lot more dogs on this planet have no breed (street dogs) then there are purebred dogs. The ‘breed’ of dog is a relatively new concept and it has no meaning for the majority of dogs on the planet. I am deeply suspicious of DNA tests that tell people their Heinz 57 is made up of bloodhound, chow, husky and beagle. The owners then think that somewhere in the past, four purebred dogs of those breeds got together to create their mix. All one can actually say about the results of a DNA test is that the dogs that went into making the mix shared similar genetic backgrounds as the breeds that we now call bloodhound, chow, husky and beagle. The individual dogs that actually have pure breeds in their ancestry are vanishingly small in numbers compared to those that do not. See the book ‘What is a Dog’, by the Coppingers for interesting info on the world’s street dogs.
On a more amusing note, my whippets have been identified by passers-by as dalmatians, Irish wolfhounds, Jack Russell terriers, English setters, coyotes and on one memorable occasion I was asked if my fawn bitch was a kangaroo.
Shelter workers have a tendency to label any skinny dog as ‘part whippet’ – just check the Petfinder site. Almost always to me they just look like skinny dogs that need some groceries.
lak says
I adopted a boxer collie from the Humane society…after having my girl 2 weeks of course I was over the moon over her. Then I took her to a vet close to my home who informed me she was a “bully breed”. NO! I shrieked and sought out a second opinion, and then 3rd, and yep she is AM STAPH. I knew nothing but the bad hype about “pitbull” type dogs, so being already smitten with my girl I enrolled her and I in obedience classes and obtained her CGC which was not easy as she was a stray and had been on her own for a while…wild was how the teacher described her. 10 years later she is my heart/best friend/family! Strong prey drive but never aggressive! A beautiful running muscle! Being a novice dog owner had the kennel said Pitbull or Bully breed I can honestly say that back then I would have walked on by
Carol says
Years ago I adopted a big red dog labeled “Visla.” I enrolled her in obedience training and commented to one of my classmates that my dog was a visla like hers. Her response: “That thing is not a visla.” She huffed away and didn’t talk with me for the rest of the class.
Sometime later I saw a photo of a redbone coonhound and knew without a doubt that was our Annie. I didn’t really care and thought it was a good example of how easy it is to mislabel dogs.
Marilyn says
I fostered a 40 pound girl from the local shelter. She looked like a herding breed but she really didn’t act like one. She was quiet, mellow and gentle. She was nocturnal and very standoffish. When we did her DNA her two predominant breeds were Staffy and Chow! She looked like neither. But once I knew she was Chow I spoke to people who had Chows and it became obvious she got her personality traits from the Chow. It helped me understand her better. She was so shut down when she came to the shelter and did not want to be touched or leashed. She never showed any aggression. Just indifference. In six months time she was leash trained and would really become joyful on her walks. She blossomed once she could get outdoors after weeks and weeks inside the shelter. We loved her but with two other dogs we knew three would be too much. We found her a wonderful home with a large yard and a playmate she loves.
Linda Gallacher says
Years ago a young female Siberian Husky wandered onto our property. We kept the dog while searching for the owner. She presented us with a litter of puppies. All the puppies looked like Labs. No sign of the blue eyes, curled tail etc. What a suprise it would have been to the new owners if these pups had ended up in a shelter with no mention of mom’s origins!
Rachel says
This reminds me of a 2006 New Yorker article about how pit bulls have gotten a bad reputation, which made a big impression on me (trigger warning: the article opens with a horrific story of dogs attacking a human child, so either skip that section or avoid the whole article if this will upset you: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/02/06/troublemakers-malcolm-gladwell )
Margaret Tucker says
My current rescue was listed as lab mix.She does not look like a lab, so I think she’s more mix than lab. The only reason I think she’s part lab is that she looks just like my previous dog, and I knew her dam was a lab.
Nanette says
As a veterinary professional and trainer, I am very breed conscious. In particular, I remain very aware of potential health or behaviour problems. Whenever anyone asks for my opinion about what breed they should get, my response is always “which specialist would you like to meet”?
For example, Labrador Retrievers – I expect those dogs to become FBI agents. As in: agents of Foreign Body Ingestion. These dogs have lovely temperaments but do need at least basic manners training. Being a mouthy but social breed, their resource guarding behaviour may involve rapid ingestion (Jacobs et al., 2016). This typically warrants surgery. Plus they are also prone to health issues such as thyroid disease, orthopedic disease, and neoplasia. This means prospective owners should expect they may meet any of the following experts: fear-free trainer, certified behaviourist, veterinary surgeon, oncologist…
Purebred dogs can offer that sort of predictability but I’m not sure if that would be reassuring or concerning. Even for crossbreeds, I use a similar algorithm based on the presumed ancestry.
Laurie says
I love Nancy Crabb’s response. I also volunteer at an animal shelter and potential adopters often want to know the breed…many not realizing that litters of puppies can have more than one baby daddy. The look of shock on their face is priceless when we explain that momma was a traveling girl, and her momma was as well, etc.
Kay says
To verify what you write about… I live in Southern California and just did a quick count at the local county shelter. A total count of 130 dogs yields: 55 pit / pit mixes, 26 Shepherd / mixex, and 22 Siberian or Malamute /mixes. That is a whopping 103 dogs or 2/3 of the total.
We could also talk about pugilistic names such as Ruger, Cerberus (a Chihuahua!), Vladimir, Spike, Diesel, etc.You always wonder if the tag fits? It is good when folks make an effort to give the dog a more approachable name. Let’s face it, given a choice between adopting a Petunia or a Ruger?
Pat says
We adopted a 6 month old puppy from a rescue group who labeled her a pharaoh hound mix because she *giant* stand up ears. On her first trip to the vet, after he stopped laughing, he informed me that she was a pit mix. Sure enough the DNA test came back pit bull/Jack terrier amongst other breeds. She maintained the giant ears all her life and ended up weighing about 35 pounds and was fairly stocky so definitely not a pharaoh hound!
Kay says
Is the fruit on your plate a Mangosteen?
Tails Around the Ranch says
That looks like a mangosteen fruit. They provide a variety of essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber yet are low in calories.
Despite a double coat on my OES, Norman has definitely turned into a house dog following his rescue. With a snow storm coming later today followed by extremely cold temps (we’re definitely not ready for that since most of last week was in the 50’s & 60’s), I’m gonna have to get creative about keeping his typical OES nature occupied so he doesn’t bark a temper tantrum because he’s bored. Stay warm and cozy and hope the Groundhog opts for spring tomorrow. Not much validity to those prognostications since spring is scheduled to arrive in 6 weeks anyway but a fun way to shiver, er celebrate the day, right? 🙂
Rachel says
I always wonder at the “likelihood” of a breed guesstimate based on physical characteristics- like sure, maybe the dog looks like a (whatever) but how many of that breed are running around loose having puppies in whatever location the dog came from? I often feel the chances are better of the dog just being a big old mixture! My beautiful mixed breed sometimes acts like a pointer and sometimes like a scent hound, has a curled tail and speckles on her white bib and scarf: her DNA test came back with 5 distinct herding breeds, Chow, and 25% Am Staff ! Ok, so I know where the tail came from….
Emily Sieger says
the average person simply knows nothing about “breeds” and the vast majority of shelter dogs are “mixed” not “purebred. When Denver was going through the process of eliminating their 30-year “pit bull” ban, one of the most convincing points for the City Council was Animal Control’s testimony that of all the dogs they investigated based on “complaints” from neighbors, only FIVE PERCENT were assessed as actually being “pit bulls” based on their criteria (which in any case is solely appearance based). Well, that, and of course, the data that dogs called “pit bulls” were not involved in bad incidents at a rate higher than any other type of dog. “Pit bulls” are so generic looking that only a real AmStaff/APBT breed expert could identify one with anything approaching accuracy. The most important way to choose a shelter dog is by its ACTUAL behavior (and of course a size/appearance the adopter prefers.
Emily Sieger says
p..s I’m not a huge believer in DNA tests. Especially the ones that will describe a dog as X% “pit bull”, x% AmStaff. Because the AKC’s AmStaff was registered in 1936 using UKC APBTs as their first dogs. NO OTHER BREEDS have been added to either of these historic purebreds. So I’d like to see the algorithm that finds different genes for each. And shelters, BTW, love to call small “pit bull”type dogs “Staffies” (meaning Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the English variant which is still relatively uncommon in the USA). When the SBT club experts go to identify them, almost invariably the dogs are just small “pit bulls”. Shelters want to call them “Staffies” to avoid whatever stigma “pit bull” carries.
Deborah Holmes says
When I was growing up most everyone had a mongrel or mutt. Around farms, the mix was often collie/shepard because they were good with livestock. Dogs were identified as small, medium or large, having long or short fur, floppy ears or erect ears, long or short legs without much thought to what their breed mixes might be. Very few people had purebred dogs as pets. I now have two all American Shelter Dogs, which is what I tell people my dogs are. One of them truly is with 17 different breeds showing up in her DNA profile with the largest percentage at 42 being APBT. She was identified at the shelter as a boxer mix (3 percent), Jack Russell mix (0 percent) hound mix (2 percent). In her younger years she looked more pittie than she does at 12, and people trying to guess her breed mix say hound and never pit. The fact that she was listed as a boxer mix just makes insurance and travel easier, but it pains me to be reluctant to say she has pittie in her because she is a wonderful ambassador for shelter dogs in general and pitties in particular. She is so sweet and gentle and loves every person and dog she encounters. My new rescue dog was identified as a cattle dog mix based on his large erect pointy ears (3 percent). Animal control identified him as APBT mix — whether that made him adoptable or not was not their concern. Despite finding himself in overcrowded southern shelters twice, workers saw how sweet he was and he was pulled from the kill list. I had dog trainers tell me he “definitely” was a boutique mix of cattle dog and staffie. Nope. He is 80 percent APBT and AmStaf and 10 percent lab, and nine other breeds in tiny percentages, including chihuahua. His vet just listed him as a mixed breed, which is exactly what both of these dogs are. He came from an abusive, neglectful background and is a work in progress as he learns to trust, but he is oh, so sweet. Because he looks so pittie I’m careful to manage his encounters with people and dogs and won’t bring him to a dog park because I know that if anything happens, he’s always going to be blamed whether it’s his fault or not. He loves to play with other dogs and is very gentle with tiny ones, though he does act like a canine freight train with dogs his size. Ironically, the cattle dog he was identified as by a shelter does not score anywhere near as well on behavior tests as a pittie. I’ve seen him with children and he is absolutely wonderful, not something that can be said about many cattle dogs. When we travel, my 12 year old female mix gets a cute bandana and the new boy gets a bow tie on his collar. It’s amazing how it changes people’s perceptions of him. A rescue group I volunteer with does try to take a guess at what a dog is based on appearance, size and energy level and does lable dogs who have big jaws and shorter muzzles and terrier ears as either terrier or pit mixes. We ask pointedly if potential adopters face breed bans froms insurance or landlords. The last thing we want is for a half grown puppy to be returned from adoption because someone didn’t know that it would look like a pittie, or for a young adult dog to be returned because it was too energetic or strong for someone to handle.
Andy says
Such a great topic! I have just a few thoughts that hopefully address the topic:
For breed ID, I think some of this may depend on the software. Some packages don’t have a straight “mixed breed” option (which is really what we should use most of the time) and force you to choose one, even if it’s just as a secondary guess. So that accounts for a lot of the weird labelling. Staff know it’s a crapshoot and often just pick something.
When I’ve been active in the shelter environment I always felt it was good to have a general idea, preferably sourced from DNA, of what’s in the *overall* population. I’m confident, for instance, that we have a lot of “pit bull”-type stock, but that it’s distributed and most of the dogs really are “mixed breed”. This allows us to truly treat each dog as an individual while still having an idea of what kinds of recurring behaviors they may see over a long period of time (possibly medical patterns too).
Louise says
The shelter where I volunteer (HSTT) refuses to label the dogs; they just describe their attributes in simple terms. They are also a “No Kill” shelter – hooray! We are looking to adopt a dog that multiple staff say “Anyone that meets her can’t help but fall in love”. She was found as a stray and knows nothing about how to behave, but she is as happy as they come, eager to learn and very affectionate. This 6 months old 36 pound dog looks like a catahoula. Not supposed to label…
Shivani says
As a newbie dog owner, when I began the adoption process my only real criteria was size. I wanted to keep the weight limit to about 40 lbs or less, thinking that might be somewhat manageable while I gained confidence and experience. I didn’t have a breed preference, other than I didn’t think I would be able to keep a border collie happy.
Adopting during the pandemic was such a strange experience. Both because adoptions were at an all-time high and because everything was shut down. Online only, almost impossible to reach anyone by phone to ask questions, and people so busy they often couldn’t respond to an email until two weeks after the dog had already been adopted. Submit your application into the void and wait and see. After 15 applications, my lottery number came up!
Auggie was a year old and had been through 3 homes. Only 21 pounds, he was described as a corgi mixed with…well, something. You can sort of see a hint of corgi, but he really looks like about five different dogs, with a tail as big as he is. If I had started with a breed preference, Auggie probably has it in there somewhere. People like to tell me what they see in him, jack russell/GSD/aussie/beagle/corgi and so on.
After adopting him, I read a fair amount about breeds and the traits associated with them. It’s a weird catch-22. I understand that it’s important for people to know what they’re getting into, and yet if I had done that reading before adopting, I probably wouldn’t have been as open as I was. I also agree with what someone else said, the names dogs are given by their temporary caregivers can impact how they are perceived (associating the name with personality traits). Ideally the temp caregiver has been able to observe the dog long enough to describe its personality and behavior, but that’s not always possible or accurate. I wish the deck could be stacked more in the favor of the dogs.
But I feel incredibly lucky to have been paired up with Auggie. We’re working through some challenges, including separation anxiety. But for me, he’s perfect.
Julie Devlin-Wassell says
Geez one has to get up awfully early to respond to your posts in a timely matter! I too have in the past worked at a shelter. No Kill and 90% were bully breeds sent to us from kill shelters. It was a humbling experience. I have always been a rescue snob until I rescued a Golden who stole my heart and had me wrapped around his paw. When we lost him to cancer I knew I still needed a Golden in my life. So I hunted down a diva breeder 13 page application, wanted 3 references plus a reference from my vet. So we now have a very awesome Golden named Lambert. But a year and a half later I started ovulating for another puppy. Enter Taco a 45lb deaf Cattle mix. The two together are like Andy Griffith and Barney Fife. I guess what I’m saying is I like to mix it up!
Kristin Luker says
Cherimoya
Deborah Mason says
We’re have had one Golden Retriever, one Golden Samoyed mix, one Lab Springer Spaniel & I’ve “Lab Mix” who clearly (from the ranked angle from hip bone to tail & face) had a GSD in the mix. They all have had their good & bad characteristics. Our biggest regret is that we never had the opportunity to play Agility with our “Golden Sammy”. He loved to run & was a great high jumper. At 11 he could still go from sitting in the ground to sitting on top of a 4’+ snow bank. He’d run for a mile or so every chance he got just for the sheer pleasure of it. Or current 2 love Agility, Rally & scent work
MineAreWorkingline says
Shame on you! I once respected you! YOU of all people know that dogs are purpose bred to exhibit specific behavioral traits. Form follows function. It is unethical to withhold breed under the guise that people are too stupid to know about what breed will mesh with their lifestyle or that most dogs of a given breed will display its behavioral traits to some degree. How presumptuous and disingenuous!
Trisha says
MineAreWorkingline: Oh my. I’m pretty sure I didn’t say that (all) people are too stupid to know what breed is best for them. I did make a comment, based on 25 years of seeing clients, that some people did, indeed, tell me they wanted breed A when it would have been a disaster. Disasters I saw, heartbreaking ones, on a regular basis. But the point of the article is about mixed breeds, and how what breeds went into them, and how it’s difficult to know. My point now is that we are all doing the best we can, at the present time, with the skills and knowledge we have. I found it an interesting article, and sent it out with warmth and appreciation for eveyone who is trying to help dogs, in the best way they can.
muttzrule says
This is a fascinating topic, as all my dogs have been mixed breeds. Some of their breeds were known or easy to determine with a little detective work. Others were part or wholly unknown. Each has taught me something new about dogs.
The first two were puppies from friends whose dogs had pups. Mickey was a super smart papillon/who knows what mix, and Scout was a lab/golden who was as close to the perfect dog as I’ve ever known. Since then they’ve all been rescues. Scout’s bff Meg was labeled a lab mix, but she turned out to be a whippet/Rhodesian ridgeback with the best qualities of both. Cuddly, athletic and very family oriented. “Lab mix” does tend to be shelter/rescue speak for “cute, sweet, floppy eared medium to large dog of unknown parentage.”
Duncan was mostly golden shepherd, likely with one or more smaller breeds in there given his medium size. Part affectionate velcro dog, part comedian and part demolitions expert in his youth. Kinda wish I’d done his dna test. Missy is a “sprollie” (border collie & springer spaniel). Beautiful, playful, a bit of an independent spirit. And floofy. Very, very floofy. Should be a professional tester for lint rollers and heavy duty vacuums.
Weatherwise, 18 below? Eeek! I can’t even imagine how to deal with that. An ice storm is forecast for north TX tomorrow with lows in the teens and 20s, and even that’s low enough to make people here go a little nuts. Especially after last February’s Snowmageddon, which with the power and water shortages was far beyond anything that’s ever happened before. One of my coworkers passed away in that horrible 130-car wreck on I-35 last year, and has been on my mind a lot lately. I’m going to stay home and hibernate with Missy, and pray for everyone’s safety this week.
Mary says
Love this post and the comments. I foster for a rescue, generally puppies and it is always a guess what the heck they are. Even who they will be is always a crap shoot to some degree. I had a litter who were all on the small side, great social pups and one of the potential adopters needed vet records for her landlord which of course I was thinking they have breed restrictions. They did and turned down this sweet pup because his picture looked like a pit bull. He did get adopted and that family, as well as others from the same litter did DNA and not a speck of any type of bully breed in there! I was tempted to send the landlord a copy but thought better of it. My current dog who has a thick, course, wavy, almost wiry coat and a long, thick curly tail. DNA showed 46% pit bull and the rest was a Mish mash of herding breeds. She is a wonderful mix of both types of breeds, and love her to pieces!
LisaW says
From the current 52 comments, 11 out of 14 DNA results came back with AmStaff as one of the “breeds” in the testing. Is that because many of this blog’s commenters have AmStaff mix dogs either by choice or happenstance or because the doggie DNA tests are relatively new and not really regulated and the algorithms find AmStaff more often because, so far, that’s one of the more common markers in their database (being one of the oldest “recognized breeds”)? Aren’t these DNA tests based on a single marker match run through their DNA database of previously submitted populations? This whole DNA-by-mail makes me nervous. (People, dogs, cats, you name it.)
I’ve been training myself to not ask, “What kind of dog is he/she?” It’s so ingrained, but it’s part of a concerted effort on my part to throw away some assumptions and predetermined narratives in many discussions across many contexts.
It’s another reason I love “Opinionated.” It really throws off the question in a fun and thoughtfully surprising way by shifting to behavior rather than type (never mind that it’s also true for us :).
Pat says
We have had a poodle – he was a kick and kept us on our newly married toes – then a little beagle who loved to nibble on our kids ears – then a collie who took great delight at jumping our fence and visiting the neighbors – then a mutt from the Animal Shelter in New Brunswick, NJ who was our Benji and lived to be 17 – and finally our current little girl, Sammy who is a Cavalier King Charles and is the love of our old lives. She is sweet and loving to everyone and every dog, and likes nothing better than curling up on a lap or next to a warm body in bed and is perfect for two people who are now 80. There is a dog for every season of a person’s life – you just have to love them where you are and where they are.
Anna says
I live in NY, and our city shelter (ACC – Animal Care Centers) moved away from listing breeds onv kennel cards. Since 90% of dogs that end up there are either pits or pits mixes, they renamed them all NYC Boroughbreds and promote them as true New Yorkers
Gayla says
I spent years teaching obedience classes at an ‘open intake’ shelter. If someone came in looking for a lab mix, the staff would find them something that could pass as one. They didn’t really know… they just tried to get as many out the door and into homes as they could. Dogs ARE purpose bred to exhibit specific behavior traits, and John Q. Public is often not as informed as they should be before making a commitment to a specific dog/breed. That’s not meant to be an insult to anyone, but it was my sad experience to observe it happening often.
ejhaskins says
I took on an unwanted dog who, I was told, was a Kelpie (one of my favourite breeds). Why don’t you want her? She’s no good on Cattle.
She was funny looking thing, but sort-of Kelpie looking.
Intelligent very quick to learn and prone to biting the larger dogs, especially their feet. 🙁
Considering her looks AND behavior I decided she was Jack Russell X Schnauzer.
So on insistence from my DH she went to the RSPCA , before the bigger dogs killed her.:-(
ejhaskins says
I wouldn’t trust DNA breed testing any more than my own eyes,
We had a lovely dog at our Obedience Club. Rangy black and white colour, like a Border Collie. His mother was KNOW to be a Bernese Mountain dog, and a BC had been seen lurking around when she was is season. However the (USA) breed tests came back as “Kerry Blue Terrier” And some other breed (cannot just now recall) that is extremely rare in Australia.
I say “A likely story”. As though dogs of those breeds would be wandering around teh town!
Kristyl Adams says
Of all my rescues, I’ve known every mix predominant, or purebreds. But I have been doing dog show photography for around 16 years. Often times I let the shelters know they have it wrong. Worse case was my purebred Schnauzer who was listed as a Tibetan Terrier. I know every piece of bone structure on a Schnauzer..you ain’t foolin me no matter how much of a mess they are when I find them. And so many other tell tale signs. PS I did DNA’s on all the rescues with Embark.
Kat says
The local Humane Society labels dogs of unknown ancestry as ASDs (American Shelter Dogs)s. I rather like that.
One of the nearby Police Departments had a drug dog they described as a lab mix. This dog had a blocky head, deep barrel chest, slightly bowed front legs, and a chocolate brown coat. The only thing that looked Lab was the color. Every time I met him (he used to visit in my classroom) I wondered if he was labeled as a Lab mix so he’d be considered a safe ambassador when visiting kids where if he’d been labeled as a bully mix he would not. The first time he met me I crouched down to say hello and he knocked me off my feet trying to climb in my lap to love me. He was the sweetest thing when off duty but total focus when asked to search.
Carole says
Many people guess that my 40-pound, black-with-some-white-markings (including socks–love the socks!) bundle of love, Dougal, is a border collie mix. Sometimes people think pointer because he is slim and his socks have some spots. According to DNA test results, the largest percentage of his DNA comes from Golden Retriever (!), with American Staffordshire a close 2nd. There are also several other terrier breeds mixed in, which anyone who sees the craters he has dug in my yard would believe in a heartbeat.
Bruce says
Seven years ago rescue described Red Dog as a “Boxer mix”, which I assumed meant pit mix. I immediately loved her playful personality and canine social skills so home we went.
DNA analysis confirmed roughly half pit, with the remainder equal parts Doberman, Great Pyrenees (seems highly unlikely), and mixed “Middle East and African” dog (Ridgeback, Saluki, Basenji, etc.). No Boxer whatsoever.
Previously a friend had adopted a “Redbone Coonhound” from a shelter that turned out to be a ridge-less Rhodesian Ridgeback. She did Ridgeback rescue for years so we spent lots of time with her dogs.
Red Dog looks and behaves exactly like a scaled-down Ridgeback. Seeing Red Dog next to a real Ridgeback is a bit uncanny.
So even when you “know” the dog’s breed ancestry, breeding does not always predict behavior or personality. Best to work with the dog you have, rather than the dog you expect.
Did I ever mention our purebred Labrador Retriever who had ZERO conception of retrieving?
Susan Kocher says
Mangosteen, called “mongkut” in Thailand. And one of my absolute favorite fruits. When I lived there, I would buy a kilo and eat the whole thing in a day! (It’s mostly husk though).
Laurie Levay says
Great topic and love all the responses. I volunteer with a Canadian rescue which rescues dogs from Northern Communities. Many dogs are strays and many puppies are born outside in harsh cold temperatures so hence, we don’t know their breed. We call them Manitoba designer dogs. They all are the most loving, happiest animals, they all love their forever homes. It doesn’t matter the breed, their new home is all that matters.
Melanie Hawkes says
This reminds me of a conversation I had with a friend last year. We were having dinner in a courtyard before seeing a movie. Her support worker turned to me and asked “so Mel, what have you got?” I looked into my cup and answered “mulled wine”. What she meant was what disability did I have! My friend came to my defence and said Mel is just Mel, who cares? I agree. My disability might change how I do things but at the end of the day I’m still Mel. I think it applies to dogs and breeds. Know and love the dog at the end of the leash and who cares what breed they are? My label is Melanie and my dog is Upton 😍
Erin says
I love a mutt and try to stay open. Temperament is always more important. Certain breeds are not a good fit for my lifestyle and not something I would seek out deliberately. But if I met the right dog or connected with a photo and the description was a good fit, I’m sure I could love anything.
Case in point, I found my late girl Chloe on Petfinder. She was dressed up and I figured she was a terrier mix, nope, purebred hairless Chinese Crested. I’d only ever seen them in the show ring and didn’t recognize her for what she was. Best little girl ever. She made me fall in love with her breed and I’d love to rescue another one someday.
Understandable shelters label pit/mixes to get them adopted and sad they have too. I’m sure they also do to get around BSL that would otherwise force them to euthanize them. For me though I’m the opposite of most people, I’d be far more hesitant about adopting lab/shepherd mix then a pit.
Robin says
When we were looking for our current dog, our requirements were: 1. Adult 2. Shorthair 3. Somewhat chill 4. Somewhere between 20 and 80 lbs. 5. No flat faces
And most importantly, must love cats.
What we were surprised over 8 months and two different absolutely horrible failures is that either the rescues didn’t test for the last one, or they would LIE. Good grief. We wound up with the absolute best dog, though!
J. Hass says
And to MineAreWorkingline: Some people don’t know what they are getting in their chosen breed. For example, my neighbor who brought home a 2-mo old border collie. “Wow, you’ve got yourself the Einstein of dogs”, I said. Their replay was “Really? I didn’t know they were smart dogs.” If they don’t even know the basics, how can they ever fathom what this pup will need to be healthy and happy? My heart breaks for this little pup who will spend her life in a small suburban backyard.
Kristina says
One issue with not labeling breeds is that it makes it difficult for people with allergies. My husband is allergic to dogs with fur, but not hair breeds, so it was very important to us to limit our search to poodles, Yorkies, etc. (We ended up getting a shih tzu.)
Grizz says
How do DNA tests usually come out on dogs that are purebred border collies? Saw a post on reddit and they were worried from a remark from their vet that it was a mix because it was “large”. I thought the puppy looked fine and some BCs are larger. Both mine (males) have been over 50 pounds when fully grown. Then I started wondering how my previous and current BCs would test. Also I did have a vet once remark that my first BC might be part poodle because he had some curl in areas, but have found information that it can be normal in BCs
Wyatt says
I adopted a “lab mix” very naively, only to be laughed at by every dog professional who told me that rescues call every dog a lab mix if it’s at all passable. In fact, my dog is 0% lab; she’s 40% pit bull, 15% each boxer, Vizsla, and beagle, and the remaining 15% is even muddier. (For those who question the validity of the DNA tests, I used two different companies and got strikingly similar results.) She looks like a miniature Vizsla, but black and white. (45 lbs, leggy, big ears, silly face.) I’ve enjoyed having a total mutt (is that word allowed anymore?) and seeing how all the different breeds present – the sniffiness and prey drive is the beagle, the lanky stride is the Vizsla, the playful paw-slaps are the boxer, etc. I’ve thought about getting a purebred dog when I eventually find her a sibling, though, just because I see value in dogs that have been selectively bred specifically for good temperament and manageable energy level. My dog is the sweetest, but she had a lot of fear issues as a puppy and is still hand-shy with most people other than me. Many of the dogs imported to Northeastern rescues from the South are the results of backyard breeders or breeding between strays, which obviously can lead to such temperament issues. I’m not sure I can go through that again. And I do not want to unwittingly get a working dog who requires 4 hours of intense exercise a day, when my existing dog is happy with 45 minutes off-leash in the woods in the morning and some fetch and tug at night. That said, I think it would probably be as easy to ensure a good fit with a rescue as with a breeder by meeting the dog in person and doing a lengthy trial (something my rescue did not allow at the time of my adoption due, supposedly, to Covid concerns).
Bruce says
Previously I mentioned that a friend adopted a “Redbone Coonhound” mix that turned out to be a purebred Rhodesian Ridgeback.
Yesterday, I ran into a woman who had a “Rhodesian Ridgeback mix” that DNA analysis identified as a Redbone Coonhound mix.
Seemed timely.
Denise says
I also volunteer for the local shelters. I find that the county shelter labels most of the dogs that come in as pit mixes. I have adopted 2 of my 4 dogs (all adopted) from the county shelter. My Beagle mix surprise, they got that one right. DNA says she’s Beagle and Jack Russell which is what I said. My Shepard/Husky which you can tell immediately, DNA says that’s what he is. He is was labeled Labrador/pit mix of which he has no Labrador nor pit in him. Also they got his age wrong. They said he was 2 years, but turns out he’s 8 months to a year. So yes shelters really don’t know what the breeds are.
Phoebe Hollick says
Fascinating thread. I find the tendency to label unhelpful. In my 20 years of (rescue) dog owning, I’ve encountered 2 examples, where |i shouldn’t have believed the label in the tin. The first was ( and still is!) a great success. I adopted a 20 week old pup, labelled as a border collie x lab. My 2 favourite breeds united in one dog. What could possibly go wrong, especially as mum was known to be a collie cross. The litter had had parvo and only 2 pups survived. Mine growed just like Topsy, Big, black, beautiful, probably the cleverest and certainly the best natured of my dogs. I have a lurcher. I would never have knowingly adopted one, so I’m so glad the rescue got it wrong.
My second experience was a private rescue. The 7 month old pup was described as a Jackapoo and a friend thought he would make me a great agility dog. When I arrived at the car park to collect him, the only dog waiting looked like a lurcher. However I had and love my lurcher (see mistake no. 1), so I went ahead. Thre was no real choice anyway after I had sussed the owner. My poor boy was terrified of everything. I tried vet after vet as I was sure that this was more than a rescue’s problems. After a year a veterinary behaviourist diagnosed him as having hyper sensibilite hyper activite (sorry I don’t know the English term, but it’s a bit like a combination of autism and ADHD), caused by him having been removed from his mother before his neuropsychological development had finished).
He started taking fluoxetine and my dog club made great efforts to incorporate him into the class. However no sooner than one behavioural problem seemed to improve, than another struck, especially increasing outbursts of aggression towards me and my other dogs. We all lived on our nerves. A year and 3 veterinary behaviourists later, I struck gold with one who trained vets in behaviourism. She listened and watched and I was emboldened to mention that his first vet vet (ie pre adoption)had mentioned that she had always considered him a cocker cross.
I’ve no doubt about it, she replied. HSHA is the least of his problems. He has the neurological problem commonly known as ‘Cocker rage’. It’s incurable and he’s untrainable as when he reacts, he has no idea what he’s doing. It’s like an epileptic fit. Anti psychotic medication may control it, but there’s no guarantee. Until the meds take effect, you must regard him as a danger to yourself and your other dogs.
That evening , he nearly killed one of my other dogs. The next morning he was euthanised. It broke my heart. I’ve often wondered, if I’d ignored what I was told by the owner, would we have reached the diagnosis a year earlier? His behaviour wasn’t so extreme the? Could the meds have worked? He had so little happiness in his life, and despite my promise when I adopted him, all that I could give him was relief from his suffering at the age of 2 and a half. I’ll never look at the labelling of a dog again