r/IDmydog • u/Al115 • Nov 07 '24
Bringing her home tomorrow. She's a Golden Retriever mix, but WHAT could she be mixed with? Solved
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u/Al115 Nov 07 '24
Officially adopting this sweet girl tomorrow. She was surrendered to a shelter and a local rescue grabbed her and her brother from there. Her mother was apparently 100% Golden Retriever, according to her previous owners who dropped her off at the shelter, but they have no idea who the dad is, lol. Her brother looks exactly like a Golden Retriever, just smaller.
She is full grown at around 25 pounds. Her brother is ever so slightly larger at 30 pounds, if that helps at all.
I'm just so curious about where her beautiful coat comes from.
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u/Difficult-Froyo1192 Nov 07 '24
Usually brindle coat like that means pit. There’s a few other dogs that have brindle coats but most of the time it’s from a pit (always guess pit when you don’t know for sure). Sometimes pits really only give the coats and not a lot of other features. Especially with the size, I would guess pit and some smaller dogs included for the dad
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u/Liz_123456 Nov 08 '24
brindle color also exists in hounds (think greyhounds) and sometimes shepherds. That long tail makes me think of some sort of scent hound/sighthound
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u/Sensitive-Eagle3641 Nov 08 '24
My dog is a brindle "mountain cur" scent hound. He looks really similar but he has short fur.
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u/zima-perdu Nov 10 '24
this actually seems like a very possible predecessor somewhere along the line !!
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u/seekerofthedead Nov 07 '24
I have a similar looking dog, and she doesn't have any pit. I did multiple DNA tests from different companies. She came back as half German Shepherd and a mix of Australian Shepherd, Border Collie, cattledog, and a couple others but no pit. Both German Shepherd and border collies can produce a brindle coat, but it's very rare. Dutch shepherds are also strong carries for the brindle coat. Another breed that has very strong brindle genetics is the plott hound.
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u/StarraeAday1 Nov 08 '24
My boys are brindle because they're Akita mixed with Great Pyr, confirmed via DNA. 🤷
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u/Jellyfish_Confusion Nov 08 '24
We have a brindle cattle dog, she is absolutely wonderful.
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u/FoxglovePattycakes Nov 10 '24
Same, sort of. Ours is 40% cattle dog, 20% chow chow, plus rat terrier, Labrador retriever, and Boston terrier. She's the shape and size of a cattle dog but has a lovely, soft reverse brindle coat.
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u/GlGABITE Nov 08 '24
Sure, brindle coats exist in other breeds, but overwhelmingly it’s going to be pit. Not that there’s anything wrong with that
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u/091796 Nov 08 '24
Brindle & black are carried by goldens, so granted the dad would have to be a carrier too but it’s not all coming from the dads side. Could be something w just enough brindle recessive genes in his dna to show up in the offspring
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u/MaracujaBarracuda Nov 08 '24
Since she’s smaller than your typical pit it could be French bulldog, they come in brindle. Or could be some kind of mixed breed like pit and chihuahua.
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u/0tterr Nov 08 '24 edited Nov 08 '24
Having a hard time imagining the frenchie that can overtake a not spayed full blooded golden bitch 😂
Edit: former dog trainer turned groomer. I know the reality of it, it’s dead ass just the confusing visual that lives rent free in my head. Had to reconcile with that a few years ago with the introduction of Pomskys reaching peak in Covid era. They are mostly artificially inseminated but the exceptions make the rule. 🙃
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u/BlairIsTired Nov 08 '24
Oh it definitely happens. My dogs nieces/nephews are Chihuahua/Dachshund/Shih Tzu on dad's side and Pit/Hound/Lab on moms side. Large female dogs in heat will lay down for smaller male dogs
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u/Turbulent-Trust207 Nov 08 '24
The female lays down it happens all the time. It is a funny visual though
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u/IShallWearMidnight Nov 08 '24
Her size and shape makes me more inclined to think whippet than pit. And brindle = pit isn't particularly true except that pits tend to be common. I can think of 20+ breeds that have brindle coats.
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u/MaddogOfLesbos Nov 08 '24
Definitely not with a face like that! The other main brindle contributor in the US south at least is plott hound, and I’d bet money on that for her!
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u/Difficult-Froyo1192 Nov 08 '24
Face is blockier than you think with the fur but even then pits have been known to not give a lot of the physical features even when high percentages are mixed in. I’ve seen dogs 75% pit with leaner bodies and faces than that. Plus, a plott hound mix and a half golden should be 50+ lbs. This dog is way too small. Not to mention, there’s a lot of studies showing most brindle dogs that are assumed plott hound mixes have no plott hound in them at all. The prevalence of that was mostly a marketting scheme to help rescues and shelters adopt dogs out instead of calling them pit. And yes, those lean leggy, brindle dogs had a large percent of pit because some pits naturally have those features
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u/EquivalentCommon5 Nov 09 '24
Agree! Most mixed breeds have pit! Mine does not at all look like pit in any way yet he’s 33% pit- the only way I see it is he will lick you to death before anything! He went for a spa visit and they joked they might have to charge me extra for saliva removal🤣 it was because my pup gave so many kisses🤦♀️🤣Pits are so numerous, we aren’t going to get rid of them! Banning them- well mine doesn’t look like a pit, but he’s also a 95lb 10% Boston Terrier as well 🤔. Better access to sterilization and education on why (cancer!), so many other things! I’m not a pit I’d best or something - I just know a breed ban doesn’t work! Some dogs can have pit as the majority (as mine is) but you’d never guess it, meanwhile other dogs look pit and have none! So we could be harming them for a look when they don’t have any dna of the breed that’s banned? We are also hurting the family that loved the dog! It’s a slippery slope! Though I know the US is probably going down that way (I’m sorry, don’t respond to that!!! This is a dog forum! I’m leaving it as a dog slippery slope only! Don’t comment unless it’s dog related!!!)
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u/babykitten28 Nov 08 '24
That is the prefect size! Easily picked up and removed from a situation if necessary.
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u/AcceptableEchidna178 Nov 07 '24
I see Border Collie in the head/body shape, and the fan tail.
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u/Al115 Nov 07 '24
I would LOVE that so much. I've been obsessed with collies of all types ever since I saw Lassie as a kid, lol.
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u/No_Performance8733 Nov 07 '24
Working dogs want exercise. You sound excited for it! Get ready!!
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u/Al115 Nov 07 '24
According to the rescue, she's actually a pretty lazy, laid back pup. They currently have a group of about 10 dogs they've rescued who are living on the farm, and they said she'll play with them for a few minutes before she gets tired of it and just stands and watches the other 9 running around and playing. They said she prefers to be by her people and getting lovings, lol.
Regardless, she'll be going on several walks/day and our apartment also has a dog part we're planning to take her to once we work on some basic commands and her recall.
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u/Zestyclose-Pride1094 Nov 07 '24
My border collie mix is literally the same way with other pups! I’ve always said she’s just too smart for them😂 but I will say when she sees her leash she has a complete energy shift and becomes a crack head lol! My guess would actually be border collie & some sort of hound(brindle has to come from somewhere) The only golden feature she has is the feathery coat, but that could also be the collie! Regardless a beautiful pup congratulations!! Update us if you ever Dna test Op 🥰
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u/keIIzzz Nov 07 '24
One of my dogs was very chill and timid at first and then became crazy when she got comfortable with us 😂
My sister’s dog was the same
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u/sedatedegg Nov 07 '24
my girl (named lassie) looks a bit like your girl! my dog
my money on yours is the other half of her is purebred mutt. i’m thinking some german shepherd and pit for sure. pit mixes often have those white markings on the chest and the “socks”
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u/blueskystormysky Nov 08 '24
I thought border collie right away because of the face shape. Her coat is gorgeous! So unique.
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u/keh2143 Nov 08 '24
They're amazing dogs, but need a LOT of physical and mental stimulation. A lot of people forget about the mental stimulation.
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u/Right-Pie5502 Nov 08 '24
Same. As a multiple border collie owner, she has The Vibe.
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u/iamreallie Nov 07 '24
Your dog is beautiful and very unique looking. She might be a tough one to guess.
I adopted a mystery mutt from a dog rescue. The rescue thought she was a small breed terrier mix and full grown... well, she grew 2 x times bigger and acted nothing like a terrier. Got Emark Dog DNA kit. Very fun process and experience. Turns out my dog is Australian Cattle Dog/ Chihuahua. She is pure white all over except for one small spot on the back of her neck. It explains why she randomly herds and is super smart.
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u/Al115 Nov 07 '24
Omg! What a surprising mix, lol!
I'm definitely planning to eventually do Embark. I'm just super super curious to know what she actually is.
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u/iamreallie Nov 07 '24
I did a double take on the results. Now that I know, she looks like a mini ( 28 lbs) all white Cattle Dog. Dogs are so funny, it seems like some end up taking more after one breed they are mixed with than the other. My dog is nearly 40% Cattle Dog and 50% Chihuahua. The other 10% wasn't clear. However, she certainly seems to look and behave much more like a Cattle Dog.
Congratulations on your new puppy! She is beautiful and looks like a great dog.
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u/sillyfacex3 Nov 07 '24
I think Dad might've been a brindle dachshund...
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u/Arcane-Ink Nov 07 '24
Oh, wow! Her face in the second photo was making me think dachshund, too, but I was stuck on what could provide that coat color. I didn't know that brindle was an option for dachshunds!
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u/Al115 Nov 07 '24
I've actually been doing a bit of digging, and apparently brindle is a recessive gene that goldens carry, too...but it is only ever given the opportunity to show when they breed with a different breed.
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u/SentenceForeign9180 Nov 07 '24
I would guess her thin nose and ear/tail floof could come from something like Brittany Spaniel. I would've initially hesitated on that because that wouldn't explain the brindle, but maybe with the Golden gene?
She has a very pointer/setter build to me.
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u/Al115 Nov 07 '24
Now that you mention that, I can definitely see it. My family had a brittany spaniel when I was growing up, and honestly, her shape bears a ton of similarities to his.
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u/Early-Shelter-7476 Nov 07 '24
That is so interesting! I learn so much here!
Thanks for that tidbit 🙂
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u/my-kind-of-crazy Nov 07 '24
No pittie skull so likely no pit. The second picture is giving daschound (sp?). I’d guess a herding breed is in there, either border collie or Australian shepherd.
I’d definitely be keeping an eye for Black Friday deals on embark because with a beauty like that I’d guess literally everyone will ask you what she is. She looks smart so get yourself some brain teaser toys to tire her brain out and well as her body so she doesn’t get bored and eat things! Haha.
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u/Al115 Nov 07 '24
That's my plan! We are so so curious to know what she is. Even the rescue is completely stumped on what she is considering that her brother just looks like a smaller golden, lol. I'd love to be able to get the DNA test and be ale to tell them so they know for her brother.
And we thankfully have a ton of treat puzzles and snuffle mats that we held onto from our late dog that we're planning to use with her. The rescue said that despite her age and how energetic her brother is, she's mostly just content watching other dogs play and just cozying up next to you for pets, lol.
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u/chickenfeathers1987 Nov 08 '24
My dog looks exactly like this but her tail doesn't curl up. She is 25% pity. I assume it's where the brindle comes from.
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u/ButthurtPecan Nov 07 '24
She’s gorgeous wow. Def some shepherd. Maybe Australian?
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u/TheHauntedButterfly Nov 08 '24
Dutch Shepherd's specifically have coat patterns just like this, right down to the white patch on the chest.
Although there weren't very many mix results, I Googled "Dutch Shepherd Retriever Mix" and there was at least one dog that looked exactly like this one.
(This one has a Border Collie like face/coat too so that could be part of it.)
Whatever this sweetie is though, they are gorgeous!
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u/Difficult-Froyo1192 Nov 08 '24
Dutch shepherds are really rare to see in general though. I would be skeptical about that one, especially give the size and energy level, but I do agree on there’s probably some BC here
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u/flamingo_mama Nov 07 '24
She looks similar to my dog that I posted here a few days ago! Same tail, similar body, just different coloring. We were also told golden retriever mix (possibly collie), and we just sent in our dna test so we’re waiting on results!
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u/Al115 Nov 07 '24
Oh, wow! They really do look similar...even have similar white markings on the chest and paws. Please share your results when you get them...so curious to know!!!
I'm planning to hopefully do a DNA test on her within the next few weeks because I am just so curious to know what else she has in her.
Editing to add: Saw that you said you think yours may have some German Shepherd in her, which is funny, because literally everyone in my family that I've shown our girl to has said they've seen shepherd in her, particularly in the shape of her snout.
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u/Event68fqfzs Nov 07 '24
My bet will be collie, golden and dutch shepherd or pit for the color. She’s gorgeous!
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u/FlailingatLife62 Nov 07 '24
wow what a gorgeous color! pretty dog! no idea what else could be in the mix
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u/No_Performance8733 Nov 07 '24
Get to know her! It will be interesting to see what breed(s) she tends to behave like.
Ours is a husky cattle dog mix, but jiminy crickets is she SO cattle doggy. Like, need a support group. She has an inner velociraptor nature and her nickname is “Park Shark” because she just circles the park looking for dogs to run with, wrestle, adventure, and trouble. But only in the most good natured ways!
I had to replace a lab family’s leash last week because she tore it apart in 3 chomps because the other owner let them play tug of war with it :))
I don’t know exactly what breed my dog looks like most, but I certainly have had a crash course in the breed my rescue dog favors in terms of behavior!
This dominance of breed behavior completely informs our training methods and style.
The more you know! Hope this helps :))
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u/Al115 Nov 07 '24
It definitely helps, thanks!
From what the rescue has told us, she's a very very good-natured, chill pup. They said she's extremely affectionate and is really just content so long as she's cuddled up next to you and you're petting her, lol. Her brother, on the other hand, is apparently extremely energetic and constantly running around and playing with the other dogs at the rescue.
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u/GerardDiedOfFlu Nov 07 '24
Plott hound mix?
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u/DutchessOfSpirits Nov 08 '24
Exactly what I was thinking! I was surprised to not see this higher up.
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u/TroLLageK Nov 07 '24
She looks similar to my girls siblings, and they are golden mixes! They're Aussie, golden, mountain cur, bulldog and boxer. She does look different in many ways though, so my guess would be along the lines of MAS or some other collie, Chihuahua, plott hound, maybe some golden, and then I want to say some other small breed in there giving her that face, something like doxie or mini poo.
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u/Away-Object-1114 Nov 07 '24
That face says Irish Setter to me, the feathered tail as well. But the two toned coat gives me pause. I don't know, but she sure is cute 🤗
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u/Al115 Nov 07 '24
Ooooo...that's actually a very interesting suggestion. I can definitely see it.
Apparently, according to my brief research, brindle is actually a recessive gene the goldens carry, and it can occasionally show up when they breed with different breeds.
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u/TheTruthsOutThere Nov 07 '24
If you're in the US she is probably part pit.
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u/Al115 Nov 07 '24
Oh, yeah, I would absolutely be shocked if there wasn't some amount of pit in her. Planning to eventually do an Embark DNA kit, so it should be fun to see what else pops up for her!
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u/fentifanta3 Nov 07 '24
here are breeds that have a brindle coat
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u/Al115 Nov 07 '24
Thank you! The Treeing Tennessee Brindle could be a possible candidate. White markings on the chest and feet are per the breed standard, and our girl has those. It also seems to be a somewhat common-ish breed for mixed breed pups in our area...saw it numerous Treeing Tennessee Brindle mixes while searching for a pup before coming across our girl.
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u/Jungletoast-9941 Nov 07 '24
Tbh I dont see the golden in her. I would wager a shepherd collie mix.
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u/Al115 Nov 07 '24
Nah, there's definitely golden. Her brother (litter mate) looks identical to a golden, just smaller. The genes in her are just funky, lol...definitely masking the golden, haha.
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u/iNthEwaStElanD_ Nov 07 '24
Possibly a large Pinscher, I’m thinking. Who knows, though. Just the looks will tell you very little.
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u/TwoGoodPuppies Nov 07 '24
No idea but I absolutely ADORE her! She has gorgeous coloring! Thank you for adopting!
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Nov 07 '24
She will be a very loving dog. When training you positive reinforcement to build trust and a loving bond
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u/scnavi Nov 07 '24
Golden retriever and Plott Hound, especially if you're in the south.
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u/A_little_curiosity Nov 07 '24
What a sweetheart. The second picture made me laugh out loud, just bc she's so cute. I think maybe some herding dog in there, possibly border collie? Please post results when you know!
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u/pmusetteb Nov 07 '24
She’s not only beautiful look at that face. She just looks so sweet and loving! Enjoy your new roommate.
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u/New_Fishing_ Nov 07 '24
Fun fact, golden retrievers can and do carry brindle (your dog's colouration of black and brown stripes)! The colour is just not expressed in purebred goldens because of how brindle and golden "gold" work genetically. She's a really cute little girl ♥️ as to what else she is, honestly who knows! I'd love to see her DNA results if you ever test her.
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u/Visual_Ad1179 Nov 07 '24
Where is she located or coming from? She looks like she has some Plott Hound. It’s NCs state dog
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u/AllRiteAllRiteAllRit Nov 07 '24
i wish we could post pics in the comments so i could show you how much she looks like my Ellie!!! her markings are nearly identical! we suspect El is aussie/ pit mix, but i agree with another commenter who said your baby's face structure right for pittie (ellie's face definitely has more of the pit bone structure and build). their coats match perfectly though. regardless of breed, your baby is absolutely beautiful! best wishes to the both of you.
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u/sedatedegg Nov 07 '24
german shepherd and pit is my guess. she has the white patch pittie markings
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u/Radiant-Attitude-111 Nov 07 '24
Beauty. That coat, that tail, those tiny white toes.. That’s a Golden-Beauty cross maybe with a little bit of Adorable. I have no idea but wow, she’s a beautiful little muppet.
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u/MeMeWantHole420 Nov 07 '24 edited Nov 08 '24
She’s so pretty 😍 Edit: I’m not sure what she is but I can’t get over how beautiful she is!
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Nov 08 '24
Maybe some sort of collie/setter/mastiff with the retriever? I could also see some sort of windhound in there too :)
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u/RosieDaRedditor Nov 08 '24
Maybe Plott hound! They're an American breed of coonhound from the Appalachian mountains. I'd never heard of them before getting a DNA test for my old boy years ago, but apparently they're a common breed that shows up in the DNA tests of mixed breed dogs in the US.
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u/SansOchre Nov 08 '24
Mom's probably not a pure golden since 50/50 golden mixes are almost always black.
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u/purpcart Nov 08 '24
We had a similar very long-haired brindle foster (SE USA) and Embark said pit, rottie, supermutt (chow / shepherd / am staff / boxer). They have the same head!
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u/DrNopesVR Nov 08 '24
She reminds me a great deal of a border collie / German shepherd that I know.
It's in her eyes and also in her mannerisms. The way she's sitting and her expressions.
They're such "switched on" dogs. The one I know is a fascinating animal and much more conscious, so to speak, than any other dog I've met, capable of understanding and communicating, and always two steps ahead of any other dog she plays with.
That first picture has so much "border collie trying to be the bestest girl" energy. It's hilarious just how much they can put their best foot forward and be their absolute best self, once the treat bag comes out.
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u/IShallWearMidnight Nov 08 '24 edited Nov 08 '24
She is unbelievably beautiful, you are so lucky to have found such a gorgeous brindle girlie! Putting my guess in for whippet
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u/northern_lights_27 Nov 08 '24
She kind of looks like my dog. He’s a cocker spaniel mix and looks like a small golden retriever but the face shape and body shape are very similar just a different color.
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u/rylesbb Nov 08 '24
She could be part catahoula! Growing up we had one and she was similar size and same brindle color
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u/dek64 Nov 08 '24
The curled tail in the last photo makes me think there could be some husky or something similar. My dog’s tail looks just like that and she’s got some husky in her
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u/LopsidedVictory7448 Nov 08 '24
She is stunning and looks like a good girl but I never would have guessed any GR
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u/Al115 Nov 08 '24
I honestly wouldn't have either. I saw her picture before I saw her breed, and was shocked when it said GR. But if you look at pictures of her brother (I'll have to see if I can grab some to post on this thread), you definitely see GR...he has that stunning golden coat they're known for and really just looks like a smaller GR. You'd never imagine that they were litter mates, lol.
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u/Anxious_Entrance_109 Nov 08 '24
She's beautiful. The muzzle is very shepherd shaped. Other possible brindle breeds are Boxer (the white toes and blaze) and Hounds: Dachshund and Plotthound. 🐶🐾💫
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u/Al115 Nov 08 '24
Yes! The muzzle! After we first met her in person, I immediately said to my partner that her muzzle resembled that of a shepherd. My parents said the exact same thing when I sent them pictures of her, lol. I'm definitely thinking there's some shepherd in her.
And it seems folks here are thinking that both daschund and plotthound are very strong possibilities. Lots of plotthounds and plotthound mixes in the area, so I'd honestly be a little shocked if she didn't have some plotthound in her. Dashund, meanwhile, could explain her smaller size
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u/LucidEquine Nov 08 '24
Her head and tail bear some resemblance to my aunt's working line border collie, if one side is pure retriever I'd say the other side is possibly a collie mix. That coat is an odd and stunning colour
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u/Al115 Nov 08 '24
Several people have mentioned border collie, so it's seeming to be a very strong possibility. I'm assuming she's golden retriever and several other things, lol, so it will be interesting to see what shows up when we finally do a DNA test.
Her coat is actually what caught our attention first. We have a tortie cat, and their coats are practically identical. Even the rescue was shocked by how similar their coats are when they came by with the pup for a meet and greet with our cat. It's like their sisters, lol.
But, I was doing a little research, and apparently goldens carry a recessive gene for brindle coats, and so it only ever shows up in their offspring when they have babies with another breed. I'd never known that before, and thought it was kind of cool. I just automatically assumed her coat came from whatever she's mixed with.
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u/VansSize7 Nov 08 '24
Golden retriever mixed with the cutest dog they could find. On a real not my sisters dog is border collie cross bull arab and looks very similar
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u/danvapes_ Nov 08 '24
She has hound in her I imagine. It's possible she's mixed with some type of cur like a mountain cur.
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u/kstockless Nov 08 '24
I'd weigh in to say Plott Hound! The brindle markings and white spot on the chest are very much Plott characteristics. My boy is a Plott and they look like long lost cousins.
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u/Junior_Tooth_4900 Nov 08 '24
Judging by the white paws and coat color, it could be boxer. Everyone wants to say pit, but I don't see the pit. Usually when bred with put they have a shorter snout and larger head like my idiot in my mom's house. Cute as button but dumb as rocks. But he is my idiot.
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u/Devil_Rides_Out Nov 07 '24
I don't have any input apart from to say how gorgeous she is!