Here's my dude. I have no idea what he is.

π•Ύπ–•π–Žπ–ˆπ–ž π•Ώπ–šπ–“π–†@lemmy.world to aww@lemmy.world – 446 points –

Meet Sherlock. He's about 1Β½ years old and weighs 70 pounds. This guy spent two hours bouncing all over the four-acre dog park, and still wanted to play once we got home.

We get asked all the time what he is. My wife sent off a DNA kit so maybe we'll have an idea in a couple weeks. I'm pretty sure those ears pick up shortwave radio.

We adopted him in August. Here he is the day we took him home.

He's really intelligent. He knows a lot of commands. Most of them he does right away, but he's not always so eager to please. You just have to show him that no matter how stubborn he is, you're even more stubborn. He gets there soon enough.

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Looks like a pure bred, bonafied good boy. You can tell by the smile.

Those ears look like German Shepard. The rest of him hints at Pit Bull.

If that’s even remotely close to accurate, you’ve got a super intelligent good boy on your hands. And while intelligence can be good, it can also lead to a lot of trouble. πŸ˜… make sure to keep him stimulated and tired. 🀣

I'd definitely agree that it's a Pit Bull cross with a shepherd of some kind. The shape of the face definitely suggests Pit Bull to me, but I get more of a Belgian Malinois vibe from those ears:

Could explain why two hours at a dog park didn't crush his energy levels, Malinois are renowned and/or notorious for their exercise needs.

And they're friggin escape artists. If you thought huskies are good at escaping, you've never met a malinois. On the plus side, they're one of the most loyal dogs you'll ever meet.

Edit. Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, malinois just take everything to the extreme. When they get excited, you've never seen a dog more excited. When they get protective, they're the most. And so on.

That’s what I was going to say: German shepherd, Staffy, and maybe something else

Thats a good boy. Looks like the best kind, a mutt.

Belgian Shepherd - Staffordshire Terrier cross would be my guess.

I’m guessing pit, German Shepard, boxer, and maybe a lil bit chow chow.

Btw got a link to that harness and seatbelt thing? Looks comf.

Here's the seat tether

And here's his harness

Any harness will do, really. We don't even use the harness outside of the car. He does pretty well just being walked on his collar. He only ever pulls if he sees a squirrel. That's one area where we're working on training lol

I would be totally unsurprised to find out there's some pit in there. He came from a shelter, and all the local shelters have tons of pits. His history before the shelter is a big question mark.

Sick thanks!

Yeah a lot of shelter dogs have some put in them including my dude (15 %)

He's gorgeous! It's always hard to guess breed mixes based on appearance alone, as physical appearance is determined by such a small percentage of DNA. It's always fun to guess, though! I've worked in various animal industries for years, and we always start a poll when someone submits their dog for DNA testing. My guess for the predominant breeds is either Belgian Malinois or German Shepherd, then Staffordshire terrier.

Congratulations on finding such a fantastic dog, and I hope you update us once his results are in!

Dog "breeds" are like human "races", pretty much bullshit we made up. He's a canine, and clearly a fine one at that.

That's not even close to true. Different breeds are meant for different purposes. Humans haven't been selectively bred for different purposes over thousands of lifetimes.

Knowing the DNA makeup of your dog can help you head off certain diseases, and get a better understanding of their emotional needs.

OK so I do stand partially corrected. In theory genetic tests can give you an idea of the inherited diseases that your dog might have. But sadly it looks like the companies that do the testing are fairly shady: https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/marketplace-dog-dna-test-1.6763274

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/premium/article/dog-dna-tests-science-reliable-breeds

Also, yes, there are working dog breeds that have been bred for a long time for specific reasons. But most breeds are fairly new and have been bred for cosmetic reasons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhfCdF6qnyA

He’s a good boi! That’s what he is!

(Also those ears! I love β€˜em.)

Looks like part Plott Hound like my dog.

The brindle-colored coat is a dead give-away and the intelligence too!

Very good with kids, highly intelligent, and bred to hunt bears.

For the down-voter: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plott_Hound

Several breeds can have Brindle coats, like pugs! Maybe it’s part pug

But not the size. My Plott Hound mix is 70lbs. His is close or the same and Plott Hounds are a heavy breed with brindle coats.

I'll throw you a maaaaybeeee. Those ears, though!

That's why I said part Plott Hound. Mine is a lab/plott mix and she's absolutely amazing. Wicked smaht and the bestest girl you could ask for.