Member

Posts: 1392
From:
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 03-09-2004 09:37 AM         

---

How do they ID dogs at shelters? Look at this guy and tlel me what you think - I know it's not much of a shot to go on. Do they also look at behavior to help with an ID, or do they just slap anything down?

Jamiya

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 69
From:Cidra, Puerto Rico
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 03-09-2004 09:41 AM         

---

i think they id based on markings, size, temperment/behavior, coat color/length texture

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 1387
From:Portland, Oregon US
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 03-09-2004 10:57 AM         

---

They best guess it...and some shelters are horrible at it! Many Many people will call a dog a Catahoula just because it has the merle coat pattern or a blue eye. The Catahoula rescue is currently writing up a guidline for shelters to use in accessing breed (for Catahoulas), they are using photos and all. When all else fails they will call it either a lab mix or a shepherd mix. Some rescue people are much better at guessing breeds particularly if it's a breed rescue.
That picture is not clear enough to make a very good guess.

IP: Logged

Moderator

Posts: 480
From:Harrisburg,PA USA
Registered: Feb 2003

posted 03-09-2004 11:02 AM         

---

My guess on that pup is a shephard mix possibly with a husky but dont know what rest of him looks like so this is simply a guess!

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 1392
From:
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 03-09-2004 11:46 AM         

---

They are calling it a rottie mix, and I wonder why, LOL.

I just like looking at the pictures and seeing what they are, but sometimes they make me get that look on my face that Nala gets when you talk to her and she has no idea what you are saying.

Jamiya

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 156
From:
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 03-09-2004 01:50 PM         

---

I dont see rottie in there. I was thinking more hound, possibly beagle. My friend is thinking terrier mix.

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 77
From:
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 03-09-2004 02:55 PM         

---

First thing I saw, or thought I saw, was hound also. Could also be shepherd, beagle..... who knows!

Our mutt, we were told, has akita, rottie, beagle & collie-- the 2nd two I can see in him, but I don't see a trace of akita or rottie---- but he's probably a little of everything!

IP: Logged

Moderator

Posts: 536
From:
Registered: May 2003

posted 03-09-2004 07:49 PM         

---

You said it a guess! The difficult thing is that many mixed dogs are not of purebred sire & dam, so throw more dogs in the loop and it makes it even harder to guess. Plus say for ex, a Rottie - there are plenty of black dogs of different breeds with tan markings /short coats that are not Rotties OR a mix with a predominant black coat is a result of so many mixes (of dark dogs) so a dog could easily be mistaken for a RottieX when in fact it may not be a rott at all. Dogs are assessed by coat details, body style, markings, coloring and specific traits (like a ridge on a ridgeback ) help but still anyone's guess unless the mix was brought in known to be of certain parents.

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 813
From:Santa Maria, Ca.
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 03-09-2004 08:09 PM         

---

I think he has a beagle shape face, but one thing is for sure, HE'S A CUTIE!!! whatever he is....Oh my! how I would love to love on him....

Susan

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 275
From:My IQ is higher than yours, I guarantee it.
Registered: Dec 2003

posted 03-09-2004 09:22 PM         

---

The ID is so far off at most of the shelters I've been to. If they dont instantly see a breed I think they just slap down "shep mix" "pit mix" or "australian mix". I saw a pure bred beagle labelled a pit mix once.

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 944
From:Columbus, Tx ,USA
Registered: Dec 2003

posted 03-10-2004 05:23 AM         

---

Perhaps Shephard X Rottie?

Shelters are horrible at IDing dogs, When we got Freckles for my grandfather, they told us she was Red Heeler and Austraian Shephard, now, I've seen that mix, and they usually have longer hair, longer thinner head and snout and big feet..... THis dog is SOOOOOO Heeler and either Pitt or amstaff its unbelievable....I told the lady what I though she was, and she flat out told me that the "EXPERTS" determine the breeds. I told her "look I breed heelers, I've seen that particular mix from a friend of mine, and this ain't it."

There was also a Lab X Catahula mix, Big Fat lie, that dog was Lab X aussi, just because it had the merle look to it, it had to be a Catahula right! Wrong.

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 1392
From:
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 03-10-2004 08:01 AM         

---

The last time I was at the shelter with Nala meeting dogs, we looked at a puppy. I forget what they had classified him as, but the shelter workers helping me were laughing about it. They said they had already contacted the intake people and told them to brush up on their skills. This little guy was definitely a JRT X of some sort - and they had him listed as something totally off the wall.

I just wondered where they got rottie from that picture - maybe the shape of the head?

Jamiya

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 260
From:MO, USA
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 03-10-2004 10:08 AM         

---

Some shelters are really good at ID's and some shelters are really bad. I know a few places that will fib a bit to help the dogs chances in getting adopted. For instance if a shelter comes across an excellent dog that just happens to be a pit mix sometimes they will leave out the fact that its a pit.

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 275
From:My IQ is higher than yours, I guarantee it.
Registered: Dec 2003

posted 03-10-2004 10:22 AM         

---

I have a feeling for the most part its a 16 year old shelter volunteer (not to be rude or slanderous to them by any means) that probably writes the tags that go on the dogs cages. SO....the "experts" are merely the people that get the wrist breaking job (and probably also the smelliest jobs as well) that mislabels most animals in the place. What "expert" would really want to spend their time at a shelter writing breed names on little cards for each and every single one of the many many dogs that probably arrive every day? =D

Unfortunately most of the dogs at one of our shelters gets labelled shep pit chow or rott mix almost instantaneously regardless of how beagle he looks....and if the dog carries any one of those words in its "breed" the shelter requires to contact the persons landlord or homeowners association before adopting out. How would ANY homeowners association react to "Do you accept pit bulls?" because thats what they ask. Seems to me sometimes that they arent even trying to adopt out their animals. Sure some apartments wont take pit bulls...but random mixes are a whole different story.

IP: Logged

All times are ET (US)