Name the breed of our dog.

[BabyMine]

This is a S/O of my FCR v Newfie thread. He is 9 months and about 60lbs.

Is he a Flat Coat Retriever of a Newfie?

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/jgerski1/P1010210-1.jpg
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/jgerski1/P1010205-1.jpg
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/jgerski1/P1010211.jpg

[BabyBearsMom]

Oh wait, I totally misread the post. I thought you wanted a vote on the type of dog to get (mommy brain strikes again). I would guess a flat-coat/collie mix.

[hillview]

I said other -- a Flat Coat Retriever plus something else.
/hillary

[AnnieW625]

I voted for other. I think he is a mix of a flat coated retriever, and a sheep dog or terrier, but probably more flat coated than anything else as he doesn't have two different eyes like many sheep dogs do.

[caleymama]

I said other -- a Flat Coat Retriever plus something else.
/hillary

:yeahthat:

He's beautiful, though, whatever he is!

[twowhat?]

If you got him from a shelter, there is NO way to be sure. And I bet he is a mutt. The only way to really get a handle on it (and if you REALLY want to know) - ask your vet for the DNA breed test. It's not foolproof because it hasn't been tested with a really large N, but it'll give you an idea of what his genetic makeup is most likely to be. And I think it's not too terrible expensive - on the order of $150.

I'd do this for our mutts, except that I'm pretty sure one will come back mostly pit bull, and I don't want any written record of that in case there's ever a breed ban here:)

[egoldber]

How big is he? Not knowing size, I would have guessed a Goldern Retriever/Black Lab mix.

[Jo..]

Crap I also voted wrong. I thought we were voting on which dog to get. Next time I will read before posting!

The funny thing is, *MOST* dogs that aren't purebred can't be categorized. You won't have a cross of two pure-breed dogs (except for the "designer intentional" crosses like a Cock-a-poo). If it isn't a pure breed, most likely it is just a mixed breed, or a mutt. A mix of many, many , many breeds spanning years and generations. You won't find someone letting their purebred Newfie run loose so that it can breed with a purebred retreiver.

So my answer is that even though it looks a lot like both breeds, chances are it is a mix of tons of different breeds. He looks a lot like a Newfoundland though (in pic #1), and that is one of my favorite dogs.

ETA a mutt is not a bad thing. Natural selection and a mix of the gene pool generally makes them some of the healthiest and greatest dogs around!

[BabyMine]

How big is he? Not knowing size, I would have guessed a Goldern Retriever/Black Lab mix.

He is 60lbs and 9 months.

[BabyMine]

If you got him from a shelter, there is NO way to be sure. And I bet he is a mutt. The only way to really get a handle on it (and if you REALLY want to know) - ask your vet for the DNA breed test. It's not foolproof because it hasn't been tested with a really large N, but it'll give you an idea of what his genetic makeup is most likely to be. And I think it's not too terrible expensive - on the order of $150.

I'd do this for our mutts, except that I'm pretty sure one will come back mostly pit bull, and I don't want any written record of that in case there's ever a breed ban here:)

He is a shelter puppy and came in with a family who had him since he was a puppy and they said he was a Newfoundland. The head of the shelter (who told us he teaches classes of breed identification) told us he thought he was a Newfoundland. The dog breed our family finally settled on was the Newfoundland becasue of his temperament and we are now thinking that he isn't one. We were suspicious in the beginning but figured it was summer and maybe that accounted to the lack of fullness in his coat.

[groundhog74]

He looks a little like my sister's FCR. I don't see any Newfie there.

[twowhat?]

He is a shelter puppy and came in with a family who had him since he was a puppy and they said he was a Newfoundland. The head of the shelter (who told us he teaches classes of breed identification) told us he thought he was a Newfoundland. The dog breed our family finally settled on was the Newfoundland becasue of his temperament and we are now thinking that he isn't one. We were suspicious in the beginning but figured it was summer and maybe that accounted to the lack of fullness in his coat.

Yup, no way to know for sure based on what others "say" or "think". And he doesn't have papers. I think you've got a big beautiful loveable mutt on your hands:)

[TwinFoxes]

Yup, no way to know for sure based on what others "say" or "think". And he doesn't have papers. I think you've got a big beautiful loveable mutt on your hands:)

:yeahthat:Honestly, he doesn't look very Newfie like to me at all. His face is just not the right shape. I guess he kind of looks like a flat coated retriever, but I think whatever he is a mix of made him look like he's an FCR.

ETA: He is adorable, I totally want to play with him!

[crl]

Well I agree with mutt. But I'm not seeing Newfie at all. I'd say mostly retriever of some kind.

Catherine

[BabyMine]

:yeahthat:Honestly, he doesn't look very Newfie like to me at all. His face is just not the right shape. I guess he kind of looks like a flat coated retriever, but I think whatever he is a mix of made him look like he's an FCR.

ETA: He is adorable, I totally want to play with him!

His is a ball. He is great with the kids but forgets how big he is sometimes but he is getting better.

[BabyMine]

We know that the majority of rescue dogs are mutts but I'm just looking for the dominant breed.

[JBaxter]

Not seeing Newfie in him. My sisters dog Thunder Bear doesnt look anything like yours

[ThreeofUs]

What a beautiful, loveable dog!

Definitely a mix - but of what I don't know. Maybe newfie but what else I think is an open question.

How fun to add such a great pet to your family!

[MelissaTC]

One of my best friends had a Newfie, Abbie who they called Bear because she looked like one. Your babe doesn't look like her. Having said that, he is adorable and I hope that you all have a wonderful life together. My "puppies" are now 12 and 13 and their age is really showing. Makes me wish for those beginning days so I can have more time with them.... :(

[WolfpackMom]

I would definitely lean terrier/mix. He doesnt look like a Newfie to me at all, but he certainly is cute to boot!

[Clarity]

I'd say neither, truthfully. His head doesn't have the correct shape for a flat coat. I had a friend with a long hair black dog and she was part border collie. I don't think that's what yours is, either though. Honestly, when I look at his face, the way his eyes are set, I'd guess there's some Rottie in there somewhere. Perhaps a Golden Retriever/Rottweiler/something else? Whatever, he's a handsome chap!

[JBaxter]

He does have a bit of a Rottie shaped head now that you said it.

[AngelaS]

I said other. Black lab/Golden is my guess.

[twowhat?]

I see a little border collie too:)

[BillK]

Heinz 57!

[amldaley]

He looks like a mix of both to me. FCR body with the head shape of a newfie. We almost adopted a dog who we KNOW is a mix of these too as we were adopting from the original owner...looked very similar.

[LadyPeter]

I'm thinking black lab/border collie/rott. I used to dogsit a Newfoundland and he just doesn't have the right head or body shape at all. His feet are MUCH too small, etc. He's precious, though!

[Jo..]

I don't see any Rotti in him!

I was a vet assistant back in my college days, and in 2 years of working daily with dogs (20 or more a day), I was bitten twice. One was a Rotti and one was a Yorkie. They were both males. ;)

The Yorkie had an excuse, he was hit by a car, had a broken leg, and was in extreme pain.

I've never forgiven the Rotti. :ROTFLMAO:

He was a big loveable oaf named Bear that always had a wag and a lick for me, until one day he snapped and just took a big chomp. I still have a scar, and it's been 20 years.

[hellokitty]

I had a newfie when I was a child. She was a gentle giant. Your dog is beautiful, but I don't think she is a full blooded newfie. Maybe a mix. They are really sweet dogs. Out of all the dogs I have ever had, she was the biggest one, but also the sweetest one. I can see why they are rescue dogs.

[Momof3Labs]

Well, the stock answer for the shelters around here is that any large black dog is a black Lab mix, lol. He could be black Lab/golden or black Lab/border collie. Maybe some flat coated retriever, but not necessarily. There's truly no way to know with a shelter dog - you kinda just get what you get, honestly.

ETA: I don't see newfie at all either.

[bubbaray]

I say Rotti/Collie mix. I don't see lab, I see Rotti. I don't see either FCR or Newfie.

[sophiesmom03]

I voted Newf / other. I can see Newf in him. My dogs are bigger but there are similarities in the head shape, the expression. It also looks like he's losing his puppy coat the same way my 7 month old pup is. He may be a mix, he may be a small-statured, perhaps poorly-bred full Newf.

I'm attaching a couple of pics of my knuckleheads.

He's adorable, in any case! Glad he's found a good home.

[dcmom2b3]

I voted other. I don't know that he's not a flat coat, he's not like any Newfie I've ever seen. His feet and legs are way too small for a Newfie, IMO.

[westgre]

I'm a vet, so I see lots of dogs every day. That is no Newfie. If I had to guess, I would say a Lab/Golden mix with a slight hint of Chow. (Not all Chow mixes have the dark tongues.)
BTW, I wouldn't waste my $ on a DNA breed test. We tested a dog recently who was clearly mostly dachshund, and the test came back 51% Saluki.

[Clarity]

I'm a vet, so I see lots of dogs every day. That is no Newfie. If I had to guess, I would say a Lab/Golden mix with a slight hint of Chow. (Not all Chow mixes have the dark tongues.)
BTW, I wouldn't waste my $ on a DNA breed test. We tested a dog recently who was clearly mostly dachshund, and the test came back 51% Saluki.

I wondered about Chow too! The tongue through me off though.

[twowhat?]

I'm a vet, so I see lots of dogs every day. That is no Newfie. If I had to guess, I would say a Lab/Golden mix with a slight hint of Chow. (Not all Chow mixes have the dark tongues.)
BTW, I wouldn't waste my $ on a DNA breed test. We tested a dog recently who was clearly mostly dachshund, and the test came back 51% Saluki.

Our vet said there were 2 companies that made a test. One of them only verified the test on something like 6 dogs. The other company verified their test much more extensively, and that was the only one they offered at the practice. I can't for the life of me remember the names of the companies now!

eta: Saluki? HAHAHAHA! Reminds me of our first vet (we don't see him anymore) who said that our pit bull mix looked like he was mostly "Pharaoh hound". Pharaoh hound? Really??

[bubbaray]

Forehead in the 3rd shot is definitely Rotti.

[caheinz]

We have a chow-Newfie mix (shelter told us "chow mix" -- but chows don't get up to 100lbs), and I can see some -- but not total -- resemblance. (If you go a Google image search for chow-Newfie you'll see some pics that will show some resemblance -- and a lot of variation.)

So... my guess is that maybe there is some Newfie, but probably no more than half. Perhaps a Newfie-retriever mix?

[Momof3Labs]

Forehead in the 3rd shot is definitely Rotti.

I see what you're saying, but actually, his head in that shot looks a lot like the Golden retriever we used to have. She was very likely a purebred (rescued, so can never be 100% certain) and had a broad, boxy head like that.