Anyone want to play guess the breed? Double dew claws front and rear legs!

[pAin_t_Misbehavin]

My 89 yr old Daddy, after losing his beloved companion Lhasa (known in the family as the child-eating devil dog;) ) of 16 yrs, adopted a little critter from the Humane Society.

Here’s his picture. And here’s another one. Daddy calls him Joe.

He’s got double dew claws on his front and back legs. Anybody want to play guess the breed?

Temperament-wise, he’s sweet-natured, loves other dogs and children, and is a cuddle bunny. Will not resource-guard at all. He’s nippy, though, and likes to hold other dogs by the back leg and humans by their clothing sometimes. Prey-drive in good working order, based on his reaction to squirrels.

Whatever Joe is, he’s the perfect dog for Daddy. But those double-double dew claws have made me curious!

[cowboymom]

I can’t see the pix! But double dew claws means Great Pyrenees to me but it will come down in crosses. I just met an Aussie/GP cross last week that had all the dew claws too!

[pAin_t_Misbehavin]

Sorry cowboymom. I think I fixed the link and set the pix to public now.

[Calico]

I would guess predominantly Australian Cattle Dog, with a little GSD in there for the color. He’s beautiful, and sounds like he’s a very cool dog.

[alternate_universe]

I believe Corgis come in that color too. And the face reminds me of Corgis a bit.

[GraceLikeRain]

Looks like a chihuahua mix to me. How big is he? I can’t gage whether he is 10 lbs or 45 which obviously makes a big difference with my chihuahua guess ;-).

[BostonBanker]

That look plus double dew claws in front and behind makes me think Icelandic Sheepdog; would be a rare thing to find one, or even a mix of one, in a shelter, but it certainly has that look about it. We have a “short” coated imported Icelandic in our agility club, who has just a bit more coat that this dog.

If it barks non-stop, I would be even more inclined to say it might be a Icelandic mix

Actually, Icelandics may not have the double dews in front; I know they do behind. The other “really not likely based on rarity but kind of fits” breed that comes to mind is Lundehund. Again, not something I’d really expect to find in a shelter, but fits as far as looks go.

[pAin_t_Misbehavin]

[QUOTE=GraceLikeRain;7139251]
Looks like a chihuahua mix to me. How big is he? I can’t gage whether he is 10 lbs or 45 which obviously makes a big difference with my chihuahua guess ;-).[/QUOTE]

Yes, that would be helpful information! Joe weighed 25 lbs when Daddy got him from the shelter three months ago, but I bet he’d weigh a couple pounds more now. I’d estimate he stands about 12" at the top of the withers.

ETA: No, Joe’s not a barker. He’ll whine when he wants something and bark a warning when someone comes to the door, but other than that, he’s the strong silent type.

Very biddable dog. If I want him to go somewhere, I just say his name (with an exclamation point after it) while pointing and showing him the route I want him to take by body language, and he goes there like a little guided missile.

[dani0303]

My first thought was Chi/GSD. It’s an odd cross but he’s cute as hell!

[My_Two_Cents]

My thoughts are a husky cross. We have a hound husky cross with double dew claws and the same coloring.

[GraceLikeRain]

I am sticking with my chihuahuaX guess. I think the double declaw is an anomaly and not a sign he has a specific breed known for throwing double dews.

[Houndhill]

[QUOTE=GraceLikeRain;7139288]
I am sticking with my chihuahuaX guess. I think the double declaw is an anomaly and not a sign he has a specific breed known for throwing double dews.[/QUOTE]

I agree with you, looks like a Chi mix to me, 25 pounds is certainly possible for a mix. You can occasionally get double back dewclaws in any breed, I’ve had them in IWs too.

He is cute, and sounds like a nice dog.

[pAin_t_Misbehavin]

Thanks for the input.

I don’t think there’s Chihuahua in there. He has one of those flat alligator-like heads that I associate with cattle dogs. Not a rounded apple skull like a Chihuahua.

So I thought some kind of ACD cross initially. But having spent the weekend with him, I’m now thinking corgi cross. He just doesn’t have an ACD personality, but he does remind me a lot of the corgis I’ve known. Just with longer legs.

[talkofthetown]

I think ACD cross for sure. He might not be territorial, but the biting/holding legs and clothing sounds like it.

[Houndhill]

How about corgi-chihuahua mix? I can see corgi, but it would have to be crossed with something with longer legs and finer bone. Crosses can have features of one or the other parent or somewhere in between, so he need not have an apple head to have Chihuahua in the mix. Certainly sounds like some herding breed mix in behavior, and I could see him being a corgi mix.

Whatever Joe is, I’m sure your dad will enjoy him.

[beowulf]

a lot of small breed dogs throw double dews. chihuhuas and daschunds come to mind. i personally don’t see the ACD, but it is possible that he is just a bonafide mutt. a lot of rescues are just that. if i had to pin a breed i would say he’s chi and corgi. he has the coloring and the body type of a mix that look similar.

a google search shows a lot of dogs that resemble him.

[handydandyjake]

A friend of mine has a dog that looks exactly the same. I only have one awful picture of her here (she’s on the right): http://imgur.com/GEvzwSJ

She’s 20lbs and 12" at the withers - no double dew-claws though, and she’s a kelpie, GSD, and corgi mix!

[pAin_t_Misbehavin]

Wow, that dog does look a lot like Joe! :lol: The Humane Society told Daddy that Joe was a GSD mix. I don’t know if they knew that for sure or if they were just guessing though.

Oddest thing, the other day Daddy and Joe were out taking a walk and a dog who looked exactly like Joe (only a little taller) met them about a block from home. The dog came over to them like he knew them and visited for a while before walking off in the other direction. Since the dog was unaccompanied by a human, Daddy wasn’t able to find out where he lived or who he belonged to.

So now we know there are at least three dogs in the world who look like that!

[wendy]

Icelandic sheepdogs have double-dews on the back, and were supposedly an ancestor of the corgi.
He looks like a Chihuahua mix to me- his head looks a lot like a deer-headed one, and that color is common in chi’s.
Mixed with one of the smaller spitzs, perhaps? or even a corgi, to give the double coat and nippy herding behavior.

[beowulf]

wendy, lundehunds too!