Need Dutchie Expert Opinion, is my girl a DS mix?

[Farleighs_mom]

Hey there! I am a brand new member looking for some advice as to what my 2.5 year old rescue dog's breed could be. I have had Farleigh since she was about 4 months old and I adopted her from Lincolnton, NC, a small mountain town. She has always been rambunctious, playful, loyal and extremely loving. By scouring the internet I think that she looks more like a DS than any other breed. I would LOVE opinions from anyone with knowledge of the breed, as I get questioned all the time as to what kind of dog she is. All I really know is she is the spoiled rotten kind!

Here is video of her playing in the snow

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=32 ... 5705122786

Some Puppy pictures

http://s810.photobucket.com/user/mclean ... 8.jpg.html

http://s810.photobucket.com/user/mclean ... sort=3&o=4

http://s810.photobucket.com/user/mclean ... sort=3&o=3

And a few more recent pics

http://s810.photobucket.com/user/mclean ... sort=3&o=2

http://s810.photobucket.com/user/mclean ... sort=3&o=1

http://s810.photobucket.com/user/mclean ... sort=3&o=0

Sorry for the picture overload, as you can see she is very loved!! So, what do you Dutchie lovers think? Yes or no on the mix?

[johninny]

hi, WELCOME. thanks for rescuing such a fine pup.

tough to say if she has DS in the mix. i'm maybe not the best at this; others here may have more informed opinion, though i think all might ask for side, standing profile shots and for more detailed info on temperament and behavior, including the extent and ways she projects her intellect as it is.

having said that, my first reaction is she could just as well be a mix of husky and something. the bouncy agility and enthusiasm suggests a husky to me as does the look. not necessarily, but to suggest DS mix from this ONE video [ i did look at pics and freeze-framed the video on multiple occasions also] as a higher probability than husky or some other possibility, i would want to see more determination and desperation to ''win'' in the play. the acrobatics are that of a DS, but otherwise a more relaxed attitude rather than a focus as if life itself depended on winning this game. not definitive - could have a relaxed DS mix.
be interested to hear what others say and/or to hear more detailed description from you. but whatever she is, she is obviously a wonderful dog with some athletic skills and a desire to please you.

[Farleighs_mom]

Farleigh is much too smart for her own good, I have not yet found a crate that can hold her for more than a few minutes. She weighs about 60lbs and has a short/medium coat. It is much shorter on her sides on longer on her back. She is very high energy and is much happier when she is doing something. I took her for a hike yesterday with a friend's dog and she was very insistent on being the "pack leader" of the hiking group. She can jump higher and run faster than 95% of the dogs she has interacted with. She LOVES the water and swimming, but HATES baths. She tends to bond very strongly to people and has separation anxiety, but we have been working on that. She is generally friendly with strangers, but quite protective of the house and territory she considers to be hers. I would definitely not call her a "relaxed" dog, in fact she is quite high strung but is capable of relaxing when she wants to and has mellowed out in that sense over the past year or so. When I adopted her they said she was a "shepherd mix", which obviously should be taken with a grain of salt.

She is definitely a crowd pleaser in the looks department, I have people come up to me almost every time I take her out to ask what breed she is. She is quite wild looking, some people have even thought she was some kind of wolf mix. Obviously that is not the case, but what really makes me think dutch shepherd is her coloring/fur and the shape of her body. I tried to get a couple of impromtu snaps to show that better.

http://s810.photobucket.com/user/mclean ... sort=3&o=3

http://s810.photobucket.com/user/mclean ... sort=3&o=2

http://s810.photobucket.com/user/mclean ... sort=3&o=1

http://s810.photobucket.com/user/mclean ... sort=3&o=0

Hope these help with the diagnosis

[icvanstra]

Could be a Dutchie ... but not likely to be a Dutch Shepherd/Hollandse Herdershond in my opinion.

[Dutchringgirl]

I dont see any in regard to color or shape. There are alot of working dog breeds that have the same attitude and cuddleness. The puppy pictures are very adorable and she is a beautiful dog. At any rate, im sure she is glad she found you. Looks like she has a great home now.

[animallover]

I'm kinda new at this myself since I adopted my dog in Aug. But looking and searching online she does have some features...those eyes and bridge of her nose are similar to my dog (who I believe is a full DS). But your dog def has mixtures in her.

[Farleighs_mom]

Thanks so much for the opinions guys! I wish I could get better pictures to illustrate what I see in body stance and shape that seems similar to a DS. One of these days when I have a real camera to work with instead of my phone maybe Whether she has a little dutchie in her or not, she is definitely a smart little mutt and I love her more than anything! I would love to get her into some kind of agility or working dog training we could do together, but as I am still in a small mountain town until December I will have to wait on that.

[johninny]

well she may or may not have a little DS, but as you say she is very smart and very similar to a DS in nature. lucky you found each other. this forum is certainly a good place to hang out to gain and share insights into the nature of very smart shepherds.