# Do you get asked if your dog is a mixed breed?



## stmcfred (Aug 13, 2013)

Every time Lola (a WGSL long coat) and I go out I always get asked if she's a mixed breed. I'm assuming it's because she's a long coat. Curious on how many others get asked if their dog is a mixed breed?


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## alexg (Mar 22, 2013)

stmcfred said:


> Every time Lola (a WGSL long coat) and I go out I always get asked if she's a mixed breed. I'm assuming it's because she's a long coat. Curious on how many others get asked if their dog is a mixed breed?


My first dog a WGSL long coat was called a Belgian Shepherd by a vet no less


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## Xena9012 (Oct 12, 2013)

I don't get asked because my GSD has a short coat. But I do know other people with long haired GSDs who get asked if their dog is mixed breed or even another type of dog.


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## HarleyTheGSD (Feb 13, 2012)

Yes! Some people would ask if Harley and Varick were mixed. I think it's because Varick is a dark sable, (there aren't many sables around here) and Harley has a wide bitch stripe. It's kind of silly to me, how people think that.


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## Kahrg4 (Dec 19, 2012)

It doesn't even take a long coat. Cafall is a sable and immediately is constantly mistaken for mix of some sort. 



alexg said:


> My first dog a WGSL long coat was called a Belgian Shepherd by a vet no less


Had a vet ask what percentage of coyote Cafall was. :wild:
Needless to say we didn't got back there...


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## stmcfred (Aug 13, 2013)

Kahrg4 said:


> Had a vet ask what percentage of coyote Cafall was. :wild:
> Needless to say we didn't got back there...



Lol, don't blame you on that one! I had to tell my vet she's a long coat cause she's "fluffy" but they are otherwise knowledgeable


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

No. They usually ask if 'that' (Lisl) is a police dog. Or po-leece dog depending upon who is doing the asking.


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## BellaLuna (Jan 27, 2013)

MichaelE said:


> No. They usually ask if 'that' (Lisl) is a police dog. Or po-leece dog depending upon who is doing the asking.


Ha-ha same here 
Then they proceed to ask if they are nice.. 

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## HarleyTheGSD (Feb 13, 2012)

MichaelE said:


> No. They usually ask if 'that' (Lisl) is a police dog. Or po-leece dog depending upon who is doing the asking.


Usually young children ask if mine are police dogs too. Media.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

Yep, all the time. It's because Chrono is all black so I get ask if he's a lab mix a lot(yeah, because labs are the only black dogs out there ), or I get great dane mix because he's tall, as though it's at all likely for a dog to only inherit its parents height and absolutely no other feature .

I do get quite a few people who know he's a black german shepherd though, and it always surprises me.


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## ladyb (Oct 11, 2013)

Yep! Lady is black so she's obviously a lab. We went to lowes last night and I got asked if she was a service dog, I said "no, she's my guard dog". Then her ears went back, tail wagging...hard to keep a straight face with that lie!!


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## huntergreen (Jun 28, 2012)

kyra was jet black, and asked what mix she was all the time.


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## trcy (Mar 1, 2013)

With Riley people would ask what type of dog he was. I think because he was mostly black with tan feet and a bit of tan on his cheeks. 

Nobody has ever asked me what type of dog Kaleb is or if he's mixed.


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## MrsFergione (Jul 7, 2013)

I've never been asked if my female is a mixed breed. She is a WGWL stock coat black & tan.


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

I believe the question comes up more often for sables and black GSD's and for coaties.

A B&T is the generally accepted look for a GSD by the ignorant public. I doubt you would ever be asked.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

MichaelE said:


> I believe the question comes up more often for sables and black GSD's and for coaties.
> 
> A B&T is the generally accepted look for a GSD by the ignorant public. I doubt you would ever be asked.


Oh I've had more than one person ask me what kind of dog Carly is. She's a black and tan, stock coated dog. I'm not sure what the confusion is, lol.


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## SummerGSDLover (Oct 20, 2013)

Kahrg4 said:


> It doesn't even take a long coat. Cafall is a sable and immediately is constantly mistaken for mix of some sort.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Coyote?! Really?? 
Lol
*-*Summer*-*


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## Discoetheque (Nov 2, 2011)

I used to get that with Reba, because she was a stock-coated sable (very short, tight coat). I would tell people she was a German Shepherd, and they would typically go "...mixed with what?" and I would say "...Another German Shepherd."
People around here aren't accustomed to seeing sables, I guess. The only other person I know in the immediate area with GSDs, at the time, had solid blacks and bicolor dogs. I don't even think I've seen other black and red dogs while I was out and about. But people never mistake Discoe for anything other than a German Shepherd.


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## ksotto333 (Aug 3, 2011)

Yep, people are sure she's got collie in there somewhere..


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

HarleyTheGSD said:


> Usually young children ask if mine are police dogs too. Media.


Thats adorable, when i was little i thought every dalmation was a fire dog..


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## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

I don't get asked if she is mixed. But, I do get a lot of* "Is that a K-9?" *I smile and say *"Yes, She is a Canine!"* Then they ask if she bites. I smile again and ask if they would like to find out (in all actuality, she would lick them to death). I can't help myself..lol! I live across the street from a high school and it's kids that should be in school asking. They get a "panicky" look when I give that answer. Haha 

I know I shouldn't mess with young impressionable minds...but...they make it sooo easy!:shocked:


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Yes, I had people ask what Bianca was mixed with, or what kind of dog she was, even though she was a stock coated saddleback GSD... 

I mean really, can you get any more classic GSD than this:











When I fostered a long coated GSD people did not believe he was a GSD. When I walked both of them together people would either think they both were mixed or recognize Bianca as a GSD but think the long coat dog was a mix.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

When Hans was little and still had wonky ears, one guy asked if he was "some sort of German Shepherd mix."

Hasn't happened anymore after the ears went up


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

look at my avatar. i was asked if my dog was a GSD by someone
who told me they grew up with GSD's.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Not Nikon, but I do constantly get asked what breed my two mixes are!


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i think when people ask "is that a K-9" what they're really
asking is the dog on the police force.



Springbrz said:


> I don't get asked if she is mixed. But, I do get a lot of
> 
> *"Is that a K-9?" *
> 
> ...


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## DaniFani (Jan 24, 2013)

I get this with my Cardigan corgi alllll the time...I've actually had several people say, "are you suuure he's purebred? He looks like he definitely has aussie in him...." Yep...I was dooped by a breeder lol. The best are people who come up to me and proudly state to whoever is with them "That right there is an aussie basset hound mix(or aussie corgi..or whatever)...isn't he."...I've actually told two people like this that he actually isn't even a dog...he's a genetic mutated wombat/fox cross bred in Australia to go after kangaroos because they kick over their heads....I mean...it's not a TOTAL lie...they are short so the animal they go after kicks over their heads....lol! I've only had three or four people actually know his breed right off the bat.


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## DaniFani (Jan 24, 2013)

Here's my wombat/fox, Radar.


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## BellaLuna (Jan 27, 2013)

doggiedad said:


> look at my avatar. i was asked if my dog was a GSD by someone
> who told me they grew up with GSD's.


Sad ain't it 

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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

actually i find it amusing. lol.



doggiedad said:


> look at my avatar. i was asked if my dog was a GSD by someone who told me they grew up with GSD's.





BellaLuna said:


> Sad ain't it
> 
> Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4


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## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

doggiedad said:


> i think when people ask "is that a K-9" what they're really
> asking is the dog on the police force.


I am aware of what they are asking/mean. My answer is *sarcastic*. I get tired of everyone assuming that* all* GSD's are police or military dogs. 
Most give a funny look...like I'm nuts or something if I say she's just my pet.  
I have actually been asked more than once why I got a German Shepherd if I wasn't training her to be a police dog.


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## BellaLuna (Jan 27, 2013)

doggiedad said:


> actually i find it amusing. lol.


It really is amusing because my children can tell a gsd from other breeds and they are 8,5,4 lol

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## SummerGSDLover (Oct 20, 2013)

BellaLuna said:


> It really is amusing because my children can tell a gsd from other breeds and they are 8,5,4 lol
> 
> Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4


Haha mine too! 9, 5, 3!

*-*Summer*-*


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## Loneforce (Feb 12, 2012)

Surprisingly I have never been asked what breed Jonas is.


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## HarleyTheGSD (Feb 13, 2012)

doggiedad said:


> look at my avatar. i was asked if my dog was a GSD by someone
> who told me they grew up with GSD's.


Oh wow. That _is_ sad. I'm not sure how much more 'German Shepherd' you can possibly get...


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## vprasad (May 17, 2013)

All the time... #1 for me is "Is he a lab mixed with something..?" and #2 is "is he some kind of wolf hybrid?" lol!


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## blueangele (Aug 5, 2013)

I get 'is he part wolf?' All the time...even by people who are knowledgable about dogs (used to show them).


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## Eiros (Jun 30, 2011)

Ward is a sable so I get "he's not pure GSD is he?"

My new most commonly used phrase is "yep he has a sable coat so he's just a different color" lol


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## Vagus (Oct 7, 2012)

Once, someone asked me about my dog (what's his name? how old is he? is he a purebred?) and someone else overheard us talking. When the eavesdropper heard me say 'yes, he's a purebred' he scoffed and said 'he's no purebred' and rather arrogantly told me I was scammed haha. 

Baron looks very typical: black and tan saddle back, but with slightly longer fur - not nearly as full and fluffy as some other gorgeous LCs I've seen. Oh well, everyone's an expert right


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## tottie86 (Aug 23, 2013)

Yep!! I get ask all the time if my boy is part lab or what breed he is!


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## tottie86 (Aug 23, 2013)

Vagus said:


> Once, someone asked me about my dog (what's his name? how old is he? is he a purebred?) and someone else overheard us talking. When the eavesdropper heard me say 'yes, he's a purebred' he scoffed and said 'he's no purebred' and rather arrogantly told me I was scammed haha.
> 
> Baron looks very typical: black and tan saddle back, but with slightly longer fur - not nearly as full and fluffy as some other gorgeous LCs I've seen. Oh well, everyone's an expert right


How gorgeous is baron!!! 


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## Vagus (Oct 7, 2012)

tottie86 said:


> How gorgeous is baron!!!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Haha, thank you! He's a very silly dog, keeps me laughing


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

Yes!

I always get asked if Sinister is a black Lab and when I tell them no and that he is a purebred GSD they think I am playing a joke on them. 

People ask me if Draco is a Dalmatian mix or a Pointer mix all the time, um no, he's a purebred Dalmatian.


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## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

My girl is a sable long coat and only 50lbs...No one has any clue what she is. 

Most people ask me what Aiden is mixed with. Probably because he is a patterned sable and not classic black/tan.


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## Okin (Feb 27, 2013)

Mine is WGSL stock coat Red/Black and I get the "Oh a German Shepherd, Is she a K-9" all the time, usually followed by "is she friendly?". One time I was at the vet and this laddy told me "That is a really pretty Great Dame I used to raise Great Dames", she was very old though and I think she meant GSD but the years had worn on her


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

Yes, all the time  I ran into a lady at a petstore when he was a pup that swore up and down he was part wolf  Still was happy to pet and coo over him though


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## Bridget (Apr 5, 2004)

This happens sometimes and it makes me crazy! Not that it offends me, but because Heidi is a short coated black and tan, ears up, and looks exactly like the typical GSD!


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## DobberDog (Jul 29, 2013)

Im the lady in the neighborhood with the 2 "K9s" per the kids in the neighborhood. They come knocking on my door on the weekends to see if my kids want to play and one of them always asks, Are your dogs K9s? I say yes they are. Then they ask if they bite. I tell them ALL DOGS BITE. Angel is sitting there at the door just looking nicely and being quiet. 

I took Angel (dark sable) to Galveston a few weeks ago to walk the strand one Sunday morning and we walked by one guy who said she was a pretty GSD mix. Hubby got mad and said NO she is full blooded German Shepherd. He argued with the guy for a few minutes and finally the guy said ok and went about his business. Granted, Angel is in her gangly teenager stage so she looks funny anyway with those long legs and disproportionate body/head.


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## LeoRose (Jan 10, 2013)

Liesje said:


> Not Nikon, but I do constantly get asked what breed my two mixes are!


I've been told that Leo isn't a GSD, because she's "too fluffy".

The girls, a mockingbird, and Connor 069 by RBElwell, on Flickr

The real fun, though, is how may people claim that Ilka just HAS to be a purebred SOMETHING. 

The girls, a mockingbird, and Connor 035 by RBElwell, on Flickr

She's been called a Lab, a husky, an "English Terrier", a pit bull, a "Doberman Pincher" and evidently looks "just like" a Great Dane.  Probably the most intelligent guess was Kelpie, which is actually a (slim, very slim) possibility


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

@leorose, Leo looks like he is a very fine boned GSD (could just be the picture) very pretty GSD!


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## LeoRose (Jan 10, 2013)

misslesleedavis1 said:


> @leorose, Leo looks like he is a very fine boned GSD (could just be the picture) very pretty GSD!


Yeah, she's a very dainty little thing, about 22.5 inches and a hair under 50 pounds. She was dumped at a Laundromat as a puppy, so I'd like to find her breeder for two things: a) to chew them out royally; and b) see what her parents look like.


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

Ilka has that "look" where people just assume the breeding had to be on purpose. Mutts shouldn't look so regal.


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

Yup. Just yesterday I did for the billionth time. >.<


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## fredh (Sep 10, 2013)

I Never get asked that, I wonder why? LOL!


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

Pretty much every time Varik and I are out in public I get asked what he is. When he was younger (ears down), everyone thought he was a lab. Now, they just don't know what the heck he is. He's the only black GSD in our whole city as far as I know. At least I've never seen another, and only maybe 2 or 3 sables.

When people ask, I say he's a German Shepherd. Many of them ask and what else... blah. I just say .. that's it. They're astonished. I just don't get it. I guess having been around GSDs all my life he looks like a German Shepherd to me, no matter the color. My husband says it's cause he still has a scraggly tail *sigh* ... come on tail!!! Floof up please!!


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## igottabecrazy (May 24, 2013)

I have been asked a few times by some seemingly very nice and curious people. No one has been obnoxious or rude - to my face at least. Even though I'm a new GSD owner (with long history of other assorted canines) - I did take the time to share with them the little bit of knowledge I do have about the different coat types. One couple I met in the pet store had never heard of a long coat GSD and thought she was absolutely stunning (she is IMHO). They started talking about maybe this was the kind of dog they should look for. Hopefully they will look past the coat and at the breed characteristics before the final decision. At 9 months, Indie is a little more than even I bargained for - but well worth it

I'm not sure how I would react if someone doubted her pedigree to my face. Maybe I should carry it around with me.....


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## DaniFani (Jan 24, 2013)

In all fairness, our breed does come in a bazillion colors and patterns within those colors and then different lengths within the colors and patterns. I mean, are there really any other breeds that have as diverse *looks as the GSD. 

Sables are actually getting quite popular, I know of 8-10 that frequent the dog hiking grounds we hike, and more and more are popping up in shelters :-(. I don't see a lot of black ones, I know there was one where we used to live. And I see an average number of black/tans. I don't know that I've ever seen a bicolor adult in person actually, and most of the sables I know are really light sables...although the darker ones are becoming more "sought after." I know of one byb in our area that added a sable to her "lines" because a lot of people were calling asking for sables....so I predict they'll be more recognized in the future...but we'll see. I just love all the colors, I prefer darker pigments, but like the darker pigment in all the "flavors" of the GSD.


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## LifeofRiley (Oct 20, 2011)

I get asked what breed or mix my dog is all the time! 

I typically answer that I can't say for sure. He was a stray that wound up in a downstate shelter. An all-breed rescue brought him to Chicago, I fostered him and then adopted him.

I have very little doubt that he is a purebred white GSD, but who knows... I enjoy speculating with people who ask me about him. It typically leads to a nice conversation about dogs.

Most of the time, people who "know GSDs" tell me he couldn't possibly be a purebred GSD because he has a straight back and is approachable.


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## Kaimeju (Feb 2, 2013)

LifeofRiley said:


> I get asked what breed or mix my dog is all the time!
> 
> I typically answer that I can't say for sure. He was a stray that wound up in a downstate shelter. An all-breed rescue brought him to Chicago, I fostered him and then adopted him.
> 
> ...


This is us all the way. My favorite recent one: "Yeah, she looks sort of like a German Shepherd but there's something not quite right about her back legs...Maybe she's part wolf. You know, it happens more often than you think. Stray dog gets pregnant by a wolf, then the puppies end up who knows where..." That was a Petco employee. 

Other people are very confused by her somewhat gay tail and the cream on her back and ears. They think she must be part lab or malamute. There could be some malamute in there, who knows? 

Those who have actually owned a white shepherd know exactly what she is though. She is a head-turner!


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

LeoRose said:


> I've been told that Leo isn't a GSD, because she's "too fluffy".
> 
> The girls, a mockingbird, and Connor 069 by RBElwell, on Flickr
> 
> ...


LOL Indy and Ilka could be twins! (just different color). How much does she weigh? (or, about what size is she?)


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## LeoRose (Jan 10, 2013)

Liesje, Ilka is 22 inches tall, and weighs 48 pounds. She's fast (ran a 600 yard CAT in about 30 seconds), can turn on a dime and hand you 9 cents change, and jump a 6 feet high chain link fence. 

It's hard to see, but she is actually a tricolor. She has very dark liver points. I didn't even realize they were there until after I listed her as black and white on her AKC paperwork. 


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## LifeofRiley (Oct 20, 2011)

Kaimeju said:


> She is a head-turner!


Yes she is! I think the vast majority of the time when people stop me and Riley on the street they simply say... "that is a beautiful dog, what is it?" 

I enjoy those conversations. It doesn't matter to me if people speculate about different mixes he could be... because, as I said, who knows? 

I have found that people who stop you on the street to talk about your dog tend to be transferring their feelings for a breed (or mix) that they have really loved onto your dog. I like those types of conversations.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

She looks very similar in build to Indy just a slightly larger scale. Indy is about 18" and 27lbs, maybe a few more lbs now as I've been conditioning her to add muscle. She used to look sort of Whippet-y but with more muscle you can see the pit/terrier mix in her (she's still lean though, you can see her ribs). I have NO idea what color Indy is, lol! She's got white, "sable", brindle...I think on her county license they actually had a "gray, brindle, & white" option.


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## LeoRose (Jan 10, 2013)

Personally, I'd call Indy a tri-color agouti. She is pretty unique looking.


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## onyxena (Oct 24, 2007)

I am frequently asked what breed our mixed boy who is likely GSD and Aussie mix is he also is quite handsome, about 50lbs. People always seem surprised when i say he's a mutt from shelter. Sasha, our plush coat, blanket backed female is always assumed to be a mix, but a few have asked if she is a Shiloh shepherd as those are becoming more common here. 
Dasher is a classic very handsome black and tan with saddle. So of course he is a police K9. 
I can't even imagine having a solid black or sable long coat!


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## onyxena (Oct 24, 2007)

Here's my K-9, shiloh, and some unknown breed!


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## jafo220 (Mar 16, 2013)

stmcfred said:


> Every time Lola (a WGSL long coat) and I go out I always get asked if she's a mixed breed. I'm assuming it's because she's a long coat. Curious on how many others get asked if their dog is a mixed breed?




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Not so far. But cruz has been called or mistaken for a Rotweiler twice and also if you can beleive it, a Great Dane.


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