# Pure bred? Can’t tell



## clackadoodleshupp

Hi everyone! I really enjoy reading this forum and it’s been so helpful in just the short four days we’ve had our little pup. Sheba is 8 wks old and was only 4 lbs when we got her...basically a rescue. Poor thing had lice and worms and itched like crazy but has gotten so much better since we got her. She wasn’t underfed and looked healthy, but 4lbs seems small for her age? She’s already put on 1+ lbs since Monday though. Also the white tipped paws and how her fur isn’t quite as fluffy as most GSD puppies I’ve seen makes me think she’s not purebred. Thoughts? I’ll add a picture of her supposed parents which I was told were pure but I didn’t meet them so don’t know for sure. The first picture of her was just after a bath so her fur is still wet


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## Pytheis

That does seem like a fair amount of white, but she could be purebred, certainly not well bred, and probably younger than you were told. No matter what, she’s cute!


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## Kari01

Purebred German Shepherd puppies can have white on their chin, feet and chest. However, something is off with your girl, also it seems like the white extends underneath her chest to her belly, is that right? 4lbs is exceptionally light, obviously she had the health issues you mentioned, but I'm still not sure about the feasibility of a GSD really being 4lbs at 8 weeks. She might be younger than you think like already mentioned though. She is very cute!


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## Petra's Dad

Looks like a GSD but little bits of white and much smaller weight than I'd expect.


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## Fodder

The adults pictured appear to be purebred.... your pup however does not. Time will tell.


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## clackadoodleshupp

Kari01 said:


> Purebred German Shepherd puppies can have white on their chin, feet and chest. However, something is off with your girl, also it seems like the white extends underneath her chest to her belly, is that right? 4lbs is exceptionally light, obviously she had the health issues you mentioned, but I'm still not sure about the feasibility of a GSD really being 4lbs at 8 weeks. She might be younger than you think like already mentioned though. She is very cute!


My husband thought the same thing about her being younger...but she has all her puppy teeth already so I’m not sure. I tried to take a picture of the white on her chest but she’s not quite fond of the camera yet lol. I’m going to weigh her tonight because she seems to have put on quite a bit since we got her Monday so it’s possible she just wasn’t getting fed much before. And thank you! We think she’s cute as a button, purebred or not. She slept in her crate all night last night without whining and I’ve never been so proud ?


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## Muskeg

She is a pretty girl. Usually the white fades or even disappears as they age. 

I'm totally guessing that your pup is half German shepherd, and half something else, possibly Austrailian shepherd- as the tri color ones have very similar markings. But only time will tell. Or genetic testing. 

That would be a decent mix, if so- two herding breeds usually turn out OK. Enjoy her!


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## Kari01

clackadoodleshupp said:


> My husband thought the same thing about her being younger...but she has all her puppy teeth already so I’m not sure. I tried to take a picture of the white on her chest but she’s not quite fond of the camera yet lol. I’m going to weigh her tonight because she seems to have put on quite a bit since we got her Monday so it’s possible she just wasn’t getting fed much before. And thank you! We think she’s cute as a button, purebred or not. She slept in her crate all night last night without whining and I’ve never been so proud ?


She could be as young as 4 or 5 weeks and still have all her teeth. Where did you get her from? There is always the option of an Embark DNA test for determining her breed, but they are kind of pricey!

Even if she isn't purebred she still has a lovely shepherdy look to her, keep posting photos as she grows!!  You will see much more of how she is going to look in the coming months.


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## clackadoodleshupp

Update:
Sheba is now almost 13 weeks and up to 14.5 lbs. Her ears have picked up also! She’s definitely starting to look more like a GSD everyday although she does have quite a bit of white still on her toes. Do y’all think she’s looking more purebred now? Here are a few pictures... she’s gotten so big! ?


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## Stuckey

My pup, a pure bred Shepherd, has white on her chin, chest and feet. Your pup is small but such a horrible start in life (lice, worms, etc.) could be a factor. And is probably still younger than you were told.


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## clackadoodleshupp

Stuckey said:


> My pup, a pure bred Shepherd, has white on her chin, chest and feet. Your pup is small but such a horrible start in life (lice, worms, etc.) could be a factor. And is probably still younger than you were told.


Everyone else also kept saying she might be younger than we were told but now she’s exactly 3 months (according to what we know) and up to 14.4 lbs when the average for a 3mo female GSD is 12.1! And her ears have picked up too right around 12wks so I’m thinking that what we were told for birthdate is correct and that she was just underweight when we got her bc of worms and lice and possible underfeeding. Here’s her now...she’s starting to not fit in my lap anymore she’s so big!


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## Fodder

Do you mean 12.1kg for an average 3mo female GSD?


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## clackadoodleshupp

Fodder said:


> Do you mean 12.1kg for an average 3mo female GSD?


Wow I just realized I was looking at the wrong side of that chart!!! I guess based off her weight that would put her at about 2mo then not 3. Thank for pointing that out ? but don’t their ears pick up around 12 weeks?


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## Fodder

ears can go up as early as 6-7 weeks. some times they stay up for good, but more often they will go up and down until they are finished with teething (around 6 months). that said, if you go through some of the posts in the “ears up” section, it varies greatly with some not standing until close to a year.

ears are not at all an indicator of age.


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## Stuckey

clackadoodleshupp said:


> Everyone else also kept saying she might be younger than we were told but now she’s exactly 3 months (according to what we know) and up to 14.4 lbs when the average for a 3mo female GSD is 12.1! And her ears have picked up too right around 12wks so I’m thinking that what we were told for birthdate is correct and that she was just underweight when we got her bc of worms and lice and possible underfeeding. Here’s her now...she’s starting to not fit in my lap anymore she’s so big!


You looked at the wrong side of the chart but she’s still bigger.


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## Fodder

Stuckey said:


> You looked at the wrong side of the chart but she’s still bigger.


bigger than what? ?
he weighed his dogs in pounds then compared it to a chart that listed kilos.

average is 26lbs (12kg), his puppy is 14lbs (6kg) which is half the size of a pb gsd of similar age.


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## Petra's Dad

Hard to say. She has a lot of similar features to a GSD. The main differences to me are the size and color.


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## Stuckey

Fodder said:


> bigger than what? ?
> he weighed his dogs in pounds then compared it to a chart that listed kilos.


Sorry, I meant bigger than she was before.


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## GunnyGSDrescue

clackadoodleshupp said:


> Hi everyone! I really enjoy reading this forum and it’s been so helpful in just the short four days we’ve had our little pup. Sheba is 8 wks old and was only 4 lbs when we got her...basically a rescue. Poor thing had lice and worms and itched like crazy but has gotten so much better since we got her. She wasn’t underfed and looked healthy, but 4lbs seems small for her age? She’s already put on 1+ lbs since Monday though. Also the white tipped paws and how her fur isn’t quite as fluffy as most GSD puppies I’ve seen makes me think she’s not purebred. Thoughts? I’ll add a picture of her supposed parents which I was told were pure but I didn’t meet them so don’t know for sure. The first picture of her was just after a bath so her fur is still wet
> View attachment 557027
> View attachment 557028
> View attachment 557030


Your dog reminds me of a St.Bernard puppy. If your dog didn’t have the white it would look like my dog as a puppy. My dog has a very light tan on his chest and white and tan on his but fur.


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## GunnyGSDrescue

clackadoodleshupp said:


> My husband thought the same thing about her being younger...but she has all her puppy teeth already so I’m not sure. I tried to take a picture of the white on her chest but she’s not quite fond of the camera yet lol. I’m going to weigh her tonight because she seems to have put on quite a bit since we got her Monday so it’s possible she just wasn’t getting fed much before. And thank you! We think she’s cute as a button, purebred or not. She slept in her crate all night last night without whining and I’ve never been so proud ?


Today I met a GSD Australian Shepherd mix. He has similar white marks. See attached photos.


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## clackadoodleshupp

Hi everyone! I really enjoy reading this forum and it’s been so helpful in just the short four days we’ve had our little pup. Sheba is 8 wks old and was only 4 lbs when we got her...basically a rescue. Poor thing had lice and worms and itched like crazy but has gotten so much better since we got her. She wasn’t underfed and looked healthy, but 4lbs seems small for her age? She’s already put on 1+ lbs since Monday though. Also the white tipped paws and how her fur isn’t quite as fluffy as most GSD puppies I’ve seen makes me think she’s not purebred. Thoughts? I’ll add a picture of her supposed parents which I was told were pure but I didn’t meet them so don’t know for sure. The first picture of her was just after a bath so her fur is still wet


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## Pytheis

That does seem like a fair amount of white, but she could be purebred, certainly not well bred, and probably younger than you were told. No matter what, she’s cute!


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## Kari01

Purebred German Shepherd puppies can have white on their chin, feet and chest. However, something is off with your girl, also it seems like the white extends underneath her chest to her belly, is that right? 4lbs is exceptionally light, obviously she had the health issues you mentioned, but I'm still not sure about the feasibility of a GSD really being 4lbs at 8 weeks. She might be younger than you think like already mentioned though. She is very cute!


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## Petra's Dad

Looks like a GSD but little bits of white and much smaller weight than I'd expect.


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## Fodder

The adults pictured appear to be purebred.... your pup however does not. Time will tell.


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## clackadoodleshupp

Kari01 said:


> Purebred German Shepherd puppies can have white on their chin, feet and chest. However, something is off with your girl, also it seems like the white extends underneath her chest to her belly, is that right? 4lbs is exceptionally light, obviously she had the health issues you mentioned, but I'm still not sure about the feasibility of a GSD really being 4lbs at 8 weeks. She might be younger than you think like already mentioned though. She is very cute!


My husband thought the same thing about her being younger...but she has all her puppy teeth already so I’m not sure. I tried to take a picture of the white on her chest but she’s not quite fond of the camera yet lol. I’m going to weigh her tonight because she seems to have put on quite a bit since we got her Monday so it’s possible she just wasn’t getting fed much before. And thank you! We think she’s cute as a button, purebred or not. She slept in her crate all night last night without whining and I’ve never been so proud ?


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## Muskeg

She is a pretty girl. Usually the white fades or even disappears as they age. 

I'm totally guessing that your pup is half German shepherd, and half something else, possibly Austrailian shepherd- as the tri color ones have very similar markings. But only time will tell. Or genetic testing. 

That would be a decent mix, if so- two herding breeds usually turn out OK. Enjoy her!


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## Kari01

clackadoodleshupp said:


> My husband thought the same thing about her being younger...but she has all her puppy teeth already so I’m not sure. I tried to take a picture of the white on her chest but she’s not quite fond of the camera yet lol. I’m going to weigh her tonight because she seems to have put on quite a bit since we got her Monday so it’s possible she just wasn’t getting fed much before. And thank you! We think she’s cute as a button, purebred or not. She slept in her crate all night last night without whining and I’ve never been so proud ?


She could be as young as 4 or 5 weeks and still have all her teeth. Where did you get her from? There is always the option of an Embark DNA test for determining her breed, but they are kind of pricey!

Even if she isn't purebred she still has a lovely shepherdy look to her, keep posting photos as she grows!!  You will see much more of how she is going to look in the coming months.


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## clackadoodleshupp

Update:
Sheba is now almost 13 weeks and up to 14.5 lbs. Her ears have picked up also! She’s definitely starting to look more like a GSD everyday although she does have quite a bit of white still on her toes. Do y’all think she’s looking more purebred now? Here are a few pictures... she’s gotten so big! ?


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## Stuckey

My pup, a pure bred Shepherd, has white on her chin, chest and feet. Your pup is small but such a horrible start in life (lice, worms, etc.) could be a factor. And is probably still younger than you were told.


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## clackadoodleshupp

Stuckey said:


> My pup, a pure bred Shepherd, has white on her chin, chest and feet. Your pup is small but such a horrible start in life (lice, worms, etc.) could be a factor. And is probably still younger than you were told.


Everyone else also kept saying she might be younger than we were told but now she’s exactly 3 months (according to what we know) and up to 14.4 lbs when the average for a 3mo female GSD is 12.1! And her ears have picked up too right around 12wks so I’m thinking that what we were told for birthdate is correct and that she was just underweight when we got her bc of worms and lice and possible underfeeding. Here’s her now...she’s starting to not fit in my lap anymore she’s so big!


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## Fodder

Do you mean 12.1kg for an average 3mo female GSD?


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## clackadoodleshupp

Fodder said:


> Do you mean 12.1kg for an average 3mo female GSD?


Wow I just realized I was looking at the wrong side of that chart!!! I guess based off her weight that would put her at about 2mo then not 3. Thank for pointing that out ? but don’t their ears pick up around 12 weeks?


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## Fodder

ears can go up as early as 6-7 weeks. some times they stay up for good, but more often they will go up and down until they are finished with teething (around 6 months). that said, if you go through some of the posts in the “ears up” section, it varies greatly with some not standing until close to a year.

ears are not at all an indicator of age.


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## Stuckey

clackadoodleshupp said:


> Everyone else also kept saying she might be younger than we were told but now she’s exactly 3 months (according to what we know) and up to 14.4 lbs when the average for a 3mo female GSD is 12.1! And her ears have picked up too right around 12wks so I’m thinking that what we were told for birthdate is correct and that she was just underweight when we got her bc of worms and lice and possible underfeeding. Here’s her now...she’s starting to not fit in my lap anymore she’s so big!


You looked at the wrong side of the chart but she’s still bigger.


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## Fodder

Stuckey said:


> You looked at the wrong side of the chart but she’s still bigger.


bigger than what? ?
he weighed his dogs in pounds then compared it to a chart that listed kilos.

average is 26lbs (12kg), his puppy is 14lbs (6kg) which is half the size of a pb gsd of similar age.


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## Petra's Dad

Hard to say. She has a lot of similar features to a GSD. The main differences to me are the size and color.


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## Stuckey

Fodder said:


> bigger than what? ?
> he weighed his dogs in pounds then compared it to a chart that listed kilos.


Sorry, I meant bigger than she was before.


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## GunnyGSDrescue

clackadoodleshupp said:


> Hi everyone! I really enjoy reading this forum and it’s been so helpful in just the short four days we’ve had our little pup. Sheba is 8 wks old and was only 4 lbs when we got her...basically a rescue. Poor thing had lice and worms and itched like crazy but has gotten so much better since we got her. She wasn’t underfed and looked healthy, but 4lbs seems small for her age? She’s already put on 1+ lbs since Monday though. Also the white tipped paws and how her fur isn’t quite as fluffy as most GSD puppies I’ve seen makes me think she’s not purebred. Thoughts? I’ll add a picture of her supposed parents which I was told were pure but I didn’t meet them so don’t know for sure. The first picture of her was just after a bath so her fur is still wet
> View attachment 557027
> View attachment 557028
> View attachment 557030


Your dog reminds me of a St.Bernard puppy. If your dog didn’t have the white it would look like my dog as a puppy. My dog has a very light tan on his chest and white and tan on his but fur.


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## GunnyGSDrescue

clackadoodleshupp said:


> My husband thought the same thing about her being younger...but she has all her puppy teeth already so I’m not sure. I tried to take a picture of the white on her chest but she’s not quite fond of the camera yet lol. I’m going to weigh her tonight because she seems to have put on quite a bit since we got her Monday so it’s possible she just wasn’t getting fed much before. And thank you! We think she’s cute as a button, purebred or not. She slept in her crate all night last night without whining and I’ve never been so proud ?


Today I met a GSD Australian Shepherd mix. He has similar white marks. See attached photos.


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