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Dog Breed question

2K views 11 replies 6 participants last post by  Apollo1542 
#1 ·
A few years ago I adopted a border mix. I've been wondering what kind of dog he is since then. The local vet says he might be a Border Aussie, but I question the vet's judgement. Here are some pictures. Maybe some of y'all can figure him out.

Ocean Beach Sea Canidae Sky
Dog Mammal Vertebrate Dog breed Canidae


Right now he is 40 lbs and stands at about knee level to me, with his head going half way up my thigh. He is not very high energy but I think that's because I haven't been for a while and he matches my energy level. He plays with a Boston Terrier every weekend and they go crazy for each other and rough house all day (truth be told I think the boston likes it more than he does). He is very sensitive and was bred with a springer spaniel when he was younger. He was given to my girlfriend and I after he was a year old and has always had a case of fear aggression. We've been trying to tame for a long time and he has gotten much better since he was adopted, but since he was rescued from a dumpster as a puppy he seems to be very independent and guarded.

Does anyone have any ideas on his breed? Or how we can break him of his fear aggression?

He has gotten much better, but still has problems in new places and does not like men. He is very loving to most women.
 
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#3 ·
Got any more pictures of his face, maybe from the side? And a closer body shot?

Gyp is a border collie x Aussie, and her face looks very different at that angle.

GypsyGrin2 by grinningd0g, on Flickr

The BC in yours is obvious and predominant, but I almost see something spaniely. Maybe.
 
#4 ·
Here's some extra pictures. We've got so many. He's super photogenic.

Canidae Adventure Dog breed Dog Rock
Mammal Dog Vertebrate Canidae Dog breed
Dog Vertebrate Dog breed Canidae Mammal
Dog Dog breed Canidae Carnivore Snout


He has a different face than most borders and aussies that we've seen. One lady that trains border collies and aussies said that she thinks he is a border staffy?? a border mixed with a staffordshire terrier??

We may break down and do the genetic test, but we figured we would see what some other folks on the web could offer up. Thanks for the responses so far.
 
#6 ·
He has a different face than most borders and aussies that we've seen. One lady that trains border collies and aussies said that she thinks he is a border staffy?? a border mixed with a staffordshire terrier??

We may break down and do the genetic test, but we figured we would see what some other folks on the web could offer up. Thanks for the responses so far.
Yeah, I agree. He certainly looks quite a bit different from mine in the face. I could believe the staffy. That fourth pic is darling!

Those genetic tests are horribly inaccurate, just so you know. Not worth the money.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Yes. The guy we adopted him from found him living by a dumpster as a puppy but he was so cute that he bred them with a friend's springer spaniel. They had a big litter and the guy kept the mom and gave away the dad. He has a good life with us now.

So the blood tests aren't accurate? Glad to know that before I spent the money. We have noticed that most border collies we meet are bigger than he is, and that the borders and aussies we've met have more narrow faces. We've been thinking lately that he may have some labrador in him.
 
#8 ·
Not very, and sometimes they're wildly inaccurate. There are some funny threads on this forum about that, actually.

Well, Gypsy is only 43#, and I've met purebred border collies and Australian shepherds that are smaller than her. What gets me is your boy's face.
 
#10 · (Edited)
He definitely has a different shaped head. It's less narrow around the nose and much more blocky. I just looked at some border and english spaniel mixes online that do resemble him, but most of their ears are longer and wider compared to his. He has the little black spots mixed in on his nose and we've thought maybe he has setter in him.

Thank you for the compliments on him. He's a great dog.
 
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