[la.luna]

Hello everyone!
The shelter we adopted our Luna from guessed that she was a Belgian Malinois and Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, but didn't know for sure. After hearing me talk about her behavior, lot of people suggested to me that she might be a Belgian Malinois or some sort of mix. Her ears are floppy, but otherwise I think she sort of looks and acts like that breed. She is fawn colored with a black mask and white line, small rigde on back and blackish tail. The biting sounds in line with the 'Maligator' theme, and she is high-energy, playful, and intelligent girl. She is 13 months old now, and gets 4/5 30-60 minute walks/day plus some interactive playtime in yard. She observes everything, stalks and then lays down when other dogs are approaching, she adores to play with other dogs etc.
Does she sound like/look like a Rhodesian Ridgeback and Belgian Malinois mix to anyone else who knows the breed better? Knowing her breeds won't change how much we love her quirks and her, but I think it might help us understand her better!
Thanks for all your help!

 

[LeoRose]

What a pretty girl!

I'm not seeing a ridge, which is actually a cowlick, but there are ridgeless Ridgebacks, so it's possible. On the other hand, it's also very possible that she is a Black Mouth Cur mix, especially if you are in (or she came from) the south.

 

[arcouillard]

She is a cutie! But personally, I don’t see either of those breeds. How big is she? Ridgebacks are quite large (usually around 70-100lb) and it doesn’t look like she has a ridge either. If she’s a bit smaller (like 30-40lb range), I would guess beagle mix or some type of hound mix...what does her bark sound like? Usually hound mixes have a very “houndy” bark.

 

[DaySleepers]

I agree that she looks like she could have something houndy in her - her face structure is definitely different from a malinois. I'd also believe cur or other hunting dog along those lines. I also don't see a ton that says ridgeback to me - at least not that couldn't also be explained by a lot of other breeds, like the ear shape - but that doesn't mean she doesn't have any.

A lot of shelters are just stuck guessing based on limited information from the owners (if they get any at all), and very basic observation of the dogs' looks and behavior. Most don't deliberately mislabel dogs as the wrong breed, but you also have to take their guesses with a grain of salt a lot of the time. A couple of the doggy DNA tests on the market these days are pretty good, although there's still room for improvement and nothing is 100% guarantee, but if you're really curious that could be an option in the future. Embark would be my go-to, because they also test for a lot of genetic issues on top of checking breed, but they're on the pricier end.

 

[RonE]

With shelter mixes, I think about what breeds are more common in my area, so there are a lot of labs mixes, for example.

I'm don't think Rhodesian Ridgebacks are common anywhere. I meet a lot of dogs (and I'm old) and I've met exactly two.

 

[ForTheLoveOfDogs]

I do not see any Mal or RR.

When I was less experienced in dog breeds, I would see a breed and find all the similarities between them and my mix. Turns out, until you actually spend a lot of time around those breeds you aren't aware of how incredibly different they are.

A Malinois is not just "bitey" and high energy. A lot of dogs are bitey and high energy, especially when young. Mals are often a whole different energy of dog, lack self preservation, have a strong desire/drive to work, and are a super intense for most people.

I see some kind of Heinz 57 and something houndy. Embark has a fairly accurate (compared to others) test these days if you really want to get an idea.