I meet "dog experts" almost every time I am out with Glory, who either want to know what breed she is, or they already know exactly what she is. I usually reply that she is a black German Shepherd Dog (most people don't know such a dog exists!). But then there are people who always have to offer their opinion of what she "really" is. So, I decided to bring Glory to the experts here!
The number 1 reason people question her "German Shepherd-ness" is her blue eye. See the following photos...
One brown eye, one blue.
One brown eye, one blue. Notice tail coverage appears to be low.
The number 2 reason people question her "German Shepherd-ness" is the way she sometimes carries her tail - pretty high, when he is alert or aroused or excited. See the following photos...
Prancing through the sagebrush.
At the ocean!
Meeting another dog at the beach.
Is Glory's tail too fluffy to be a purebred German Shepherd tail?
But sometimes, when she is in a familiar place and/or just very chill and not too curious, she holds her tail like this...
Yes, that's me, and we worked at a fire lookout last summer.
"I don't really care what I am, mom."
Glory stack.
Any thoughts you guys have will be greatly appreciated by me, though I'm sure Glory will be indifferent. I feel this may help eliminate a lot of the questions surrounding the mysterious Glory B. Thank you!
What she is, is GORGEOUS!!! What a neat looking dog.
My guess would be mostly GSD with a tiny pinch of Husky somewhere back there, maybe like one grandparent or something. Here's my thinking - she looks physically like a PB GSD, and you can very very rarely get a blue eyed mutation in a purebred GSD. Similarly, you do see what's called a "gay" or "happy" tail in purebred GSDs. But the fact that she's got both, and Huskies have both, makes me think that she probably inherited them from a Husky ancestor rather than happens to have those two quirks coincidentally.
This was my foster, other than the eye and tailset looks just like him. He was mixed with Australian Kelpie. I agree on the northern breed, because of the tail/eye color, but could be some ACD, too.
Is her coat coarse?
Glory is gloryous, what ever she has mixed in!!
The tail is called a "gay" tail and one of my own girls has it. Curls right up like a husky. Add to it her flop ear, and we get all kind of mix suggestions.
I assure you that I could trace her pedigree back 100 years.
Fidelco would drop dead if anyone suggested any lines but a shep.
I can't say that I have ever run across a blue eye in a Shep, but I have seen it present in other breeds where you would never suspect. I know a corgi who also has a blue eye.
As for the fluffy tail, got one of those too!
I think it's unlikely, given both attributes, that Glory is PB GSD. It's possible, but unlikely. I say high amount GSD with a little dab of northern breed, though ACD also occurred to me, I don't know what their tails do though.
....of course, I'm probably biased b/c I have a northern breed mix
I also think that Glory is a high mix rather than a PB: eye + tail + slightness of frame BUT I'd keep on calling her a black GSD - with maybe a dusting of Kelpie for those that insist
Looks pb. My 100% purebred GSD Cherry had that tail too. So I know it's possible.
The blue eye is another story. I know it can occur in pb, but it's unlikely.
My guess is mixed, but not much.
You could always do the DNA test.
she looks like a pb to me except for the eye ( i like it ) but it could just be due to Heterochromia or she may have the tiniest bit of another dog in there
As others have said, it is possible to have a GSD with a blue eye. I've seen a few photos of purebred Shepherds with a blue (or partially blue) eye and I've also seen it in other breeds where the standard is brown eyes. The high tail is not unusual, especially if it only happens when she is excited. My Golden had the standard tailset for her breed but when she was really alert/excited she would sometimes curl up her tail up like that. If it's only when she is excited, it's not uncommon for Shepherds either.
If it was me, would just keep telling people she is a black GSD. If they want to discuss it further you could say that yes it is possible she could have a trace of Husky blood mixed in (or just smile and nod...works for me LOL.)
I would not describe Glory's fur as coarse, but neither would I describe it as soft....so in between coarse and soft. Normal fur??
Glory is 6' 2" from nose to tip of tail. She is 27" at the "withers." She weighs between 75-80 pounds.
Australian Cattle Dog, I believe, is much to small and "stalky" to be mixed in with Glory.
She may have just a pinch of one of the northern breeds like Husky or Malamute though?? A pinch of Australian Kelpie maybe?? I hear you guys on the unlikelihood of both the tail and eye gene mutations present, but....ya never know!
This is kind of fun! Thank you for the compliments and insights....I already told Glory what you guys said about her....she groaned.
Malamutes only have brown eyes, so my vote is still for Husky. I'm not seeing ACD either. She's pretty big for Kelpie mix and there aren't that many of them running around to be mixing with GSDs. Huskies on the other hand...
As far as her tail hair, it looks like my female GSD's, so I don't see anything non-GSD about it. I always feel like I'm brushing a horse's tail when I groom her.
I didn't know that about Malamutes, so I guess that clears Malamutes.
Like Chicagocanine and Alto said...
Quote: If it was me, would just keep telling people she is a black GSD. If they want to discuss it further you could say that yes it is possible she could have a trace of Husky blood mixed in (or just smile and nod...works for me LOL.)
That is about what I do now...ya don't want to mess with those expert dog breed identifiers!
Glory also wants me to tell you guys.....I adopted her from a Humane Society shelter! So, remember, you can always get a beautiful homeless dog from a shelter. I'm kind of a rescue nut.
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