What Breed is My Dog?

(April 30, 2010)

“What breed is my dog?” is a common question asked by many dog owners. A DNA test will help determine the breed if it is a purebred dog. Certain physical appearances as well as personality traits will also help determine the breed.

When trying to determine the breed of your dog, you can follow these key steps.

• Try and figure out which breed your dog resembles. A good way to do this is by referring to books and encyclopedia’s on dogs. Consider the coat length, color, tail and years.
• The next step is to feel the fur. You need to make careful observations to determine weather the coat is short or heavy, if the texture of the hair is straight, wavy or shaggy. You now need to observe the color of the coat to see if it is a single or multi colored, for example, Boxers or Labradors are short coated, where as Terriers have a fine and silky coat.
• The tail of the dog can also tell you a lot about the breed it belongs to. You need to see if the tail is plumed or wirey. You can get an idea of the breed by looking at the shape and amount of hair on its tail. For example, a Terrier has a feathery flowing tail, where as a Dalmatian has a thin and straight tail without a lot of hair.
• Measure the height of your dog and make a note of its weight as well. An important fact to keep in mind is that there generally is a variation between height and weight between male and female of the same breed.  Dogs of different breeds have a difference of height and weight. For example a Labrador is big in size and weight than a Pug or an Pomeranian.
• Observe the dogs’ height, nose, ears, teeth and shape of his muzzle. Check if the ears are droopy ad pointed or clear and feathery. This is important because the facial structure is different for different breeds and can help determine the dogs breed. For example a Dachshund has a pointed face where as a Pug has a stout face.
• Finally one of the important factors that help determine the breed is the dogs temperament. Some of the best dog breeds can be trained easily, where as others are wild and ferocious.