How to Identify the Breeds in a Mixed Dog

Congratulations! You're the lucky caretaker of a beautiful canine companion—man and woman's best friend. Despite all this hype about designer dogs , the days of referring to mixed-breeds as " mutts " are over. Now we enjoy the pleasure of glorifying their uniqueness with complimentary terms like "mixed" and "blended" (because they deserve it).

Let's be honest. You are dying to know the ancestry of your dog and his/her genetic makeup. Now, before you rush ahead and blow big bucks on a canine DNA test, let's go over some key canine traits that are also identifiable in mixed-breed dogs.

We'll be taking a look at muzzle shape, tail style, ear type, coat type (color and pattern), body type, and behavior. We will also discuss what constitutes a purebred or a crossbred dog, such as the ever-so-popular Goldendoodle . Let's get started so we can finally answer that burning question: "What breed is my dog?"

Related: List of America's Most Popular Dog and Cat Breeds By State in 2026 Might Surprise You

Determining Dog Breed: Physical Traits

First things first. Start by documenting your dog's physical traits. Once you've acquired a list, you can begin your internet search. Treat this like an investigative project. You should wind up with something like:

Short muzzle + corkscrew tail + blunt ears + brindle + hates water

Grab a pen and a piece of paper, and note down these key characteristics as you go.

Muzzle Shape

There are three types of canine head shapes, starting from shortest to longest muzzle:

1. Brachycephalics:notoriously short muzzles (think Pug)

2. Mesocephalics:your standard Labrador Retriever-shaped skull

3. Dolichocephalics:narrow eyes and elongated muzzles (Collies)

Tail Style

The shape, length, and thickness of a dog's tail offer quite a bit of information about its lineage:

• A ringtailis full and arches over the back of the dog.

• A sickle tail, too, arches over the dog's back but points towards the head.

• A screw tailresembles a corkscrew (characteristic of Pugs)

• An otter tailresembles exactly that—an otter tail. The otter tail is thick and full and works like a rudder in the water. These tails are characteristic of your water-loving dogs (like the Labrador Retriever).

• A whip tailis long, thin, and straight.

It is also important to distinguish between a naturally bobbed tail and a docked tail. Some dogs, such as Dobermans, Boxers, and English Pointers, have their tails docked at an early age.

It may be surprising to see one of these breeds without a docked tail, but progressive veterinary care is moving in that direction (especially for non-working dogs).

Breeds with bobtail genetic mutations include:

• Australian Shepherd

• Brittany Spaniel

• Jack Russell Terrier

Breeds with naturally occurring bobtails include:

• Boston Terriers

• English Bulldogs

• King Charles Spaniels

• Miniature Schnauzers

• Rottweilers

Glossary of Canine Physical Traits

Ear Types

There are many types of dog ears. It's easy to feel overwhelmed. We won't describe all types, but a generalization of your dog's ear shape will do. Here are some common ear shapes.

• Pricked:An upright ear; very common in dogs. These ears are pointed and erect (Husky).

• Cropped:Surgically erect ears. Not natural (Great Dane).

• Blunt or round:Sharply erect ears with a smooth curve (French Bulldog).

• Drop or pendant:Classic hanging ears (Basset Hound).

• V-shaped:V-shaped ear hanging down (Labrador Retriever).

• Cocked or semi-pricked:Neither fully erect nor pendant (Pit bull breeds).

Coat Type

Identifying your dog's coat type is fairly simple:

• Smooth or short-haired dogshave fur that is close to the body.

• Medium coatsare often an inch long and require moderate grooming to prevent tangles and matting (Golden Retriever).

• Long-coated dogsoften have hair or fur that hangs to the floor and require heavy grooming as part of their routine maintenance and care.

• Wire-coated dogsare bristly to the touch.

• Curly-coated dogshave soft ringlets or waves, much like human hair.

• Hairless dogsare hairless.

Coat Color and Pattern

Color:The most common dog coat is solid. A brown dog can be classified as liver or chocolate brown, and dogs with red coats can be classified as orange, rust, cinnamon, and ruby (think Irish Setter).

Gold colorations include pale yellow, blonde, honey, and apricot, and cream coats are nearly white. Black and white coats are self-explanatory, although each can have underlying tones. Blue dog coats appear off-gray when compared to standard gray.

Pattern:

• Bicolorcoats contain two colors and are otherwise known as patched or tuxedo. Common color combinations include black and tan or white and black (German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Border Collies).

• Tricolorcoats include three colors. Tricolor coats are often contrasted with a standard white chest and underbelly and surrounding coloration around the dog's dorsum, face, and down the limbs and tail.

• Merlecoats include patches or marbling of color primarily around all parts of the dog but the stomach.

• Harlequincoats have uneven spotting across the body and are typically black and white (Great Danes) as opposed to the standard spotting as seen on the Dalmatian.

• Brindleis your typical tiger stripe (black, brown, and gold).

• Saddlepatterns are what you frequently see on German Shepherds, with black coloring on the back and a gradual fade.

• Sableis characterized by black-tipped hairs that stand out against other lighter coloration.

Body Type

Body type may be one of the most important clues to determining your mixed breed's ancestry. Note these details.

1. Average weight of your dog after one year of age?

2. Short or tall?

3. Thick and boxy or slender and long?

4. Long-legged or short-legged?

5. Slender and deep-chested or muscular and athletic?

Miscellaneous Characteristics

• Ridgeback:One of the most telling traits of the Rhodesian Ridgeback is … the ridgeback, a ridge of hair along a dog's back running in the opposite direction of the coat. Mixed-breed dogs can possess this trait.

• Webbed paws and dewclaws:Inspect your dog's paws. Are the feet webbed ? Does your dog have dewclaws, otherwise known as vestigial digits between the inner wrist and elbow or inner ankle and knee (human anatomy terms, if you will)? Perhaps your dog even has double dewclaws (generally characteristic of prominent large breeds).

• Spotted tongue:Look at your dog's tongue, is bubblegum pink or spotted? There is a common misconception that the Chow Chow is the only breed that possesses a spotted tongue, but nearly three dozen breeds display this trait.

• Heterochromia:How about your dog's eyes—is one blue and one brown? This condition, while rare, may be linked to Huskies, Australian Shepherds, and Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dogs.

• Chondrodysplasia:An intentionally bred trait of Basset Hounds, Dachshunds, and Corgis. These breeds are often affectionately termed "low-riders" in veterinary medicine. Short legs, long bodies, and sometimes bowed legs, their body types give them an advantage in the field.

Behavior Reflects Breed

This opens the floor to the big debate surrounding nature versus nurture, but in many circumstances, canines will act out on their natural instincts. Perhaps the two most classic dog behaviors involve herding breeds and pointers. These canines exhibit behaviors that are hard to miss.

Herding Dogs

Herding breeds tend to herd, as you could've guessed, and can often be seen stalking moving objects (people, small animals, or moving objects such as skateboards, bikes, etc.). All too often, they may nip at the rear of crawling babies, running children, and household critters.

Sometimes, in addition to herding instincts, these breeds may possess a high prey drive and can go after small animals. Whether or not this high prey drive reveals what your dog is mixed with, it is wise to be aware of this tendency to keep everyone safe, including your dog.

Pointing Dogs

The classic pointing stance is also a dead giveaway of a dog that may originate from a hunting breed. A dog who points will sniff out birds, freeze, and then "point" towards the prey.

Some of these breeds also have what's called a "soft mouth," which allows a dog to retrieve prey without mangling it, as opposed to terriers and ratters, who can roughly shake prey (rats) in their mouth and kill them instantaneously.

Water-Loving Dogs

It is usually apparent whether or not a dog loves water (or does well in water for that matter). Newfoundlands are known to adore water—you can't keep them away from it. There are some breeds (sometimes the boxier, bulkier, muscular types) that despite their best efforts, just can't compete with the naturals. Their strengths lie elsewhere. Let this be a clue.

Use the Internet to Determine Your Dog's Ancestry

Now that you have all of these clues, and yes, the list is exhausting, let's plug in our formula. My mixed-breed dog, for instance, possesses these traits:

Black and white + medium-sized + pendant ear + curly hair + pointer

One of the results in Google images reveals an English Springer Spaniel. Although this is not identical to my mixed-breed dog, I can now research Spaniel breeds and further narrow down my search.

My final results helped me to discover that my beautiful mixed-breed dog most closely resembles a Working Spaniel. Yes, the traits and personality match! You can cross-compare breed types on websites like the AKC's dog breed database .

Stumped? Consider a Dog DNA Kit

If all else fails, your veterinarian and veterinary team will have a good idea of what your dog is. Many individuals in the veterinary community see hundreds of dogs weekly, and it is likely that they will be able to narrow down your dog's breeds.

Still not satisfied? Opt for a dog DNA test. Embark DNA and Wisdom Panel are commonly recommended dog DNA test kits. They have been recommended to me by colleagues. As with all DNA tests, there is room for error, and results aren't always conclusive.

What's the Difference Between Purebred and Crossbred Dogs?

A purebred dog is simply a dog with parents of the same pure breed. A crossbreed dog typically has two purebred parents of two different breeds. A mixed-breed dog may have mixed ancestry from many different unknown breeds.

This is easy to rule out. If you acquired your dog from a certified registry and source, such as an American Kennel Club breeder or a breed-specific rescue, you most likely have documentation of your dog's pedigree or a firm idea of what your dog is comprised of, and hooray, you scored 100%. Yes, your dog is purebred. Your feathery Golden Retriever's parents are, you guessed it, Golden Retrievers.

Portmanteau Naming

"Portmanteau naming" is a linguistic blending or the combination of multiple words and their sounds to create a new word. You're probably familiar with one ever-so-popular designer dog or hybrid canine, the Goldendoodle. In case you missed it, "golden" + "(d)oodle" = Golden Retriever and Poodle (standard or miniature).

Two standardized purebred parents were bred to produce a 50/50 blend. If the genetic lottery plays out correctly, your Goldendoodle will be blessedly affectionate, intelligent, and sociable and will have inherited the best traits of both parents.

Funny Crossbreed Dog Names

What Are the Best Crossbreeds?

This was a trick question. There is no such thing as a "best" dog breed. Certain crossbreeds are, however, so well-established that they are often informally identified as purebreds. Some of these crossbreeds include:

• American Bully(American Pit Bull Terrier + Staffordshire Bull Terrier)

• Black and Tan Coonhound(Bloodhound + Black and Tan Virginia Foxhound)

• Bull Terrier(Old English Bulldog + Old English Terrier)

• Cockapoo(Cocker Spaniel and Poodle)

• Eurasier(Chow Chow + Keeshond or Samoyed)

• Miniature Pinscher(German Pinscher + Italian Greyhound or Dachshund)

• Vizsla(Weimaraner + German Shorthaired Pointer)

Do keep in mind, however, that not all purebreds or crossbreeds will exhibit the desired traits or temperament of their parents. Breeding always incorporates the risk of inherited breed-specific health issues and similar negatives attached to concentrating a genetic pool. Traits like aggression and genetic malformations can be more common in intentionally bred dogs if not done responsibly.

Are Mixed Dogs Healthier Than Purebreds?

Your mixed-breed dog most likely won the genetic lottery. According to the Institute of Canine Biology , their study of 24 genetic disorders in mixed and purebred dogs from more than 27,000 UC Davis veterinary clinic medical records revealed:

1. "The incidence of 10 genetic disorders (42%) was significantly greater in purebred dogs."

2. "The incidence of 1 disorder (ruptured cranial cruciate ligament; 4%) was greater in mixed breed dogs."

The good news? Your mixed-breed dog is less likely to develop dilated cardiomyopathy, elbow dysplasia, cataracts, and hypothyroidism. The bad news? Mixed-breed dogs are more likely to rupture a cranial cruciate ligament.

Responsible Dog Ownership

All dogs deserve the best care possible. Let's get that straight. If you landed on this article, you love dogs! To ensure that your dog lives a happy, healthy life, always offer adequate exercise and proper nutrition. Keep your dog at a healthy weight, avoid synthetic foods, keep your dog current on vaccinations, and follow up with regular health checks.

If you are considering finding a purebred or crossbreed, seek out responsible, licensed breeders, and always consider adopting from a purebred rescue. If you are simply seeking out a loving companion, visit your local shelters.

I have come across so many fantastic mixed-breed dogs (my own included) in my many years of working in veterinary medicine. There is a shelter dog out there waiting for their forever home that is sure to melt your heart.

Related: Top 25 Most Beautiful Dog Breeds (With Pictures)

Sources

• A Dog's Size and Head Shape Predicts Its Behavior | Psychology Today New data suggests that the behavioral tendencies of dogs can be predicted by their height, weight, and whether they have long or short skulls.

• What Shape Is Your Dog's Ear? | Psychology Today This is a pictorial glossary of the various shapes of dog ears and the labels that dog breeders use to describe them.

• Natural Bobtail in Dogs: Wikipedia

• List of Dog Crossbreeds: Wikipedia

© 2018 Ash Roves

This story was originally published by PetHelpful on Mar 22, 2018, where it first appeared in the Dogs section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.