We got Sebastian as a small (very small) puppy. All the rescue knew about his background is that he was a beagle mix.
At 6 weeks, we honestly thought that he might be pure beagle, just an unpapered one. He looked like one, acted like one, and had the voice. Then he started growing. And growing. And he’s still growing, at about a year old. He’s up to 70 pounds, and when he stands on his rear legs, he can lick the plates at the bottom of the kitchen sink. He looked rather like a beagle standing on stilts for a long time, though that’s improved as he’s started to fill out some.
I find myself curious as to what he’s mixed with, but not curious enough to spend $100 bucks for a genetic test. Does anyone haveanyidea? (I apologize for the crappy picture quality - I’m currently between digital cameras, so I had to use my cell phone. I also apologize for not cleaning my filthy living room first.)
I’m guessing a Doberman had something to say about his genes- in my experience, Beagles (and most other tricolor hounds) don’t have that much black, and the size would seem to agree.
Wow, you guys are good! Comparing to Laika (and I agree, that’s a good looking dog), the body looks to be pretty much an exact match. Doberman looks like a pretty high probability.
I hadn’t realized that the price of DNA testing had dropped so low - $50 or less is pretty tempting. I also have an Australian Sheppard / Dachshund mutt that might have some other stuff mixed in…
nods sagely That’s how they lure you in. We weren’t planning on getting a second dog at all, much less that day, but the rescue was set up in PetSmart with puppies, and this adorable little thing was all alone. And now I have a giant moose who is currently standing on the back of the couch, trying to find a way to lovingly sit on my head. Pure evil, all of them.
I think I’d agree that Sebastian has some similarities to my dog. I can’t get a great sense of his body shape, but what made the Doberman part of Laika clear to us was the barrel chest. She’s got a far deeper chest than any Beagle should have (even a giant, 3x-scale one). Her markings, of course, were a big clue. But you’ve got to be careful there, because a lot of breeds share similar black-and-tan (or red-and-tan, in Laika’s case) patterns, down to the eyebrows. Rottweilers, coonhounds, Manchester Terriers, Miniature Pinschers, and others can have that same coloration. So coat color isn’t really as telling as it should be. And of course Sebastian has a big splash of white on his chest that could come from about anywhere.
All I know is that your picture of Sebastian from the side could very well be a picture of my dog. The body shape similarity is there, and the sniffing pose is all too familiar to me. Laika spends 95% of her time with her nose on the ground, tracking who knows what. Just being a Beagle, I guess.
By the way, those DNA tests are VERY hit and miss. Mostly miss, from what I’ve heard. They don’t really have a huge data base to choose from, so they take what they have and extrapolate.
For instance, if you had a dog that was an American Foxhound crossed with a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, chances are that they don’t have those in their database in any reputable numbers. Or, the ones they have are all from the same lines. So, they take the next closest match.
I have a friend who sent in her sample from her VERY large mixed breed - and it came back 100% Brussels Griffon - a breed that tops out at 10 lbs.
Catahoula Leopard Dog is the term you’re trying to spell. Your dog doesn’t have the distinctive Catahoula coloring, but the face shape isn’t too far off.
