Ok, what is she? *pic HEAVY!!!*

Sorry, I've seen exactly that type of coat many times. In fact, Laura (dogslyfe) has a BC that is a daughter of a bitch with exactly this type of coat. It's a thick coat you can bury your hands in, like a spitz, with a brushy tail.

Templeton's Roy (key sire):



McKenzie's Don (world champion)



Loos II (foundation dam)



Herdman's Tommy (foundation sire)



This dog is very similiar in look to the dog in question:

http://www.pbase.com/pastorshill/image/51589651

Here's a saddleback sable where it's easier to see the thickness of the coat (though this one isn't even as heavy as Ive seen):

http://www.pbase.com/pastorshill/image/43454249

Another example of the "shepherd's smooth" - so called because it's highly desireable for practical work:

http://www.pbase.com/pastorshill/image/43825885

See...those coats look double...but they don't look Northern to me, lol.
 
They don't stand away on the dog except in parts. Northern isn't just thick or double...it's got a certain resilience to it...a spring. Hard to describe. I think the test I mentioned could help her out Foster Mom.
 
BTW Foster Mom...does she have a doggy odor?
 
Either way this dog will need a very special home indeed....considering the bouncing around she's already done.

It's good to know that I might have ID'd her correctly. We've got her listed as a husky/bc mix. I haven't been around any bc's long enough to know the characteristics (and I'm guessing watching "Babe" isn't a good way to know[]) of that breed, same with husky's. And I have never even seen a Karoliean Bear Dog in real life before. I'm also not an expert on double coat and stuff like that, what I can tell you is that today it was 35 degrees here and snowing and she wanted nothing better than to sit outside and watch the day go by, she was not cold in the least. The reason I dont think she's pure BC is because her tail curls (not just slightly, but all the way into a circle), she loves the cold weather, her ears are straight up with NO bend to them which I haven't seen in BC's before, and she loves to pull me on my bike. All those things seem to point to a northern breed to me, unfortunatly I have no idea where I would find sheep to test her on.

Gina,,,no I haven't noticed a specific doggy odor to her, she is very vocal although it's always pointed at something (talking to me or warning me about something) and can be quite loud. She makes all kinds of weird noises, I've never heard a dog with such a wide range of vocals before!!!

I am enjoying fostering this girl sooooo much!! She's been a challange but there's just something about her that I love living and working with. She is a dog that needs a job and plenty of exercise (which right now is pulling me around the neighborhood on my bike). I do have a problem though. I'm going out of the country soon for three weeks and we dont have anyone in our fostering system who has both room to take her that long and the knowledge it would take to deal with her for that long. So unfortunatly I'm looking at being forced to put her into a rescue (all breed, nothing specific). I dont like this situation at all because I think she has the potential of going crazy if she gets passed around too much more or gets put into a kennel setting. If anyone has any ideas I would love to hear them!!!!!!

Brookcove,,,,,I'm living in Michigan, and it's COLD!!!!!!!

the vocal thing is typical of Northern breeds lol. Sibe owners often tell how their dogs have entire convo's without necessarily BARKING ya know? It's chatting or relaying information etc like you mention. I think your label works great...and would cover any bases as far as activity and personality. Good job...
 
I wish I had some input for the other situation...that's too bad. If you could test her around livestock beforehand....maybe Brookcove's suggestion is a good one?

Mail her over here. She sounds like a blast! I love that mix- fostered one last year who was SO COOL.
Brookcove, do you think that 'shepherds smooth' coat is similar to a smooth collie coat? I'm kinda hoping that's what Mal's coat willb e like as an adult- it's my favorite kind of short coat.

Pwca,,,we adopt out of state[][] I would LOVE it if someone from this board would be able to take her,,,if it weren't for me going out of the country there is no way I would give her up unless it was to a forever home. But I can't very well ask someone who isn't used to dealing with her activity leval and personality to put up with her for three weeks,,,, a couple days is one thing but almost a month is a whole other story.

She is a gorgeous dog whatever she is. I'd have to agree on the border collie and husky mix. I'm saying husky because of the way the hair looks on the tail.....I agree that it looks more like the hair of a northern breed. As far as the Karelian bear dog, I don't think her head and ears look quite like those dogs...ears don't seem to set just quite the same way and her ears look bigger and the face, to me anyway, doesn't look quite the same. From most of the pictures I see of the Karelian bear dogs, it seems like their tails are up and curled most of the time. There really doesn't seem to be a big difference though. The biggest difference that I see is the tail carriage. Here's a breeder website in Michigan that has some great pictures. .[linkhttp://www.simplesite.com/runningbeardog/385521]http://www.simplesite.com/runningbeardog/385521[/link]

I think she is a beautiful dog whatever she is.  I tend to agree with BC/Husky, although I wouldn't be shocked if she were pure BC like brookcove said.  All the personality traits sound right for the mix though.  Do BCs get cold?  I have a husky mix and he is just impervious to cold and loves being out in it, it is very striking.  I never even heard of a Karelian bear dog before this thread but I looked at pictures for a while and while the resemblance is striking, I decided I don't think so.  The bear dogs' earset seems a bit different, a bit thicker features, and they seem to have a neck ruff I don't see on her. 

Just from the pics and descriptions I think she is more KBD than anything else.  Although it's not crazy at all to think BC/huskey.  If your going to adopt her out BC/Huskey may be the safest guess because it's a breed more people can relate to.  Or you could find a person looking for a rare breed then you would tell them KBD.  Either way you want to make sure she goes to a good home.  Whatever she is, she is beautiful!
 
I'm having the same trouble with Gizmo's ID, I tell people she is smooth coated BC but in the back of my mind I almost think she is part KBD.  The vet even suggested she seems to have a little northern breed mixed in there which leads me to think KBD.
 

Bite your tongue, I am NOT ready for another permanent dog just yet. I think. Probably. Although Mal would be thrilled with a playmate- Indy is still ignoring him. (And transport would be a pain and... yeah. Much too difficult. Very. Even if she is cute as a button and sounds like she'd be a total blast as a scooter dog.

Cait  

ORIGINAL: barngirl

Pwca,,,we adopt out of state[][] I would LOVE it if someone from this board would be able to take her,,,if it weren't for me going out of the country there is no way I would give her up unless it was to a forever home. But I can't very well ask someone who isn't used to dealing with her activity leval and personality to put up with her for three weeks,,,, a couple days is one thing but almost a month is a whole other story.

ORIGINAL: brookcove

Uh, she's all Border collie and not a bit of anything else. I can even give a guess what lines she comes from (Kuykendall, Thompson's Tweed, a little LA Alexander cattle lines).

23" is well within the norm for some of the cattle lines. And of course all the rest, smooth coat, prick ears, loves to run, loves water, escape artist - all BC.

 
That was my thought when I saw that face.  A friend of mine has a dog that looks almost identical, minus the poofy tail.  Border collie mix, or so she was told. 
 
KBD is a good guess too and the stalking and such would fit into either of those categories.

I'm not really new here, but I've been lurking a long time.  I also see pure bc, but the curling tail and vocalizing also could indicate Canaan Dog.  Whatever she is, she's a beauty!

I'd go with a border collie or a border collie mix.  Her face shape looks more bc to me than KBD and kbds are really rare.  Plus I don't think Karelians can have ticking... I might be wrong on that.  I tend to just go with relatively common breeds when I guess mixes.  I just figure they're a lot more probable. 

i am going w/ border collie as well....compare her pics to gus'....border collie all the way.