Meet Sabina (breed guess?)

just say Shepherd/Akita and be done with it

I'm going to go for Shepherd/Pit mix.   Maybe something else in there, too.

Hi Equest and welcome! Sabina is beautiful! I definitely see some GSD in there, but I doubt both parents were 100% any breed. I kind of like the Carolina Dog/GSD mix. I'm also sorry for the trouble you're having...

Good luck to you!
 

 Twas me, I think I'd just say german shepherd. As long as german shepherds are acceptable by them, that is. Chances are, whoever the insurance company has talk to you, probably doesn't have a clue. I think she looks enough sheperd to be believable by most folks, especially from the side views. It's the front view that makes one think there is something else there....my opinion anyway. Her coat looks shepherd like, from some of the photos, and more of the shorter coat type from some of the other photos. It If they question it, well then you can say that you really aren't sure. Say some have thought possibly a boxer/shepherd mix type of dog (saying that as boxer doesn't seem to be on their list) was one parent and a pure shepherd may have been the other parent. If the Insurance person happens to be a real doggy person (geneticist type) well then, no matter what you say, they'll decide themselves, since you really don't know for sure. As far as Kelpie, ones I've seen anyway, are finer build than the cattle dogs. And as far as cattle dog, I think that holds true about the ticking, but then again one parent could have been a cattle dog mix and then I'm sure the ticking won't necessarily hold true. I'm just trying to give you ideas, based more on what might make the insurance company happy, rather than my true thoughts, but then again, maybe my suggestions might be the possibilities.

I think GSD/APBT too. Pit bulls can have erect ears (and GSDs can have floppy ones LOL), so that isn't a reason to rule them out. I wouldn't use GSD for insurance purposes either though because they are on some lists. Best bet would be to say Carolina Dog mix or Cattle Dog mix.

As I have mentioned before, I have been around many pits and staffies, all have been wonderful dogs, but I honestly do not see a bully breed in my dog. I know in certain pictures she can look a bit thick and wide...but in person she's has a very slim appearance and structure.

I looked up the Carolina dog and I can see similarities, although we live in NY, Sabina's previous owner was from Georgia (I guess they have that breed there too). So there is a possibility she could be a GSD/Carolina mix... I read some of the breed standards and it describes Sabina's overall appearance to a "T" - a key characteristic being the fishhook tail, which she has. She also has "cat-like" paws...slightly webbed toes that she tends to hook on things she grasps, which is another trait of the breed. I know Carolina dogs are considered a rare breed, along with basenjis, and I guess on an overall bases - Kelpies too... so... I don't know. I know that there are many DNA tests out there, but some of the breeds that I'm questioning Sabina about are not able to be identified with those test...so I'm not sure if I would actually be getting my money's worth to do one...

My vet thinks Kelpie, someone said Basenji, another Belgian Mailinois, Carolina Dog... She probably is a mix-mix-mix, but I still have to put something down... oh well, I'll see what happens, maybe I'll find some more info in the time being.

Thank you! I really appreciate all of your time, ideas, and suggestions. It really means a lot to me.

(I'll keep you all updated on what I find/how the inspection goes if you like) 

Your geneticist is wrong, I'm sorry to say.  This actually helps you out, of course, as it greatly broadens the breeds you can look to.   The geneticist is also wrong about the ticking.  I'll explain both below.

First, a recessive trait means both parents can carry the gene for the trait, but they won't have the characteristic (gene expressed) unless they are homozygous for it, or carry two genes (alleles, to be precise).  So, you can have two dogs with a lower earset - say a pit bull type earset (or sighthound, or many other dogs which have the east-west type ears), but both of them have a single allele for erect ears.  Their puppies can have many different earsets, because earset is controlled by many different factors (for instance, ear leather thickness is one of them).  Erect ears can certainly result from this combination.

So there's lots of breeds that could have gone into your dog's genetics.  Most natural random bred dogs in rural areas are something shepherdy, something retrievery, something herdy, something pittie/chowish, and something houndy.  A shepherd would contribute two alleles for erect ears, allowing for a dropped ear parent (with a single erect ear allele) and a high probability that the pups would have erect ears.

All of these dogs are from a ***-eared/dropeared combination.  In fact, both parents of the tri colored dog (the smallest one, to the left) were drop eared. 

Now, the ticking is a bit more complicated.  This is because ticking only expresses under certain circumstances.  If your dog is genetically a "solid colored" dog, she can be genetically ticked, but since it only expresses in white areas, you wouldn't see any ticking.  Add to that the fact that if one parent has a dominant gene, it doesn't mean all that parent's puppies will inherit the gene.  It only means that any pup which gets the ticking gene, will have the potential to be ticked.  But again, the gene requires white areas for expression and that's a seperate set of alleles.

I've seen cattle dog mixes that I knew were ACD mixes, that were solid colored.  In the above picture, the dam of the three to the right, is as heavily ticked as the long haired pup to the far right.  The sire of the tri colored dog was heavily ticked as well.

Wow! Listen up!

I contacted a lady from a Carolina Dog website...she offered to take a look at pictures and a few short videos of Sabina and she believes she is a Carolina Dog (well GSD mixed with one). She's even asked if she could put pictures of her up on their site. She said that they can come in many shapes and sizes, but Sabina has the classic structure and overall appearance of one of the main foundation dogs. Although there's no DNA test to prove this breeds, she really believes she is.

We'll go along with GSD/Carolina Dog mix... I hope the insurance flies with that (I'll take her to the vet once again prior to the inspection and see if the vet verifies with our findings and will update the papers).
 

Again thank you to those who made the Carolina dog suggestion and everyone else else who put time into my post. I really appreciate everyone's help and support!  

"Case Closed!" lol. 

Equest94

she believes she is a Carolina Dog (well GSD mixed with one)

FourIsCompany

I kind of like the Carolina Dog/GSD mix.

In my best Elvis impression... Thankyouverymuch! LOL  

Good news!  

Equest94

thank you to those who made the Carolina dog suggestion

welcome :) and good luck! 

Hello,

I know you asked this a while ago and probably have enough input but I actually have a german shepherd/cattle dog mix.  The people I got her from owned both parents and the mom was the cattle dog so i do know for a fact that is indeed what she is mixed with.  Here are some pics you can compare to your dog....obviously the shepherd in my dog has a lot more black than in your dog but some GSDs are very light colored.  My dog is also around 50 lbs (she's only 10 months, still has a little filling out to do).  While she mainly got her dads coloring, the cattle dog can be seen in the white on the toes of all her feet and the tip of her tail and the white chest and belly. I can see there possibly being cattle dog in your dog esp. if she's got white on her toes (hard to tell in the pics).  I think she's definately got GSD in her though and definately not pit bul .  The ears kinda remind me of a pharoah hound and the wrinkles on her forehead remind me of a basenji, could also see canaan dog...definatley something sort of primitive looking, it's hard to say.  So here are the pics....she's between 7-9 months here.  Hope this helps, tried to get all angles!

 http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s111/babyblue13_photos/tilly/DSC07624.jpg

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s111/babyblue13_photos/tilly/DSC07520.jpg

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s111/babyblue13_photos/tilly/DSC07495.jpg

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s111/babyblue13_photos/tilly/DSC07503.jpg

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s111/babyblue13_photos/tilly/DSC07506.jpg

Hi,

Thank you so much for sharing. Your dog is gorgeous! The only white Sabina has on her is just on the underside of her neck that goes down a little to her chest...no white on toes or tail. I definitely agree that beside Sabina's GSD features, she looks to be a very primitive breed of dog. After a few people suggested Carolina dog, I looked into that breed and even contacted a breeder who "confirmed" that she had that in her....The Carolina Dog supposedly originated from American Dingos and Sight Hounds, which could explain her overall "wild" look. The Carolina Dog is also noted for the "fish hook" tail carriage, large pointy ears, cat-like paws that are slightly webbed, and a wrinkly forehead, all of which she possesses. However, you never really can know, especially when you adopted a dog from a shelter - so, maybe she does have Cattle Dog in her after all.  

Reeeeeeeaaaaly old post but made me miss Brookcove!

                                                   Tena

 GSD and . . . something, ha ha haaa.  What a cutie!