brookcove
Posted : 3/15/2007 9:39:54 PM
He is definitely blue merle. That's not a cattledog or heeler color. Cattledogs have extended white spotting, genetically, and the spotting/ticking in the body color grows in, exactly like a Dalmation.
That's both an Aussie or Border Collie color. The body and ears look more BC to me, as does the really extended tri. I'm pretty clueless on what else might be in there - something houndy - he reminds me of my friend's Walker/Border Collie mix - but there's also something husky-ish in there too. Maybe one of those Alaskan sled dog mixes?
If he's a Border Collie mix he'll fill out a whole lot more in the next couple of years. Ditto husky mix.
ETA: I've seen a few Catahoulas and I just don't see it here. They are more "cur dog" looking, harking back to their mastiff-type ancestors (also the ancestors of bloodhounds, if that helps you see the type). And Eastern Canada doesn't really have a whole lot of herds of any kind, much less the highly specialized work that need Catahoulas. These aren't just general herding dogs - they are bred to go in and bite and bite hard, chase and never stop, and turn back things that are charging to kill. They work well independently but don't take finicky training well - they'll just leave if you try to suggest they go right when they think they should go left, and you try to enforce your point.