Are personalities a good way...

I think somewhat. But with a mix it is so hard to know for sure. A dog could be half lab, but the personality could take after the other half. But odds are that a dog would have at least some of the personality if it was half lab. So maybe she's not.

I do know that the best way to tell an undersized Samoyed from an oversized American Eskimo is personality. With poor breeding they can look quite similar, but the personalities are quite distinct.

Chels--you need to let this go. . .you need to just accept that she's mostly chow, LOL!

Cheyanne is dalmation lab and chow mix. Her mom was a full blooded dalmation her dad a lab chow mix. 

She also does not like water, doesnt retrieve, not bouncy but she is people friendly, and she isnt playful either. She doesnt like other dogs until I say it's ok. She is stubborn as heck.

But she loves to go running along side the bike. She has from the day I got her. I used to carry her under my arm till she was big enough to run and keep up with me. Since dalmations where coach dogs I say that is where she gets that from.

She is a pig though. And all the labs I have ever meet are also food hogs. She has a water proof pain in the butt coat. She has the lab tail and face.

She is short like a chow. Other than that you cant tell she has anything else in her but chow. 

She is the best dog I have ever had. I never have a complaint about her. 

You know it's so funny you say Cheyenne is a chow mix because I was looking at the pictures you posted the other day of them in the field.  I was thinking, she really looks chowy to me--then DH said, you think every dogs a chow so I didnt' mention it to you.  See, I'm not nuts. . .about that anyway!!

 Hehe. Yeah I  tell people she has chow in her. They never believe me.

As long as you love your dog the breed wont matter. ;)

For me the breed does matter but that's not the topic of this thread. 

willowchow

Chels--you need to let this go. . .you need to just accept that she's mostly chow, LOL!

lol Lori. I have NO problems with chows. If I found out fur shur Cherokee was mostly chow, I'd be thrilled. Buuuut I'm just not convinced. Definitely got a chow-y personality (even better..unsocialized chow..haha) though..no gettin' around that.

You actually think she's part chow, or do you really just think all dogs are? LOL. I waiver a lot..sometimes I think "DUH of course she's chow!"..and sometimes I think "wow, how could I ever think she was part chow??"

Kyda

As long as you love your dog the breed wont matter.

This dog has been my absolute best friend for 9 years. You really think me wondering what her breed mix is somehow means it makes any difference to me?? I'm still curious, and it's still fun (and terribly frustrating..lol) to wonder.

I always assumed she was a Chow X....didn't know there were thoughts she wasn't...oops!

rwbeagles

I always assumed she was a Chow X....didn't know there were thoughts she wasn't...oops!

I was pretty convinced she was lab/chow until really recently... mainly I guess what made me falter was finding Australian Kelpies that look soooo much like her, and since she came from NC, that didn't seem terribly unlikely. Buuuut I don't honestly have any clue. Maybe she's chow and kelpie..heh..

I do think she's got some chow in her.   Now, how much chow I'm not sure but I'd guess probably a lot due to some of her features and also her temperment.

I really think they are. That's partly how I came up with Casey's mix... he herds when he plays (corgi) and runs like a maniac (JRT).

I know some people see him and swear he is a chihuahua mix, but nothing about him even remotely resembles a chi, personality wise.

I'd love to find out what he really is, but I think it's pretty fun to guess too.

FTR - I think your baby has some chow-chow in her. Maybe some shepherd? I dunno... =]

erica1989

I really think they are. That's partly how I came up with Casey's mix... he herds when he plays

Cherokee gets herdy too when playing, and when I first started reading about Kelpies, I couldn't believe I'd never thought she was a herding breed mix before. The herding nip at heels, ankles and butts is so classically Cherokee, that my niece's favorite joke when playing with Cherokee is "Cherokee's gonna bite my buuuuutt!!" (said in a playful laughing way, of course, while Cherokee chases us down and tries to nip our butts..lol). Plus she does the circling thing, and she's often called "the cat police"  because she definitely thinks it's her job to keep the cats in line (she's not aggressive with them, but very herd-y). People too, for that matter (we also call her the "fun police" LOL).

By personality and temperament, she is definitely herding dog before lab, but I just wasn't sure if personality was at all reliable for determining a dog's breed mix... Not that appearance always is...

I started wondering about ACDs a bit ago too, because she's shaped very much like them, including head shape, I think. But I never did find out for sure if the ticking gene is very dominant..it sure seems to be though. I've never seen a known ACD mix that wasn't ticked.

Maybe I'll just call her chow/kelpie and get on with life. haha.