Why is it that

2 'Dalmations' at Animal Control.....both could easily be Pit/Lab, I guess they think saying they're Dalmations will make them more adoptible?

http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=12169155

http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=12168970

Sorry, not trying to figure breeds, just woundering why all the black and white dogs are suddenly 'Dalmations'

When I was visiting a lot of shelters I was amazed and amused at some of the breed info I was given.  I don't think it's really intentional (I hope not) in order to make the dogs more adoptable, just mis-informed.  Most dogs in shelters, if they are mixed breeds, are a mix of common breeds.  But I was told of Pharoah hound mixes, Borzoi, Basenji and many other rather uncommon dogs.  Dalmations are not uncommon but I didn't look at the dogs in your link so don't have an opinion on the breed.

I understand that....Collies aren't very common around here, the ones that are in my area are show dogs. People don't *normally* let show dogs breed with a mutt off the street, yet I see 3 or 4 'collie' dogs in the shelters every time I look. As for the links, the second dog **may** have some Dal. in her, but not alot....1/4 tops.

There is a 'Vizsla' in this shelter too. The only thing remotely Vizsla(to me) is it's color.

Makes me kind of mad that they say these dogs are these fairly uncommon breeds when they're really just common Lab's Shep's Pit's ect that have alot of influence from alot of dogs/breeds.

I guess it could be the lack of imformation on the breeds or lack of knowledge, but every time I go, the shelter workers claim to have expert knowledge on many breeds and have years of experience. Experieence I can undersand, but knowledge on multipule breeds I highly doubt.

End rant. Sorry all.

Yeah it makes me laugh.  Where I volunteered, anything with darker pigment on the face and/or *** ears was a German Shepherd.  I guess people WANT to know what the dog is, not the shelter people but the adopters.  People always stop to ask me what Coke is.  I say "a mutt" and they keep going, "well he could be this and this and this..."  Honestly, I will never know because Coke's mother is an unidentifiable mix, lol!  Coke is black and red, and his mother is mainly white with some brown, hehe.  I just let people speculate and shrug it off.  He's my dog and I really don't care.  If he appeared to be a 50/50, it might be interesting to do one of those DNA tests, but I'm quite certain Coke is a mix of at least 4 different breeds.

I feel your pain, I had to grit my teeth a lot when I was shelter searching. Some of the stories I was told just curled my hair.  On the one hand, I really admired these people for the work they did but I didn't admire the attitude that some had of knowing everything there was to know about dogs and cats.  At one no-kill shelter, I was talking to the director about a certain dog.  I was told that this dog absolutely HATED cats and would kill any cat she could.  Then this woman told me that the dog had been adopted out, BY THIS SHELTER, two different times to people who owned cats!  When I asked her why they would adopt a dog out to a cat owning family, knowing about the cat issue, her reply was that they told the two different families to keep the dog and cat separated!  Unfortunately, the dog tore a screen door down and killed one family's cat.  This was just one story she related about different dogs and their "history" of failed adoptions.  Poor dogs are often doomed to a life in a no-kill shelter because of this sort of blindness in the shelter workers.  I firmly believe (and will take all the flaming directed my way) that some dogs would be better off dead than living in a small kennel their entire life.  Especially the ones who get adopted out to the wrong home and brought back time and again.  OK, my rant is over. 

Shelter people on here feel free to correct any misconceptions I have developed.  I truly feel that working in or volunteering at a shelter has got to be one of the most emotionally painful and hopefully rewarding jobs in the world.  

Sam too....only most people say Lab mix. I've seen a few Lab/Husky's lately that are built/look very similar to Sam. I've given up on guessing thou. Your right, he's my dog. Thats all that matter. And one the rare ocasion that someone calls him a dumb dog(as in my brother), he's **my** dumb dog.

People do like to sort of know what they're getting into. But I wish people would look a little deeper then color or markings. *sigh*

I'll agree that shelters are simply guessing, and generally do so by physical appearance only.  When I volunteered at the Human Society here in Fort Worth, they had a breed book that they'd flip through, looking at pictures and when something looked right, they'd slap a description on the dog's card.  Maybe they didn't do that 100% of the time but when you're unsure, what else are you going to do?  Like someone mentioned, people want to know what that mutt is mixed with and chances are, if they are that insistant to know, they're not going to debate the answer.

I died laughing the other day when I pulled up in a drive-thru with Joe in my back seat.  The young boys at the window took one look at him and said "OH, look at that mean pit bull!"  The only pittie thing about his appearance is his ears but yep, that's a MEAN pit bull.  I corrected them, letting them know he's a mutt but got no response.

Sorta OT but I was so excited when I started seeing Mutt Euro Stickers for cars.  I ran out and got one and I love it.

That being said, I want June or Portia.  Such cute babies!

scrubsfiend

 I died laughing the other day when I pulled up in a drive-thru with Joe in my back seat.  The young boys at the window took one look at him and said "OH, look at that mean pit bull!"  The only pittie thing about his appearance is his ears but yep, that's a MEAN pit bull.  I corrected them, letting them know he's a mutt but got no response.

They do that to you too? My ex wanted me to give him Sam because he thinks there's alot of Pit in him, and he '....would make him a mean dog, that the kind of dog you need Meg, a mean ass dog that'd bite anyone who tried to mess with you.....'

Yea. That didn't fly. I basicly tore him a new one over the phone.

our local shelter labels practically every dog a "lab mix". Since the predominant breed in the area are horrible aggressive over-sized don't retrieve yellow labs it kind of makes sense but um the 10 pound obviously a terrier mix  I don't think so.

misstrouble

scrubsfiend

 I died laughing the other day when I pulled up in a drive-thru with Joe in my back seat.  The young boys at the window took one look at him and said "OH, look at that mean pit bull!"  The only pittie thing about his appearance is his ears but yep, that's a MEAN pit bull.  I corrected them, letting them know he's a mutt but got no response.

They do that to you too? My ex wanted me to give him Sam because he thinks there's alot of Pit in him, and he '....would make him a mean dog, that the kind of dog you need Meg, a mean ass dog that'd bite anyone who tried to mess with you.....'

Yea. That didn't fly. I basicly tore him a new one over the phone.

I get the pittie reaction a lot.  Other times it's Lab mix, which is probably the most accurate, though he's small for a Lab.  Everyone thinks he's a puppy.  But the funniest by far was when someone saw a picture of him and asked if he was Great Dane.  Seriously?

Your ex's comment probably tells a lot about his intelligence level and that's all I'm going to say about that.

Another reason they may do it is because the staff probably doens't even know what the breeds of dogs look like outside of the photos in breed books.

If it has long hair- Obviously a Collie mix

Short hair and floppy ears- Obviously a Lab mix

Blue eye/s-Obviously a Husky mix.

Spots on tongue- Chow mix

Big head-Pitt Bull mix

Upright ears-GSD mix

I will say, I was rather proud when they properly I.D.'d a Border Collie! She looks purebred, and BC's aren't common in my area. I figure someone dumped her, or she got out in the next county over(our animal control is about 15 mins from the county line).

Kyda

If it has long hair- Obviously a Collie mix

Short hair and floppy ears- Obviously a Lab mix

Blue eye/s-Obviously a Husky mix.

Spots on tongue- Chow mix

Big head-Pitt Bull mix

Upright ears-GSD mix

Yepp. If it has socks and a tan body, it's a Collie mix. If it's Black it's a Lab or Rottie mix. If it's extra fuzzy it's a Chow or Akita mix.

I've seen them call a 30lb Husky-like dog an Akita. It was black/white with a good inch or more of fluff. How is that an Akita thou?! Did it mate with a Chihuahua?! Which is possible, but unlikely.

I was looking years ago in the old shelter, they had a litter of solid black med.-long coated puppies.....they called them Flat Coated Ret. I have yet to meet a single Flat Coated Ret. in my area. The most common mix would probably be a Golden Ret./Lab.

 I dont like you very much right now MissT.

I had to go see the Viszla you said they had and of course had to click past the cat page. Now there are about 5-6 kittens I want from that shelter. Absolutley adorable. Think you should go bail them out and send them to me!!

kle1986

 I dont like you very much right now MissT.

I had to go see the Viszla you said they had and of course had to click past the cat page. Now there are about 5-6 kittens I want from that shelter. Absolutley adorable. Think you should go bail them out and send them to me!!

I'm sorry! If I could I would, I hate seeing then in cages! There is one I'd love to have, her names Diva. She's so cute! When we were thinking about getting another pet, this time last year, I wanted a cat. But I opted out, I can't stand litter box's. So, we got Mr. Taz. Fair trade up I think....

Now I don't like me either.....I had to go look again......I want about 6 of them! Imagine 6 kittens running around! *melts* I think Sam and Taz would like a kitty-playmate too.....