For all the time that dogs serve people, many of their breeds have been bred. It is difficult to say how many of them are currently there. According to some reports - from 350 to 400. And these lists are changing: new ones appear, disappeared ones are crossed out. The question arises: "How to determine the breed of a dog, if there are so many? What do you need to know?"
Dog Breed Reference
If you wondered how to determine the breed of a dog, then, in principle, you can use the specially published reference book. In it, each animal is described in sufficient detail, there are photographs.
However, in such sources it is not always possible to find complete information. A found dog may look like it doesn’t fit any description. In these cases, it is generally difficult to judge the breed. Do not forget about the existence of mestizos, then the task is generally complicated.
Interactive programs have been created to facilitate identification, and you can also consult with dog handlers or veterinarians.
When it becomes necessary to determine the breed
Several different situations may arise when it becomes necessary to identify the breed. In each case, you will have to use various means. Let's look at the most standard situations.
Suppose you found an adult dog or puppy on the street. You can judge its breed only by appearance. As they say, ears, paws, tail - this is the "passport" of the animal. Only by them can one determine the breed.
The dog is not to blame if not very good owners kicked her out. The animal has the right to find a new home. In this case, you can consult with dog handlers and dog breeders regarding the breed. Still, they have some experience, and perhaps they can tell how purebred the animal is.
But it may be that the dog was simply lost, which means that it would not hurt to post ads with photos. And before taking a picture of the animal, it will need to be put in order, as domestic dogs on the street quickly lose their gloss.
Is it possible to determine the breed when buying a puppy
Another case where it is important to understand how to determine the breed of a dog is to buy a puppy with it. For example, you found a baby on the street or saw a pretty “fluffy” for sale in the market and you wanted to take it for yourself. If the puppy is a month old, then it is extremely difficult to judge its breed. Very often, such babies look more like yard dogs or, on the contrary, may look like a thoroughbred, and then an ordinary mongrel will grow up. In these cases, the likelihood of acquiring a mestizo is high, and the breed of a puppy can only be determined by an experienced dog handler.
Sometimes it becomes necessary to find relatives of a pretty, but not particularly thoroughbred dog. Perhaps your pet is a mixture of several breeds, then it will be more difficult to find its relatives. However, if you find them, it will be easier for you to sort out the care features. In this case, forums can come to the rescue. They can be called for help in determining the breed, perhaps the breeders will help you.
We determine the breed in appearance
The simplest and most logical way to determine the breed of a dog is to examine its appearance and navigate it. What to pay attention to? To begin with, as already mentioned, you should describe in detail the ears, paws, tail, height and weight of your animal, and then look for similar signs in the standards.
To determine the breed of a dog by description, you must perform the following steps:
- It should determine the characteristics of the animal. This means that it is necessary to describe the basic characteristics by which different breeds are distinguished. Start with the size of the dog. The height at the withers and weight are measured. You can use tape measure to measure your height. The distance between the floor and the withers is measured.
- The format of the case matters. In fact, this is the ratio of the height of the animal to the length of its body. Then study the shape of the skull. It can be square, pointed, flattened. A very important characteristic is the ears. They can be: standing, bent, hanging. No less important is the dog's paw and tail characteristics (sticking out or down, docked, long, short, curved).
- An important sign is the dog’s coat. In order to orient yourself, you need to run your hand into it and determine by feeling how silky it is, hard or soft, not forgetting to note also long hair or short, curly or straight hair.
- Dog colors are an important nuance in determining the breed. Spotting or uniformity of color is noted.
- Character is one of the serious features of the breed. It was formed purposefully for each species. For example, hunting breeds are always energetic and vigorous, and decorative species are more lazy and phlegmatic. Of course, by such a characteristic it is difficult to determine the species, but nevertheless, it should not be neglected.
All of the above characteristics only in the total mass give an idea of the breed. But not one sign alone will work.
Directory Search
Once the full description is complete, you can proceed to search for a good reference. Printed sources usually provide the most comprehensive description of any dog breed. The list of varieties is quite large. You can search for similar directories on special services. In the pictures posted there, all characteristics should be clearly visible.
As soon as you find a photo of an animal something similar to your pet, study it more carefully, especially the description of the standard of this species. As we already mentioned, dishonesty makes it very difficult to search, because many different breeds can be mixed in mestizos.
If you were able to determine the standard, then you should double-check the result with other information sources.
I would like to note that the standard is a combination of the most common features. It must be understood that slight deviations from the rules are always possible. That’s why dogs often turn out to be on the streets that didn’t meet the declared description, and therefore they were considered mongrels. To find a relative of the pet, you need to be patient.
How to determine the breed of a puppy
It is sometimes difficult to determine the breed of an adult dog, and it is even more difficult to deal with a puppy. If the puppy does not have a chip or documents, then it can not be considered thoroughbred. In this case, there is no guarantee that the dog is purebred and there were no other breeds in the family.
To figure it out, you will have to take the puppy to the veterinarian, perhaps he will help solve this problem, as well as make vaccination. But, most likely, the question will have to be postponed until the moment the baby grows up. Then it will be easier to find out its breed, because the standards contain a description of adult individuals, not cubs. And puppies often quite a bit like their parents.
It should be noted that there is no uniquely reliable way to determine the breed of a puppy. We can only speculate on the basis of what the dog’s paw is, the shape of the skull, body, ears and tail. But all this is very relative. But there is no need to talk about wool at all, since the cubs acquire it in its normal form only after a year.
You can try again to act through the forums by posting a photo of the puppy there, maybe someone recognizes the breed. Although whatever breed your baby is, he always needs care and love. Lack of thoroughbredness will not make the dog less good and smart.
General tips
In any case, to determine pedigree, one should rely only on the main features. As already mentioned, dog breed standards will help. The list of all breeds within the framework of the article, unfortunately, cannot be given, since it is very large.
By the way, psychological tests will also help determine the breed. With their help, you can find out the direction of natural instincts. You can check the dog for the presence of hunting inclinations, security. If vigorous activity is not particularly interesting for the dog, then it can be argued that this is a purely decorative breed.
In general, a lot of information can be obtained from a veterinarian or at a dog breeders club. In those cases when it is not possible to establish belonging to a certain species, they conclude that the dog belongs to the second generation of domestic animals. Many breeds are mixed in the blood of such animals, it is simply impossible to isolate them.
The surest way to determine the breed
Currently, there is a new opportunity to determine the breed of a dog - a DNA test. However, such a service, although it is relatively inexpensive, is far from everywhere. In addition, so far the database contains data from only some breeds.
But in the future, such an analysis will greatly simplify the process of determining the type of animal.
Instead of an afterword
Of course, knowing which species the dog belongs to will help the owner to determine the animal's propensities for disease and care features. But, even if you find that the dog is a mongrel, do not be discouraged, because this will not make your friend worse or better. After all, a pet is not just a breed, but a loyal friend who loves you sincerely and disinterestedly.