How to determine the breed of dog

Before you buy a purebred pet, you should know that only a specialist and a DNA test can accurately determine - pure blood dog, or a mixture. It will not be necessary to do this if the dog has a pedigree, but what if it is acquired without documents? Or accidentally hit the house? There are several criteria according to which it is possible, albeit approximately, to understand how to determine the breed of a dog.

Basic methods for determining breed

It is worth noting that if a dog is a half breed, then there is no way to determine the attitude of a pet to a particular breed in puppy age. Often, signs of the breed appear only by the year, but nobody can guarantee this either.

Of course, if we are talking about dogs with pronounced signs of a breed, such as a dachshund , or Shar Pee, they can also be seen in a dairy puppy.

In the absence of experience, it is very difficult to identify even a purebred puppy, so buying from hands always carries certain risks. An undocumented dog is considered outbred, even if its parents are of pure blood. But this does not mean that she has bad qualities or will not have defining signs. It only says that the owners need to be extremely attentive to the characteristics of the puppy, and it is better to consult with the cynologist or breeders of this breed.

If it is necessary to determine the breed of an adult dog, then you can independently analyze the existing signs, write them down, and reread a lot of information.

If the dog "noblewoman" is not in the first generation, then most likely it will not be possible to find signs of the breed in her. But this is not a reason for frustration, since quite often, not purebred quadrupeds are superior in intelligence to their titled brethren. Yes, and with health, and the duration of the life cycle they have things much better.

Varieties of dogs

If you know at least the basic criteria, then it is possible to attribute the existing characteristics to a particular breed.

Dogs, above all, are divided into the following types:

Purebred, pedigree, purebred. This is a dog that has a pedigree and a special electronic chip, on which a certain number is applied. In addition, such dogs stamped. To find out about the origin of both the dog itself and its ancestors, in this case it is easier than ever - you need to contact a veterinary clinic or any dog breeding club.
Phenotype. If the pet is a poured German shepherd, or one-on-one dachshund, but does not have supporting documents, before it receives the “zero pedigree” it will be considered outbred.
Metis. This definition refers to all dogs with an uncertain origin, those whose parents (one or both) do not belong to any breed. If a person decides to acquire a puppy from a purebred bitch and an unknown father, then he should be prepared for the fact that the pet, if not immediately, will show signs of out-of-order or a mixture of phenotypes.

Methods for determining the breed

Of course, if there is a stigma, then, in most cases, the phenotype will be noticeable, and it will be easy to learn about the breed of the dog. In other cases, you will have to work hard and pay attention to many factors:

Definition of breed by age. Any signs of the breed are dependent on the age of the dog , which is determined by the state of the teeth. Special exhibition schedules and schemes have been developed, according to which the time for the replacement of milk teeth or abrasion of the permanent ones is calculated. But to rely on these data is possible only if the dog grows and develops strictly according to plan , it has a proper bite and it feeds balanced. Practice shows that you can meet a young dog with bad, worn teeth or a puppy with tartar. The only thing that works in any case is the same period of tooth change, which occurs in the period from 4 to 7 months.
Dimensions of dogs. This is one of the most important criteria for determining the breed. The size of the animal is taken on the basis of its weight and height:

miniature dog - weight up to 5 kg, height 30 cm;
small - 5-12 kg, height 30-40 cm;
medium size - 12-20 kg, 40-55 cm;
large - 20-30 kg, 55-65 cm;
very large - 30-50 kg, 65-75 cm;
giant dog - weighing more than 50 kg and above 75 cm.

When focusing on the dimensions of the animal, it is necessary to pay attention to its age. Determining the size of a dog in puppy age is incorrect. As usual, puppies have a disproportionate structure of the body - a large head and paws, a spherical belly. In addition, all puppies are clumsy, can not avoid dangers in time and are afraid of sudden movements and sounds, even minor ones.

Types of coat. There is a conditional division of dogs into the following varieties:

Naked. There is no coat at all. Also in this category include dogs with a small down on the body, crest, or a small amount of hair on the legs.
Shorthair. The dog is covered with a uniform layer of wool with a maximum length of 1 cm. At the same time, it stands upright.
Semi-longhair. The length of wool varies from one to four centimeters. In most cases, dogs with such a coat have an undercoat (downy hair), sometimes thick hair on the collar and breeches. On the stomach, the wool may be absent.
Longhair Wool is longer than 4 cm, there is a dense, thick undercoat, pronounced collar and riding breeches. Most often, a large area of the abdomen is overgrown with wool.

It is worth noting that in the warm season the dog may have no undercoat, and the longhair bitch may have the appearance of a semi-long-haired dog.

The structure of the bone corset. If the definition of the breed is carried out by photo, then you can analyze the type of body structure. Measuring the width of the sternum, back, pelvis, paws and the total length of the body, it will be possible to weed out many breeds, much easier task. The backbone of dogs has its own division:

Narrow. The size of the chest is equal or close in size to the width of the pelvis. In most cases, these indicators suggest that the pet has excellent running data. In this case, it is worthwhile to look for the belonging of a dog to beagles and greyhounds.
Average. The size of the sternum is the same as that of the pelvis, or wider. This is the most extensive group of dogs, which includes almost all the service breeds of medium size. Under these sizes and taxes. and German shepherds.
Wide. In dogs with such bones, a powerful, developed chest and a heavy, wide pelvis. Of course, such a pet will have large dimensions and if it has long hair, then most likely it belongs to the shepherd breeds - Caucasian , Central European Shepherd Dog, etc.
Shortened. At first glance, the animal looks like a square. In this case, rather short legs are often observed, but not always.
Elongated. A dog with such a skeleton has a rectangular body, the hind legs slightly exceed the length of the front ones - this is especially noticeable when the pet takes a stand.

Features of the structure of the body

In addition, there are many features, according to which it will be possible to classify a dog to a certain breed:

The type of ears - they can be very small or disproportionately large, stand a little house or hang, be stopped or have medium size.
Tail type - long, short, straight or curled in a ring, raised above the level of the spine or lowered; covered with thick long hair or short, docked or not.
Type of posture - dogs have a straight back and condescending.
Type of skin - tight, dense or has excess in the form of folds.
Type of coat - sometimes the breed can be determined by the presence of a beard, hair above the eyes, a certain covering of the paws.
Type of color - the presence of scorch marks, spots, a strict distribution of colors, brindle color.

In addition, representatives of various breeds have their “working” qualities. The dog-hunter in the open air will sniff the air, and take the stand, seeing the intended prey. Deep instincts are observed in herding dogs. Having met a pet - a cow or a sheep, the dog can begin to fulfill its duties.

If the pet does not show interest in hunting, grazing, and does not bring a stick, then, most likely, it is also intended for an important business - to be a faithful friend and companion.

In any case, no matter what breed the pet belongs to, it will be a reliable protector, and an excellent hunter, and best friend, and loyal friend, if the owner loves him and cares about him.