People Confused About Their Breed

Laurelin's misinformation thread gave me this idea.

I was reading about my breeds on dogbreedinfo.com trying to find misinformation... I scrolled down to the BC pictures, and... :yikes:

How can these people even think this is a BC?

Now, here's their "rare" BC:





Have you come across any others that have made you shake your head and think "wtf" are they thinking?

Almost weekly I run into a person with a longhaired chihuahua that is convinced they have a papillon. Seriously. They all have the same story, "He was supposed to be a chihuahua but he grew big and the vet told me he thinks he's a papillon!" Then they get excited and start talking about how much their dog looks like Summer and Mia and I'm standing there squinting my eyes thinking 'Yeah I don't see it'. Your dog is stocky, domed head and BRINDLE, it's not a papillon. The dog looked a lot like this(but stockier):

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3325/3500669911_a875e8e286.jpg

I usually just don't say anything but I want to find this vet who seems to think every oversized longhaired chihuahua is a papillon and educate him. I can't really blame the owners, of course they believe their vet, but I'd hope a vet would know better.

Oh and these thanks to dogbreedinfo.

Chiweenie (Chihuahua/Dachshund):



And

Japillon (Japanese Chin/Papillon):



Someone explain to me how papillon x chin who have the exact same low maintenance silky coat ends up with a curly coat like a bichon or poodle that grows on the face and requires clipping.

Uh huh.....

I can't stand people who think they have rare brindle pugs when the brindle gene doesn't naturally occur in pugs. They go on and on and on about how rare it is and how it's purebred because the parents were purebred but unregistered. Despite explaining the gene is dominant so it can't be a "hidden gene" that just pops up.



Looks awful... Horrible even... Guh only FAWN AND BLACK!

Also the "rare" white GSDs,boxers,dobermans,etc. I'm also sick of all these people making cute little mixes just to make $, with no care about health and temperament.

Actually white occurs naturally in all those breeds, it's not an acceptable color in the ring but they're not mixes.

Really?

I mean, yes, I know GSD, Boxers, and Dobes can be white naturally and it doesn't mean they are "mixes" In dobe cases, it's a mutant gene (z factor) and they shouldn't be intentionally reproduced.

But my "really" was not knowing that white shepherds or boxers weren't allowed in the ring either! I never knew that, LOL. I thought white GSD's were acceptable and NOT considered an albino, and I never knew ANYTHING concerning white boxers.......learned something new

The white shepherds have their own showing organizations and are actually trying for separate breed status. It's kind of confusing because there's the White GSD and then a certain group changed their name to the Swiss Shepherd I believe.

there are even pure bred shelties who are brindle.

Something makes me want to say that in GSDs there's a difference between the White GSD and the Albino GSD...?

Oh my god, that 'Boarder Collie' at the top - the reason he's 'yellow' is probably cause he's a Border Collie/Lab or Golden cross. He doesn't look very purebred to me, but it's hard to tell with breeds like a Border Collie because a lot of people breed different looks.

Anything with blue eyes and flop ears is automatically an Aussie (prick ears mean husky).

Anything with blue merle is automatically an Aussie or mix.

If it's got a blocky head it must be a Pit Bull... Including my Chai who has a large head but is very obviously pug to most, but to some she's a "Baby Pit Bull".

If it's more than 2lbs and doesn't fit into the palms of your hands it musn't be a pure Chihuahua, it's too big!

steve is an aussie with a tail. true fact.

I was at the vet the other month, and this woman had this pretty dog in there at the same time as me. One of the techs asked her what kind of dog it was, and she said she got it from a rescue who told her it was a doberman/australian shepherd mix. The dog looked nothing like either, IMO. Looked like she could have been a pure catahoula, or catahoula/hound mix. She was lean and houndy looking with smooth, dark coat that had faint merle patterns.

I've been told that Sawyer is a border without a tail, because he has brown eyes and everyone knows that ALL Aussies have blue eyes. And I'm mean for cutting off his tail.

I used to have a white boxer and this woman was convinced the she was a dalmation-boxer cross. I tried to explain that I have her mother, watched the conception and helped with the labour, which included two flashies and another white. She corrected me again and said that I shouldn't be embarassed about the "oopsie" and that she was still a beautiful dog despite not being a purebred. :shrugs: Whatever.

I don't think there have been any documented albino GSDs. Albino means they have zero pigment at all, not just white fur. White GSDs have black eyes, and black pigment on their noses, eyes and lips. The following is quoted from the White German Shepherd Dog breed standard, emphasis mine:

In dobes, the whites are albino. Which is where the nasty health problems come in.

Albino dobe:


White shepherd, notice the strong pigment.

Yes, that is what I thought too Romy.......White GSD does not = Albino. And THAT is where the confusion for me came in, LOL. If a White GSD is NOT albino (which they aren't) then WHY aren't they allowed to show in the ring? (because I never knew they couldn't) It isn't a mutant, or birth defect, no other health issues associated with the white coat color for them (I assume) so what is the show ring issues then I wonder?

Because for the doberman at least, THAT is the "argument" against showing, reproducing, etc. Albinoism is NOT a specific color, but a lack there of and caused by a mutant gene and also brings more health issues to the table.

It's odd too, because they are allowed to compete and title in other events. Tracking, ob, etc. And their offspring are registrable. I mean, if you bred a nice white dog to a nice colored, in theory the puppies would do just as well in the ring as ones from purely colored lines. The white is recessive.

You all must live in a different part of the country from me, because nobody has mentioned the miniature Labrador Retriever or miniature Dalmatian.

White GSDs, Boxers, and Dobies are not allowed in the ring because the white (yellow in Dobies) is associated with some genetic problems.

Also, I'd like to add that I think that chihuahua/dachshund mix is adorable. But I wouldn't pay $400 for it. Or $1200.