Curious about my dog's breed - Golden Sheltie??

[erinsabs]

I've never been able to find out what breed she is. I picked her up from the pound. So, I'm assuming she's a mixed breed. She's only 28lbs. Too small for a Golden Retriever mix, or Golden Sheltie mix. But, when I read the personality traits for the Golden Sheltie she fits almost perfectly. And she looks a lot like a Golden Sheltie. The biggest difference is her overall size, and the length of her nose.

At the very end of the movie Welcome to Mooseport, Ray Ramona is trying to retrieve an engament ring from the sewer, when Maura Tierney walks up with a bunch of dogs. The golden dog in the scene looks exactly like my Sabian (except of course, for the size). Which leads me to believe there might be more to her than just "mixed pound dog".
Any Ideas?
Thanks in advance,
Erinsabs

 

[Sweet72947]

Maybe she's got some Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever in her. Tollers are starting to become more popular since they were recognized by the AKC.

 

[noludoru]

Toller was my first thought.

However, despite her coat type and her wide-set eyes, she has a very chiseled face.. almost makes me think some sort of bully breed, APBT or Amstaff. She could have Golden in her somewhere along the lines, but I doubt Sheltie unless her coat gets longer than that, and has a sheltie-type texture. Anything you could tell us about her temperament?

 

[erinsabs]

Thanks Sweet,
I looked through a dog book at b&n, and I thought she does looks like a Toller. Her face is certainly a lot closer to a Toller than a Retriever.
My concern is the size. I keep wondering what she could be mixed with that would bring her overall size down?

Could a sheltie (14-16lbs) mixed with a Toller (40-51lbs) create a dog who's heaviest weight was only 28lbs? I wonder. Everything I've read about Golden Shelties (Shetland/Golden Retriever mix) puts them at a weight range closer to a Retriever.

Above pix is from http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/goldensheltie.htm
just posted for a comparison.
Thanks again.
erinsabs

 

[Zoom]

A "Golden Sheltie" is a Golden/Sheltie mix. I almost see Cocker Spaniel in her face, but nowhere else. I've also met some very small Golden Retrievers and some very large Shelties, so it's entirely possible that she is the Golden/Sheltie mix, and it's possible that one of those dogs was a mix itself. She's adorable though and I wouldn't stress too much over not knowing.

 

[angelzeus]

she is mixed maybe with sheltie or golden thats a good guess but it could aslo be cocker or many other breeds

 

[Sush]

I definately see cocker in her face and eyes, almost border collie in her body positioning and ears. Golden in her body some as well as her fur and coloring.

 

[erinsabs]

@noludoru

Her coat does get a lot longer on the bottom only. I tried to keep her hair short, we live in the south, very humid.

Temperament wise, she was always very playful, very energetic up until her last week. Most people assumed she was a puppy.

Generally, she was shy, stand-offish with other animals and people. Give her time and she would warm up to them. With overly aggressive children and dogs, she would growl and back away.
She was a good alert dog, but not protective.

Barked a lot, that high pitched yipping bark. Especially when running.

One of the most distinctive characteristics I can think of was the herding. She would herd her balls into the corner of the yard. A couple times my neighbor brought his very overweight Yellow Lab over and Sabian would heard her into a corner. The same happened with a friends cat.
Lots of fetching and tug-of-war.
She unfortunately caught two rabbits and a bird.
Liked to paw at things like a cat.

Smart, learned quite a few commands, even when we weren't trying to teach her. When she stood on her back legs she could just reach the door knob and with a lot of biting and twisting of her head she learned how to open doors.

Didn't like to be alone.
Hated the dark and was terrified of thunderstorms.
Very much a lap dog. Loved to cuddle. She like to be surrounded by you.

That is all I can think of at the moment....
I really appreciate all of your help.
I just want to get a good handle on the breed(s) so when I'm ready for a new dog, I know what I'm looking for.
Thanks again,
erinsabs

 

[Zoom]

Ok, so maybe I was right in thinking I saw Border in her ear set and stance as well. Golden/Border maybe? There are some pretty small Borders, as well as being short-coated types.

 

[RD]

She looks like my Dakota, except she's a different color! I definitely think she could be a border collie mix, maybe with Sheltie or Toller. Would explain the size.

 

[codexsmom]

I see a lot of border collie in her, maybe sheltie and toller too. It's realy hard to say, but just looking at her makes me see NSDTR and Border Collie.

 

[Paige]

Just to add about Shelties... my purebred Sheltie weighed 35 pounds. She was poorly bred, a little on the pudgy side, but was just a big boned gal all around.


I also see border collie in her. My boy Bandit looks like a black Golden Retriever. He isn't, but still. I think she looks very Border Collie.

 

[Toller_08]

Looks pretty Toller like to me. I'd say Toller/Border Collie, but she doesn't resemble any Toller/BCs I've ever seen. None of Tango's littermates look anything like her, and I've seen a few other litters and none look anything like her either. She could be though, you never know.

Maybe Toller/Aussie? or Toller/Sheltie?

 

[Sush]

I knew I saw border collie in her! My final guess is BC/Cocker/Golden...weird mix but she looks it The wideset eyes look so cocker to me, especially with the drooping lid.

 

[BostonBanker]

BC/Golden was my first guess. In most areas, Tollers are still pretty uncommon; the odds of an intact one running loose would be pretty slim. "When you hear hoofbeats..." and all that. A very pretty dog no matter what!

 

[noludoru]

BC/Golden was my first guess. In most areas, Tollers are still pretty uncommon; the odds of an intact one running loose would be pretty slim. "When you hear hoofbeats..." and all that. A very pretty dog no matter what!

What does that mean?

But you're right, the odds of her being a Toller mix IS rare.. just not impossible!

So the general consensus is Toller/Sheltie/BC/Aussie/Golden? Heh... LOL!

She definitely has some herding breed in her. I think Aussie/Toller/Sheltie might explain the eye placement and hair type, certainly the color as well.

In any case, she is one of the loveliest dogs I have seen.

 

[BostonBanker]

What does that mean?

Which part? The quote, or the fact that I think it is more likely that an intact golden was running loose than a toller?

The entire quote, if that's what you are referring to, is the saying, "When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras." In other words, the simplest or most common answer is more likely to be correct.

 

[ToscasMom]

Golden and Cocker.

 

[Squishy22]

My friend had a female golden/american cocker that looked a lot like her.

 

[Laurelin]

I really see spaniel in her- probably cocker. That was my first thought, but I'm not sure what else is in there.