How can a dog breed be determined?

Currently, officially there are at least 400 dog breeds in the world, each of which is distinguished by its appearance, character, official and decorative qualities. When you take a stranger to the house of your choice, you always need to have a good idea of ​​how the animal will grow and what you can expect from it. To do this, it does not hurt to learn the basic methods for determining the breed.

Determining whether puppies or adult animals belong to dogs with a pedigree may be needed in several cases.

1. This is important when there is suspicion of the origin of the animal when choosing and buying it. It's no secret that even exclusive puppies in infancy can resemble their homeless counterparts, while outbred cubs sometimes look like expensive dogs. Optionally, an unscrupulous breeder can sell an inexperienced dog breeder to a street “Bobik,” but if there are no relevant documents on him, it could very well be a mestizo.
2. Quite often, the owner finds the future pet on the street. And outwardly, he may have some resemblance to a thoroughbred dog. Understanding the difference between a domestic and an elite animal, a person no longer needs to spend time contacting experienced dog breeders or veterinarians, and he can immediately begin to domesticate and raise a cub.
3. Knowledge of the characteristic features of a mongrel and a dog of good origin is also necessary if an animal that is not in accordance with the declared breed has already been taken into the house. In any case, the owner needs to know how to maintain it, how to feed it, because different dogs have different conditions for normal living.In addition, you need to know the nuances of character, understand the purpose and main points of the training, if it is a service dog.

Regardless of whether the dog was bought by hand, or pity forced to take a homeless puppy, the ability to find out which breed the animal belongs to, It’s important because the owner receives the maximum information about him:

• preferred diet
• ability to learn;
• temperament of a dog and its physical characteristics;
• suitable climatic conditions;
• opportunities for interaction with adults, children and other animals;
• hereditary diseases that largely determine the life span.

In some cases, probably it is worth contacting professionals or at least a veterinarian, which understands different types of animals, and will be able to clarify the origin of the dog.

First of all, any dog ​​can be attributed to a certain species, and only after that go deeper into the study of the characteristic and uncharacteristic features of the breed or outbred.

There are three varieties in total: mestizo, mongrels, thoroughbred.

They are a mixture of a titled and outbred animal. Genotypes of several breeds may be present in their blood, and outbred may occur later. One parent of such puppies can be a tribal or also a mestizo, while the second is a purebred "nobleman".

A phenotype is an animal, in appearance and description, fully consistent with the appearance of an elite dog, but at the same time he does not have a passport or documents of noble birth.

A purebred pedigree dog is an animal with a pedigree, a stigma and the presence of an electronic chip with a number. A purebred puppy has a puppy passport, which shows his nickname, date of birth, as well as information about the breed and color. From the age of 6 to 15 months, the pet receives a document on the pedigree, which contains information about its ancestors, parents and owner. All information about these dogs can be obtained at the dog breeders club or veterinary clinic.

It is often difficult to recognize the breed of a puppy found due to the lack of a mark and a chip, and the description of the standards of a purebred dog applies only to adults, despite the fact that at about 5-12 months the puppy coat in the cubs changes to adult.

You can learn about the origin of the animal by examining its appearance. To do this, determine the size and weight of the individual, the type of body, the shape of the head and ears, especially the tail, quality, structure and length of the coat.

Consider important criteria in determining breed.

This is why it is necessary to build on, studying the other characteristics. And you can install it on the teeth of the animal.

therefore only age from 4 to 7 months can be reliably determined, when in dogs milk teeth are replaced by molars.

Unfortunately, according to the size of the puppies, it is difficult to judge the size in the adult state, especially since their body in infancy is not proportional.

But this is possible, if judging by the appearance, the dog's age has exceeded 1-1.5 years and older:

• dogs of dwarf breeds have a height of not more than 30 cm and a body weight that rarely reaches 5 kg;
• parameters of small-breed dogs - 30-40 cm (height) and weight from 5 to 12 kg;
• medium-sized animals weigh from 12 to 22 kg, height at the withers - 40-55 cm;
• Large dogs are considered to be growth from 56 to 65 cm with a weight of 20-30 kg;
• very large ones are able to grow up to 70-75 cm and weigh 40-50 kg;
• giant rocks are also found - their growth can exceed 75 cm, and weight - more than 50 kg.

Comparing a newly made pet with photos of potential "relatives", it is possible to understand what kind of dog a dog belongs to. To do this, make measurements of the length and width of the trunk, chest, back, legs and pelvic area:

• dogs with a wide bone, developed sternum, muscular paws in most cases have large dimensions, and in the presence of long hair with a thick undercoat they can belong to the shepherd dogs of the Central European and Caucasian breed;
• with average parameters, the width of the chest is the same as the pelvis, or slightly wider, the overall harmony of the body and the different type of coat (short and long), the animal most likely belongs to various service dogs, and their list is quite large;
• if the skeleton of the individual is narrow, the size of the pelvis and sternum are almost the same, and the legs are long, it can be assumed that this is a running breed.

Other important features of some pedigree animals can help identify existing pedigree.

• Posture of the animal - his back may be slightly sloping, descending or straight. Sagging it happens in sick and elderly animals, because of malformations it can even sag in a puppy.
• The skin is in the form of folds, or tightly fitting to the body.
• Ears, different in shape and fit, erect, hanging, cropped.
• The coat is short, long, not counting hairless dogs. Some species are identified by the presence of a long mustache, eyebrow and beard.
• The tail can be short and long, fluffy and stiff, curling, rising above the spinal column, cropped.
• The peculiar color can also tell what kind of animal the animal belongs to.

Based on the behavior of the pet, you can find his service qualities.

If the puppy belongs to the guard breed, he will constantly warn the owner with a bark if an outsider is near the house.

Another sure way to find out about an animal belonging to a certain group of breeding dogs is DNA test, which is carried out in a veterinary clinic. The doctor will take the necessary samples from the pet and give an answer within 2-3 weeks. And although many consider such testing to be 100 percent, there is still a chance of error, since the database on the genetics of various purebred species is still not extensive.

However, you should not be upset if the dog was not at all a representative of the famous breed - sometimes mongrels are much smarter, more faithful and the health of their titled relatives. And they, along with them, are worthy of having their own home and a loving owner.

How to determine the breed of dogs, see below.