The Official {What In The World is Towser?} Thread

[Casper]

He is a dog, of course! Well, I meant it is time to guess what breeds make up his lineage. As most of you know, he was a rescue pup so this is just pure fun since there is no way of knowing for sure. In fact I am completely certain both of his parents were mutts... which makes him a super mutt! I've been waiting forever to officially ask this question. I've been holding off for him to mature, and since he is almost a year old and pretty much maxed out on growing, I think it will be a little easier to guess.

First off, basic info...
Size: Around 20-22" at the shoulders
Weight: Between 40-45 lbs
Tail: Long and slender with a slight curve
Feet: Typical webbing, but not fully webbed... if that makes sense.

He was born pretty much pure white and has developed more and more spots as he has matured. He is very smart, catches on quick, and is very eager to please. If it matters, he has a ridiculously high pain tolerance (half the time the only way I know he got hurt is if I find blood or some other sign of an injury).

Pictures:









Mother/Siblings:


This is his mother. As you can see, he gets a lot of his looks from her. Our vet believes she has a lot of terrier (probably Jack Russel) in her... which would explain the ears. All of the pups have outgrown her, with her being around 30 lbs. She is an incredibly smart, very lovely dog.


One of his sisters (left) and his brother (right). I believe there were six pups in total, with every one of them looking very different. One was all blonde, another mostly black.
Quick fact: The first day I met all the pups I almost picked his sister out because I thought she was so pretty. I'm glad Towser picked me first, though!


Aaaaand, thats about all the info I can think of.
So now its time to....
Start guessing!

[lolli94]

Yeah, I agree with the Jack Russel mix for his mom...and those spots really remind me of a Dalmatian! Are there more breeds that are born white and then grow spots? The blonde and black siblings make me think of lab...and the high pain tolerance makes me think some sort of bully breed. Lol So I'm looking forward to everybodies replies.

[Karen]

I don't see any Lab - I am guessing there's at least Whippet, Jack Russell, may some American Bulldog or Boxer way back, and probably many other breeds in there!

Both American Bulldogs and Boxers can be white with spots, although it is not the "breed standard" it does happen!

[cassiesmom]

What in the world is Towser? I don't know enough about dog breeds to guess. I just want to say Hi, Towser! You sure are cute and handsome! Could you please have your person give you some petting and a hug for me

[snakemama]

That's a challenge!! JRT/Pit bull/ACD?

He's ADORABLE!

[Casper]

Thanks for the input, guys!
At the vet he is listed as a terrier mix, so thats what I usually tell people who stop and ask about him.

I know the family who rescued him has mentioned that they think his mum might have some Pointer in her. It makes sense and might explain some of his coloration (ticking seems pretty prevalent in most Pointers). He sure doesn't have the matching personality, though.

When he was a pup he often got mistaken for a Pit mix. And I have seen plenty of Boxers, Pits, and Am Bulldogs with similar coloring. I try to keep in mind that his mum and 6 pups were found in the middle of nowhere in a field, so more "country" dogs might be more likely than others. Pits are extremely popular around these parts, though.

I am sometimes so tempted to do one of those silly DNA tests that supposedly reveal the breeds your dog is mixed with. I know they aren't really accurate, but I am just curious what it would say. Probably something ridiculous like Pug and Poodle. lol

[kuhio98]

Beautiful Casper ~ If you have access to your Mom's credit card, you might consider ordering a doggie DNA test from: http://www.whatismydogtype.com/

My sister ordered a similar test for her dog Sascha. Her nickname was Little-Bits-of-Lots-of-Dogs
Sadly Sascha went to the bridge before the results came back. We are pretty sure she had some husky in her due to her wolf howls and sky blue eyes, but it was never proven.

Results: The DNA mix is broken up into 3 categories. According to the information sheet, the definition for "Primary breed category" is when 50% or more of the DNA is from a single breed.
The "Secondary category" is defined as breeds clearly recognizable in the DNA, but not predominant.
The "In the mix" category is defined as breeds identified as having influence, but in lower quantities than the "secondary" category. And the results are.....drum roll........

Primary Breed: BLANK! Ha! (So, 50% of her is still a mystery)
Secondary Breeds: Shetland Sheepdog and Collie
In the Mix Breeds: Samoyed and Belgian Tervuren

[Karen]

The DNA tests are notoriously odd, as of course each testing place only has certain breeds sampled, so those are the ones that come up. All dogs are descended from common ancestors, so figuring out some of it is pretty chancy!

[Casper]

I think the whole DNA testing is extremely interesting. I know it can be flawed, and I've read some places where the breeds that showed up in the results were extremely unexpected, but I still want to give it a shot some day. Just for kicks and giggles.