Guess the Breed!

[straw]

I don't exactly need a breed guess but am wondering your opinions about what she's NOT.

This is Pooh. She is listed as an Amstaff at the SPCA but was picked up as a stray so is anybody's best guess. I certainly don't see any AST but am trying to decide if there's really any bully breed at all. She is quite small, maybe 18 inches, and my best guess would be around 30-35 pounds. Small, snipey pit bulls are not common around here, but I'm not saying it couldn't happen. Bottom line: do you see any bully breed?

Excuse the lousy shots.













And some videos for good measure. My friend is like 5'4 and 90 pounds, for reference.

Loose in the hall

Waiting for dinner

[Lyzelle]

I definitely see terrier, but it's hard to say. Could be sighthound. Lab. Shepherd. Unknown.

If you are trying to get around BSL, then it won't really matter what you or anyone else sees. It's just what Animal Control and police see. Same with your own preferences. If she is sweet and nice, it doesn't matter if she's a Pit or not. It doesn't make her any more likely to go apeshit one day.

I can tell you she is definitely not ugly, though.

[straw]

Thanks. Yes, it's for legal reasons.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) the bylaw systems in the region she may be adopted in either openly declare that they will not enforce the law because they have better things to do, or see a Presa Canario as a 'pit bull' and pass off very typey pit bulls as whippets or boxers. It is fully understood by all parties involved that a shorthaired, muscular dog will never be truly 'safe'. I am just looking for some more opinions on what you see when you look at her.

She's been called everything from Amstaff to beagle to whippet, to duck toller mix, pointer, collie, and Basenji.

[CrystalGSD]

Maybe boxer x whippet x terrier? For some reason the head looks stocky and the body looks thin... I don't know...

[crazedACD]

I see APBT but maybe you can get away with Feist Mix or Mountain Cur.

[MicksMom]

Originally Posted by CrystalGSD

Maybe boxer x whippet x terrier? For some reason the head looks stocky and the body looks thin... I don't know...

I thought I saw Whippet, too. I do see some kind of bully breed as well. Maybe calling her a Whippet mix would work better in her situation?

[~WelshStump~]

I was thinking Whippet and Boxer too.

[JessLough]

What province are you in? Is this dog a personal dog you are looking at... ie for yourself?

If you have a vet you know well, you could most likely get away with calling her a boxer mix, as long as it's labelled as that at the vet.

I mean really, I could be walking around with 5 APBT off leash and not muzzled and the police here wouldn't blink an eye unless they caused a problem, but I'm not sure I'd risk it.

[*blackrose]

I could see how she could have some Pittie in her...but I could also see how she could very well be a JRTxBoxer mix.

[straw]

Jess, I assume you are in the Ottawa area, based on your photos. So I know you have the same understanding of Ottawa's BSL situation as I do. Yes, the province in question is Ontario. And in Ottawa, bylaw and OPP alike turn a blind eye to pit bulls, nine times out of ten.

What I'm trying to say is, law enforcement is on the whole very much against the ban and does not enforce it unless pushed to.

Many dogs that look far more APBT than her have been declared safe and adopted in Ontario with no problems. DNA tests seem to have a lot to do with this. Yes, I know they're a sham and you know they're a sham, but if a piece of paper says Boxer/Hound/Terrier, most people are satisfied - including judges in some recent cases. Given the test results I have seen on a number of dogs, I think the chance of her having a significant amount of AST/SBT (since APBT genomes aren't included in any DNA test I know of) are slim. With a DNA test that doesn't include a banned breed (or only a faint hint of one) and vet papers that say terrier mix, I think it's doable.

Yes, Pooh is a dog I am very interested in but I am hesitant about entering this situation. There will always be a risk and she will never be really safe, but given the circumstances and the fact that she is not what most people think of when they think 'pit bull', I am considering her.

Well, that and the fact that we are minutes away from the Quebec border. For a dog this special, I can shell out $800 a month for an apartment across the river instead of living for free with family.