Determine Dog Breed by Features
Believe it or not, you can generally determine what breed of dog you are looking at by taking into account its physical features. Each class and individual breed of dog is classified by a specific set of physical characteristics. You can make an educated guess on the breed of the dog based on its size, facial features, color and coat type, build, and ear and tail carriage.
Instructions
1. Assess the dog's size. What you are looking for here is whether the dog belongs to a small, medium, large or giant breed group. You won't have to determine the dog's exact weight, but you should be able to put him into a size bucket. For instance, you can't confuse a Chihuahua with a Labrador retriever simply based on size. Small dogs include breeds like Chihuahuas, pugs, Jack Russell terriers and Maltese. Medium breeds include cocker spaniels, Border collies and Shetland sheepdogs. Large breed dogs include German shepherds, Dobermans, boxers, Labrador retrievers, Golden retrievers and rottweilers. Giant breed dogs include Great Danes, Great Pyrenees and Irish wolfhounds.
2. Examine the dog's facial features. He may have a long nose or a snub nose, his eyes may be set more toward the front of his face or toward the sides and he may have a broad muzzle. A dog's facial features coupled with its size will help you narrow down your choices when it comes to identifying dog breeds. For example, a small breed dog with a snub nose can be a pug or a Pekingese but not a dachshund or Maltese. A large breed dog with a long nose is most certainly not a boxer. Larger dogs with broad muzzles usually belong to a hunting group, such as retrievers or scent hounds.
3. Look at the color of the dog. Most dog breeds are somewhat limited by color. As an example, a Boston terrier is always predominantly black or brindle with white markings, which would differentiate it from other small breed snub-nosed dogs like Pekingese and pugs, which never exhibit this type of marking. Maltese are always pure white with fine hair. No other breed exhibits the same coloration and coat quality. Rottweilers have dense coats and are always predominantly black with rust markings on their feet, eyebrows, chest and muzzle.
4. Consider the dog's build for clues about its breed. Greyhounds are extremely tall and lean dogs while Labrador retrievers are heavy bodied dogs, similar to rottweilers. Dobermans and German shepherds are strong and agile bodied dogs. Great Danes are generally tall and well muscled while Irish wolfhounds and Afghan hounds are somewhat lanky.
5. Notice whether the ears and tail are natural or cropped. It can be somewhat hard to tell whether the ears are pricked naturally or if they have been surgically altered, but taking notice of these things will also help you determine a dog's breed. Dogs that commonly have their ears cropped include Doberman pinschers, boxers, Great Danes, pit bulls, and schnauzers. Tail docking is also common in Dobermans, rottweilers, Jack Russell terriers, schnauzers, cocker spaniels, boxers, and weimaraners.
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