# The Cutest Mixed Breed Dog Ever :)



## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

That first pitcure is very cute!!! You're right, unfortunately strange breedings happen...yesterday I was at the vet's, where someone told me that his SIL just had a litter with Golden retriever-Chihuahua puppies...Luckily, not being pure bred doesn't mean that a dog can't be wonderful!


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

Aw what a cutie! I'm trying really hard to imagine a 45lb dog mating with a 9lb female.. awkward!! lol!


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## Bailey's BFF (Jan 27, 2010)

*Albi, Bailey, and Isaak*

I am completely against the BYB situation that our baby came from but I just feel that ignoring the problem of mutts does not solve it. I volunteer a lot with the humane society and I wish that people would just think twice before letting their dogs have "just one litter" or turning their backs to their dachshund (in our case) in heat.

It is awkward that a 45 lb male mated with a 9 lb female!! I was told that she was pregnant with 5 (very uncommon for a mini dachshund to ovulate with 5 eggs!) and 3 were born alive and 2 died before birth. My brother adopted Albi's sister "lola" so it is interesting to see them grow up together and how different they look. We found out about Albi by responding to a newspaper classified for "free puppies... needing to be bottle fed". It was a TON of work and talk about some serious seperation anxiety issues... however, I would do it all again if I had the chance.

We just have the two dogs.. Albi and Bailey (golden retriever). We also have a cat named Isaak.. he is a CFA hairless sphynx cat. We got Bailey from a bad situation as well... She was a 5 month old runt of a litter of 8. She had no shots and the "breeder" just wanted her gone. No one wanted her because she was the runt apparently. I saw this sweet little girl and I knew she was ours. She and Albi clicked automatically. The lady usually sells her pups for $350 but I got Bailey for $150 due to the circumstances. We have the money to get a well bred $2000 dog, but once again ignoring this problem was not going to get this precious dog a good home or stop the breeder from breeding again. I told the lady about my working with animal services and the humane society and encouraged her to get her dogs fixed and a month later wrote her a note about what a real breeder is and the harm she is potentially doing to the breed. She never replied.

Our Bailey isnt AKC, she can't be shown, I dont know if she will get a horrible disease or if her temperament will be seamless...but I know that we love her very much and she needed us that day.  I happen to think she is the most beautiful golden in the world. I know we all talk alot about how much we hate BYB and how good goldens should cost $2000 +... however I know so many "well bred" dogs who get the same ailments as mutts.  Just a thought.

Anyways! I guess I have rambled enough. What are your thoughts on all of this?

Attached is a picture of Albi and our hairless cat Isaak. Sphynx cats act more like dogs than cats... extremely social and loving. I know he looks a little funny though!


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

Your little Albi is just adorable. Bless you for taking her. Isaak is funny looking (sorry) and everytime I see one, I think of the episode of friends with Rachel getting one. It was a funny one.


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## IowaGold (Nov 3, 2009)

Bailey's BFF said:


> The lady usually sells her pups for $350 but I got Bailey for $150 due to the circumstances. We have the money to get a well bred $2000 dog, but once again ignoring this problem was not going to get this precious dog a good home or stop the breeder from breeding again.


Bailey (et al) are very lucky to have you! I'm sure since Bailey's owner was able to sell the rest of the puppies, she will surely breed again, so don't take the next comments as directed at you (and I definitely think all puppies deserve a good home once they are here, whether they were planned or not). 

So many people want to "save" a puppy from a bad situation/breeder/pet store and they often pay of the bad breeder/pet store for the puppy. Yes, it will make a difference for *that* puppy (and that's wonderful for *that* puppy), but in the long run, it really only promotes more poor breeding. Why would the "breeder"/pet store stop breeding/selling more dogs when they were successful at getting rid of the previous? I wish there was a good answer to counteract this. Not buying from the bad breeders/pet stores will eventually put them out of business (if the general public can be educated), but that is at the cost of puppies currently in the system (who will probably make someone very happy). Continuing to "rescue" (ie buy) puppies from these avenues will only promote more puppies being produced. Sounds like a rock and a hard place to me...

I do choose to buy my puppies from "good" breeders (well dog #1 was from a puppy mill). Mostly because of what I expect from my dogs (we compete in performance events), but also because using a good breeder helps keep them in business. I look at it kind of like "buying local" to help keep your local businesses in business.


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## Tanyac (Jun 18, 2008)

inge said:


> unfortunately strange breedings happen...yesterday I was at the vet's, where someone told me that his SIL just had a litter with Golden retriever-Chihuahua puppies...


Lol, I'm seriously trying to picture that!!

Albi looks very sweet, he looked more like the Shar Pei in the middle pic don't you think? Very cute pup none the less


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## Bailey's BFF (Jan 27, 2010)

*Bad Breeders *

*IowaGold, I totally get where you are coming from. Also, if I was interested in agility training or had a specific work-purpose for a dog I would have been much more rigid with the breeder we bought from especially since the agility training, etc. could raise hip/elbow concerns if the parents weren't tested. We were just looking for a golden retriever to be a play mate for Albi. We visited two breeders in Alabama who breed "english type" and their dogs were all very nice but we just didn't "click" with the breeders if you know what I mean. My fiance read about Bailey in the paper "5 month runt. No shots. Female." was basically all it said and he called the "breeder" and we went over on new years eve and Bailey just automatically loved us. She was racing around the front yard and jumped straight into my arms.  I still feel somewhat guilty of supporting a situation like that but in reality the woman would have continued to breed anyways and there is no telling what she would have done with Bailey. As a society we need to find a way to educate people against supporting bad breeding situations and even though a generation of puppies will be lost, so many future generations will be saved.*

*Bailey has been an absolute gem to us... Im sure the breeder will continue to breed and sell her pups to anyone who wants them (we were not asked any questions... I mean she saw how we are with Albi and we were dressed nice and have a nice car but still I would have liked her to care a bit more.)*

*Tanyac, we definitly think Albi looks more like a shar pei. No one has ever asked us if he was a dachshund mix, everyone asks if he is a shar pei mix. Most compliments we get are about his eyes... they are bright gold. And always people say how very calm and gentle he is. All I know is he is my little baby  Only 1 thing that I can say is horrible about Albi is he is so freaking stubborn! We have done obedience training and everything and he knows commands but rarely does he come when called and he always pulls on a leash... trainers have said it is just the mix he is. Dachshunds and shar peis are both extremely stubborn breeds. Just one more great benefit to pure bred dogs that are bred well, reliable temperaments.*


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

You can call it a "Sharshund!" Give it a "designer" breed name. Hey if there can be goldendoodles why not a sharshund. 

You can't stop people from breeding. Unfortunately that will never happen, but you gave Albi a loving home. That is one less pup going to the shelters as a result. Pat yourself on the back for that. 

Good luck with your addition to your family. I hope to see more pictures. You could still do some agility. If you are concerned about hips and elbows get your vet to do some xrays before you really get started. You may find you have a great little dog in ANYTHING you want to do with him. 

Ann


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## NuttinButGoldens (Jan 10, 2009)

Wait, what?

I can't even imagine the logistics of that...



inge said:


> yesterday I was at the vet's, where someone told me that his SIL just had a litter with Golden retriever-Chihuahua puppies.


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## Cheryl and buddy (Oct 24, 2009)

My funny looking mutt, and my $100.00 Farm bred Golden. He is 13 years old and I didn't know about puppy mills back then or I never would have answered the ad. I'm so glad I did.:roflmao:


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

My brother has a rescue lab sharpei cross. He's outgrown his forehead wrinkles and he is just the happiest little pup ever. If you even LOOK at this guy, he starts wiggling his body and helicoptering his tail! Here are a few of pics of him. Look how thick his legs are! His legs have been thicker than Ranger's since he was 3 months old.
Edited to add that these pics were taken a few months ago and now Blue is almost as tall as Ranger and way thicker through the neck/shoulders. He's a tank!


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## Mommy_2_Duke (Jan 13, 2010)

Awww..Albi is adorable!! and Iove your cat! How do you keep a hairless cat warm in the winter? He´s adorable!
Albi actually looks alot like a Sharpei!! 

I think everyone in here knows Duke by now lol.His mom is a beautiful Golden retriever and his dad is a HUGE 76kilo (167.6lbs) Great dane.
Their breeding was a complete accident and Dukes mom was watched like a hawk during her pregnancy (we were showed vet bills,ultra sounds,x-rays of her pelvis etc etc).She got HUGE and ended up giving birth naturally to 8 pups.








All looked exactly like their father and all were very big.
Infact,once the pups turned 3 weeks old,the mom refused to join them in her whelping box and when her owners tried to get the pups to lay with her and nurse,she´d nip at them..
So,Duke and his littermates were completely weaned by 3 weeks old and not even a week later,I was allowed to bring him home (we brough him home on the 12th of January and he turned one month old on the 14th).
He weighed just under 2 kilos (4.2lbs) back then..he was TINY!








Over a month has passed since then,and he is a wonderful wonderful dog.He´s up to over 19lbs and we love him to death.
Yes,his mix is very unusual,and I dont think Id ever seen a mix where the parents are so completely different in size and apearance,but to me,he´s beautiful.
People mistake him for a purebred Great dane ALL the time now,and when we take him out,we are constantly getting stopped and he is complimented.He´s laid back,he´s affectionate,he´s clumbsy..he´s perfect!
I dont think I could have asked for a better dog  I love my boy!!!








Mix breed dogs need homes too and I feel so lucky to have Duke in my life  If I´d have had the money,I would have brought 2 pups from his litter.They have all turned out to be the most beautiful dogs with amazing personalities


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Duke is adorable! I loooove his colouring! And his ears...and his eyes...pretty much everything!


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## Bailey's BFF (Jan 27, 2010)

Wow! So much to say...

Ann, we have definitly considered some interesting "designer breed" names for Albi. Dach-Pei, Sharshund, and Shar-weenie are the top.  It irritates me that dog breeds are being "created" all the time. Seems like now-a-days you can cross any breed with a poodle and charge twice as much money for it. I think the world is going insane!

Cheryl, Im glad to know someone else on here has a $100 farm-bred golden. Our Bailey was $150 from a very bad breeding situation. Yours is 13 years old which is very old for a golden. In some ways I almost think all of the testing that "good breeders" go through is a little overkill. In the end, it is all up to nature. I have seen very many expensive well bred dogs get very ill from the illnesses that their parents were actually checked for. Just because parent dogs did not have cancer, hip problems, etc. does not mean the puppy wont, it just means that the likely hood is potentially less. I feel like because we all want the best for our pets we feel we must buy the most expensive puppy. I am probably far off base in saying that but it is how I feel. 

Oh my gosh, ranger looks so much like Albi to me. The sensitive expression. Those little shar pei ears just make them look cheery.  Albi also is built like a tank. He is very compact in size but weighs much more than he looks. He is solid muscle. Impressive.

Duke's mommy, he is so precious. That is a very similar situation as the one Albi came from. The dachshund was in heat and they say she was constantly being watched and was planned to mate with another dachshund.... well it was obvious that didnt happen when the pups were born. She stopped nursing when they were two weeks and we got Albi not long after that... bottle fed for a week then started him on dry food. Best decision I ever made, he is the light of my life.


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## Bailey's BFF (Jan 27, 2010)

Mommy_2_Duke said:


> Awww..Albi is adorable!! and Iove your cat! How do you keep a hairless cat warm in the winter? He´s adorable!


Interesting thing about sphynx is they are really not very cold at all. Their body temperature is higher than haired cats due to their higher metabolism. This also means they eat about twice as much as haired cats... Isaak is currently eating around 3 cups of food a day and maintains a slim body weight. It probably also helps that we live in Alabama and the temperature does not get too terribly cold. He has a cat door that leads out to a screened porch where he sun bathes in the summer but I have to watch him because he does sun burn easily.

Sphynx are really amazing pets. Extremely social and loving. He is always checking out what I'm doing or curled up right beside me. They have been described as part toddler, part puppy, part kitten, and part monkey.  That pretty much sums it up. And even better, I can leave town for a night without boarding him, he doesn't chew things or need to be crated, and he is potty trained so I dont have to scoop a litter box. Im personally not a cat person, they tend to bore me but sphynx are completely different than most cats. Isaak happens to think he is a dog, he hates other cats.

Here are some more pictures of Isaak.


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

Ok I have to say Isaak is growing on me. Especially these last two pictures.


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## Mommy_2_Duke (Jan 13, 2010)

Bailey's BFF said:


> Interesting thing about sphynx is they are really not very cold at all. Their body temperature is higher than haired cats due to their higher metabolism. This also means they eat about twice as much as haired cats... Isaak is currently eating around 3 cups of food a day and maintains a slim body weight. It probably also helps that we live in Alabama and the temperature does not get too terribly cold. He has a cat door that leads out to a screened porch where he sun bathes in the summer but I have to watch him because he does sun burn easily.
> 
> Sphynx are really amazing pets. Extremely social and loving. He is always checking out what I'm doing or curled up right beside me. They have been described as part toddler, part puppy, part kitten, and part monkey.  That pretty much sums it up. And even better, I can leave town for a night without boarding him, he doesn't chew things or need to be crated, and he is potty trained so I dont have to scoop a litter box. Im personally not a cat person, they tend to bore me but sphynx are completely different than most cats. Isaak happens to think he is a dog, he hates other cats.
> 
> Here are some more pictures of Isaak.


To me,he sounds like the perfect pet! No shedding,no fleas! Just perfect!!
I bet it feels lovley to hold him too..like when you hold a new born baby after its bath..at least thats the way he looks to me lol.
I think he´s absolutely adorable,Ive always loved exotic looking animals..he´s awsome!


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## Bailey's BFF (Jan 27, 2010)

*Isaak*

Aw! Thanks for saying Isaak is cute. He is a very good pet. The only downside to sphynx is they get dirty constantly. They dont have fur to absorb the oils from their skin so dirt sticks to them and they smell like baked potatoes (literally, just like it). I just give him a bath once a week and he stays very clean.  He lovessss his baths. Really though I spend less time grooming him than I do our golden and since he doesnt shed that is a huge plus!

They feel like a suede hot water bottle... if you can imagine that. Very very warm and soft, almost like a velvet. They have very fine hairs over their whole body so they feel soft, not rubbery. Very much like a new born baby.

Because sphynx have to be cared for my humans or they will not survive, friendliness has escentually been bred into them. They are extremely outgoing and loving. He is my right hand man... always sitting on the bathroom counter watching me get ready, trying to take a bath with me, getting inside of every cabinet I open. When I am home and he can not find me he will call out for me! I will always have a sphynx, but only one at a time. Two would be a lot to handle!


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## Cheryl and buddy (Oct 24, 2009)

I think I'll be sticking to rescues from now on. Buddy may be 13, but he has been on seizure and arthritis meds for a long time. Pretty sure I spent more money on that than on a purebred. He's worthy every cent!


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