How do you find out if you puppy is pure bred if it's a rescue?

Question

We have a rescue German Sheperd puppy, and think it might be pure bred, we don't have any information about his parents, how would we find out?

Answer 1

The only way to know for sure if your dog is a pure bred versus a mutt is that when you adopted the dog the dog came with papers. You truely cannot find the dog's history through the shelter because the dog could of came through them in a number or ways.

Little is know about the dog's history @ times when they come in to the shelter/rescue and they only focus for the people who work there are to make sure the dog goes to a good home.
You can try calling the shelter and seeing if they have any history on the dog, but I really doubt that they do depending on how they recieved the dog.

I know when I adopted my dog all the papers (vaccinations, rabies shots, spayed information) stated min pin. She had her ears and tails doc when she passed by and she acts like a min pin, and she has the correct markings as a min pin and therefore I believe she is a min pin. It's not against the law where I live in the US for a shelter to call a dog or even treat the dog as if it's purebred. I know when I state that my min pin is a pure bred dog when I registered my dog with my state (state law requires you to register your dog with the city you live in) and after being around all my lifetime with min pins and knowing them well I believe she has to qualities of a purebred.

Good Luck

Answer 2

First, thanks for rescuing a dog! I only wish there were a million or two more people like you in the world!

Second (minor point...), it is spelled 'German Shepherd Dog' (Sheep Herding Dog...Shepherd Dog).

Third, there is no way you can be 100% positive that the dog is pure Shepherd without knowing who the parents are. You can contact some local breeders and ask their opinions, though. If a few breeders tell you that in their opinion your dog is pure, you can go to AKC and request an ILP (Indefinite Listing Privilege) number.

Here is the link for that site:

http://www.akc.org/reg/ilpex.cfm

If AKC agrees with the opinions of the breeders you contact, with the ILP number, you will be able to enter your dog into all AKC events except for Conformation Showing. With hard work, you should be able to get some titles on your dog in Agility, Obedience or any other field you chose to work in. One of the most wonderful things about Shepherds is that they are so very versatile and willing to work!

You won't be able to breed your dog as a purebred with an ILP number (but as a rescue, it should be spayed/neutered anyways).

Answer 3

I have a German Shepherd puppy....mine has papers. In Canada and the USA a dog is not legally a purebred unless it has registration papers. Thats why when humane societies get their dogs...for example....http://www.hamiltonspca.com/adopt/pets_1831.asp this dog is a German Shepherd....legally it cannot be called that.......their for the pounds HAVE to call it a mix as much as it bother them to do so....it's the law. If you can send me a picture of your puppy I will be able to tell you if it is purebred,,,,,i breed shepherds. If u can't send a picture....I will post links so you can take a look.

http://www.carradio.com/kingdog.jpg....this ia a pure bred pup

http://pics.hoobly.com/full/65SIXN6NKXOM8TX9UC.jpg...this is also another pure bred

http://www.southernhope.org/photobank/2673391.jpg...this is a German Shepherd/rottweiler mix

http://spcaofnn.org/RPImages/anna.jpg...this is a german Shepher/Chow mix.

http://koaa.dotpitchstudios.com/images/dbimage.asp?ID=1873...and this is a German Shepherd.Husky mix.

Answer 4

There's no way to know for sure if you don't know the parents or lineage. All breeds of dog are the same species, so there's not really any way to determine purebred status without a parental history.

Answer 5

Without papers....it's not a purebred.
There's no way of knowing without proper documentation and papers.
Being purebred doesn't make the dog any better anyway. My dog is a shih-tzu and I get her while interning at an animal shleter. She doesn't have papers to say she's a purebred, but you know what, She's such a great dog it doesn't matter.

Answer 6

you can't, really. but you can take the puppy to the vet and ask for a professional opinion. If the dog looks like a shepard, acts like a shepard, barks like a shepard, and walks like shepard, it's a shepard. chances are if it is a mix breed, the health issues and beahviors will be most like the dog you see the most of.

good luck!

Answer 7

Does it really matter?
You can compare your puppy to photos of purebred German Shepherds if you really want to know.

Answer 8

You don't. Unless the dog is tattooed, microchipped or came with papers.

Answer 9

Genetics testing
(No contact information available)