Hello everyone! New to forum, would like your eyes.

[ChiefGlitch]

I am here, because I rescued a dog.
I am obsessed with my dog, however, we can't do much because he's just finished his heartworm treatment a week ago. So, I'm spending time trying to get to know him though his breed, which is hard because I have no idea.
So since I know nothing about my dog, of course I speculate on what I think he may be.
My initial thoughts were that he is German Shepherd and Siberian Husky. But there is just something different about him... He looks so close to Tamaskan.. I know only DNA can tell, but I thought since you are all the experts on Tamaskan, I would ask your opinion.
Some things about Chief :
Huge paws.. huge.
Very thick webbing between toes.
Shoulders spaced very closely together so he stands pigeoned toed.
Teeth are heavily damaged from his previous life- canines are worn down, and front bottom teeth ground to the gumline.
Boundless energy.
He was 65lbs when I got him, but he was very underweight and since then (3 months ago) is about 69lbs and still has more to put on.
And, when we met, his fur around his neck was so matted that it sounded like bricks hitting a wall when the groomer shaved him.
So, with all that (thank you for reading.) this is him:

^How he appeared on Craigslist where he was being given away for free. (I wouldn't give him up for a million dollars.)

^In the car on the way to the groomer

^Shaved down, standing pigeon-toed.



^After first treatment of immiticide for heartworms.

Thank you again for reading this, I do appreciate your opinion. I want to emphasize that I don't think he's true Tamaskan, but it's the closest to him that I've been able to find. This is all just fun for me.

[Katlin]

Looks like a Mal X Akita X Shepherd of some sort, definitely no tamaskan content. But he's cute

PS as a groomer, please don't shave him again! His coat will probably never grow back properly now and he won't shed properly either Groomers can do an amazing job getting rid of dead hair without shaving them. Shaving just makes them shed smaller and coarser hairs.

[ChiefGlitch]

Thank you, yes, I see Akita too!
I would have never shaved his double coat, but the mats were really far down and it was the best option at the time.(imagine coming from a rural farm area, getting your first ever car ride and then to a groomer for the first time in your life. It was a lot of stress for him.) plus the mats were very close to the skin, more like dreadlocks; and shaving uncovered neck wounds that revealed some of his traumatic past. It's coming back nicely and I am brushing him as much as he'll let me.

[firleymj]

First, thank you for your courage in rescuing this dog.
May the generosity of your spirit be rewarded in a long and loving relationship.

Second, as to what he is - despite all the hoopla - DNA testing - especially with mixed breeds or breeds with small populations - isn't horribly reliable. There was a notorious case recently where a husky was mis-identified as a wolf-hybrid and confiscated from his owners. The best testing companies will admit that in the fine print, but not all do - and there is this odd sort of "CSI effect" where people believe that DNA is incontrovertible because the internet or the media told them so. It's a powerful and useful tool, but it's not a "God's eye view." So we fall back on phenotyping (observable characteristics)

I believe I can see (take all this with a grain of salt please) some shepherd there, though I'd suspect something like an old-line GSD or possibly even a Shiloh mix from the coat (especially the pre-grooming one). The forelegs and coat length suggest more Husky than Malamute to me. It almost looks like someone was trying for a mix on the lines of the NAID or NAVD (Native American dogs). But that's only one person's opinion, and opinions are much like digestive tracts - everybody has one and a lot of gas comes out of each. (smile)

Third, the best of luck and please continue to participate here - most of the humans don't bite, and the dogs are even nicer!

Mark