I adopted Champ back in December and his papers say he's a chow mix. I'm trying to figure out what he's mixed with... I originally thought german shep because of his coloring, the lady at the SPCA thought australian shep with all the various colors in his face (which have now faded into one shade) At 17 wks, he was 22 lbs and he's not very tall like some germ shep puppies he's sniffed at Petco but i've noticed his body is a little long. I'm starting to suspect beagle, but not sure... so I'm including his picture so you can throw your theories at me. I love him anyway, it'd just be nice to know some specifics so I can inform myself of any breed specific health issues that may come later (which will hopefully be none)

[Corky/Max]

Hi!
I'm not that good at guessing but I can tell you what it says about a Chow Chow----The two most distinctive features of the Chow Chow are its blue-black tongue and its almost straight hind legs, which make its walk rather stilted. Its dense, furry, double coat is profuse and comes in solid black, red,fawn, cream, blue or white, sometimes with lighter or darker shades, but never particolored. The ears are small and rounded and there is a huge ruff behind the head, which give it a lion-like appearance. Health Problems: These dogs have problems with hip and elbow dysplasia and are prone to genetic eye diseases. My words here: I read somewhere a long time ago that supplementing with Vitamin C may help prevent hip dysplasia. My 2 dogs get it every day---I just use calcium ascorbate tablets--mash them with bottom side of a spoon in their dish (but then I feed home made/raw diet so if you use dry commercial dog food it prob. wouldn't work so well to mash them! You could use enough cream cheese to cover the tablet and just give that way. Vitamin C in the form of Calcium Ascorbate does not cause stomach upset like reg. V.c does. How much?---to bowel tolerance--that is until it causes diarrhea, then cutback until it doesn't. V.c is not harmful if given too much--the body gets rid of the excess daily--can only cause diarrhea if too much given. And bowel tolerance can vary at stressful times--In other words the body can use more V.c at times when dog is sick or stressed,etc. My cockers get 500 mg. everyday--Prob could use more but I'm not worried about hip dysplasia so I tend to just make sure they are getting 'some' V.c. I use to give 1000mgs.
Back to the book: Temperament: Although something of a challenge to train, the strong-willed Chow Chow makes a very good watchdog. It has a reputation for ferocity, probably undeserved, but is a tenacious fighter if provoked. BE AWARE--Be careful with strangers. These dogs can be lazy, but they will keep fitter with regular exercise. Don't overfeed. Pet Facts: Reserved, independent: a one-person dog Regular brushing Regular
moderate exercise Adapts well to urban living, but needs space
Of course being a mixed breed---some of these 'traits' could be affected by the other breed(s) he may have in him!

Aw he is adorable...........you can always get the breed test done. I am anxiously waiting for my results!!