lol, my proudest title for sure!

I think my best guess would be primarily sable colored German Shepherd and Alaskan Malamute - I've seen quite a few who look like him, usually mistaken for wolfdogs or wolves sadly enough.
Here's a good example of one - disregarding the ears, your big guy looks fairly similar, but with a stockier build and larger, thicker muzzle.

However, I would also guess at least a third breed in the mix somewhere as well, because I'm seeing something else and can't quite put my finger on what it is. Still thinking that one or both parents were mixes themselves.

If I'm right on the Malamute, that would explain why you thought his temperament was similar to a Tamaskan's - the Tamaskan was bred from Malamutes and has many similar characteristics.

I'm no expert, and most of what I've picked up has been from studying dog breed information books and websites along with what I've learned over the past few years regarding wolfdog phenotyping (the art of evaluating if an animal really is a wolfdog, or just a "wolfy looking" dog) but I can probably identify breeds and mixes better than most vets and definitely better than most staff at animal shelters who don't know dick.

You should consider joining the group called "Guess the Breed" on facebook and post him to see what people think. There are a lot of knowledgeable people there who would be very intrigued by him, just as I was! = )

First off, vets don't study how to determine dog breeds, let alone mixes. In the words of my mentor who has worked with nordic breeds and wolfdogs for going on 20 years:
"Before I knew any better, I used to take my Malamutes to the vet and tell them they were wolves. Now I take my wolves to the vet and tell them they're Malamutes."
I've even seen a vet take a look at a real German Shepherd / Malamute mix and say "This dog is 60% wolf, I can tell because I am a vet."

It's total bullshit; they study veterinary medicine and health, NOT dog breed phenotyping.

Secondly, don't waste your money on DNA tests - even the most popular ones available are extremely unreliable. Modern technology has not yet caught up with correctly identifying one breed from another through blood.
I've seen people pay hundreds to get tests, even on dogs with known ancestry, and get completely obscure breeds thrown out - like a husky/wolf mix coming back as being part "Shikoku Inu" (some incredibly rare Japanese breed) or purebred Siberian huskies or pure German shepherds coming back as part wolf.
Totally pointless, at least for now.


I strongly doubt your boy is a Tamaskan mix, and I guarantee you he's no Husky / Shepherd - I've seen dozens with confirmed lineage, and I own one myself (pictured). Looks more like an unorthodox breed - I'd guess something like Chow, Rottweiler, Collie, Malamute... hard to say, and I'd need more (and better quality) photos to make an educated guess, but definitely not Tamaskan or Husky.

The thing about breed databases is that if you read a hundred different descriptions of breed temperaments without seeing what the breed actually is, he could match dozens of them "to a T" because they're very broad generalization; no two dogs are the same and individuals can have very different dispositions based on genetics, environmental upbringing and many other factors.

Behaviors can be hard to judge by; that's why so many people think they have a wolfdog or pet wolf when they really have a husky or malamute (or a mix of either or both), because those are very primitive, "wolfy-acting" dogs - even though they're 100% pure dog.

My girl could match many descriptions of a Golden Retriever or a Border Collie, but we met her parents and know her lineage.

You sound like you know what you are talking about so i wont fight ya on it. Just saying what i have been told. Im not an expert on dogs.... i just wanted to tell a story about how my dog took care of me when i was drunk... I get what your saying and you may be right but like i said, hes always going to be my little Tamaskan. Here is another pic of him if it helps you fig out what he is.

lol, my proudest title for sure!

I think my best guess would be primarily sable colored German Shepherd and Alaskan Malamute - I've seen quite a few who look like him, usually mistaken for wolfdogs or wolves sadly enough.
Here's a good example of one - disregarding the ears, your big guy looks fairly similar, but with a stockier build and larger, thicker muzzle.

However, I would also guess at least a third breed in the mix somewhere as well, because I'm seeing something else and can't quite put my finger on what it is. Still thinking that one or both parents were mixes themselves.

If I'm right on the Malamute, that would explain why you thought his temperament was similar to a Tamaskan's - the Tamaskan was bred from Malamutes and has many similar characteristics.

I'm no expert, and most of what I've picked up has been from studying dog breed information books and websites along with what I've learned over the past few years regarding wolfdog phenotyping (the art of evaluating if an animal really is a wolfdog, or just a "wolfy looking" dog) but I can probably identify breeds and mixes better than most vets and definitely better than most staff at animal shelters who don't know dick.

You should consider joining the group called "Guess the Breed" on facebook and post him to see what people think. There are a lot of knowledgeable people there who would be very intrigued by him, just as I was! = )

It also looks like he has a mild Snow Nose, which is often seen in Malamutes. Here's an example of a subtle one (left) and a more obvious prominent one (right).

Do you have pictures of the Tamaskan parent, or is that just a guess? They're a rather new and rare breed with very few real breeders; most are just wolfy-looking mixes being claimed to be a Tamaskan, usually by someone who takes a look at one, goes "that looks just like my dog, that must be what he is! he's a tamaskan!" and that's that.

I definitely see GSD in your boy, but I'm seriously doubting any Tamaskan influence. Would be curious to be proven wrong though!

pic of my dog in return

Fare enough. TBH I have no real idea. Hes mutty as they come. This idea of him being Tamaskan came from two things. The first was we asked the vet what he was (we originally thought he was GS-Husky mix) and with out even our knowledge that Tamaskans where a thing the vet said that he was Tamaskan. The second is the fact he was originally from South Carolina and there is a breeding group (if that is the right terminology) in SC. (spoiler is link to them) blustagtamaskan.com/state/southcarolina/index/index.php With those two things in mind WE THINK what happened is that a GS somehow got in with the Tamaskans and the result was... well my dog. No way to prove it but its what we think. Also his temperament and his features are that of a Tamaskan to a T. So much so that when i first started to read up on it was a bit creepy.

You can think other wise and that''s fine but hes always going to my little Tamaskan.... Would love to get his DNA checked... if that is a thing.

First off, vets don't study how to determine dog breeds, let alone mixes. In the words of my mentor who has worked with nordic breeds and wolfdogs for going on 20 years:
"Before I knew any better, I used to take my Malamutes to the vet and tell them they were wolves. Now I take my wolves to the vet and tell them they're Malamutes."
I've even seen a vet take a look at a real German Shepherd / Malamute mix and say "This dog is 60% wolf, I can tell because I am a vet."

It's total bullshit; they study veterinary medicine and health, NOT dog breed phenotyping.

Secondly, don't waste your money on DNA tests - even the most popular ones available are extremely unreliable. Modern technology has not yet caught up with correctly identifying one breed from another through blood.
I've seen people pay hundreds to get tests, even on dogs with known ancestry, and get completely obscure breeds thrown out - like a husky/wolf mix coming back as being part "Shikoku Inu" (some incredibly rare Japanese breed) or purebred Siberian huskies or pure German shepherds coming back as part wolf.
Totally pointless, at least for now.


I strongly doubt your boy is a Tamaskan mix, and I guarantee you he's no Husky / Shepherd - I've seen dozens with confirmed lineage, and I own one myself (pictured). Looks more like an unorthodox breed - I'd guess something like Chow, Rottweiler, Collie, Malamute... hard to say, and I'd need more (and better quality) photos to make an educated guess, but definitely not Tamaskan or Husky.

The thing about breed databases is that if you read a hundred different descriptions of breed temperaments without seeing what the breed actually is, he could match dozens of them "to a T" because they're very broad generalization; no two dogs are the same and individuals can have very different dispositions based on genetics, environmental upbringing and many other factors.

Behaviors can be hard to judge by; that's why so many people think they have a wolfdog or pet wolf when they really have a husky or malamute (or a mix of either or both), because those are very primitive, "wolfy-acting" dogs - even though they're 100% pure dog.

My girl could match many descriptions of a Golden Retriever or a Border Collie, but we met her parents and know her lineage.

You sound like you know what you are talking about so i wont fight ya on it. Just saying what i have been told. Im not an expert on dogs.... i just wanted to tell a story about how my dog took care of me when i was drunk... I get what your saying and you may be right but like i said, hes always going to be my little Tamaskan. Here is another pic of him if it helps you fig out what he is.

lol, my proudest title for sure!

I think my best guess would be primarily sable colored German Shepherd and Alaskan Malamute - I've seen quite a few who look like him, usually mistaken for wolfdogs or wolves sadly enough.
Here's a good example of one - disregarding the ears, your big guy looks fairly similar, but with a stockier build and larger, thicker muzzle.

However, I would also guess at least a third breed in the mix somewhere as well, because I'm seeing something else and can't quite put my finger on what it is. Still thinking that one or both parents were mixes themselves.

If I'm right on the Malamute, that would explain why you thought his temperament was similar to a Tamaskan's - the Tamaskan was bred from Malamutes and has many similar characteristics.

I'm no expert, and most of what I've picked up has been from studying dog breed information books and websites along with what I've learned over the past few years regarding wolfdog phenotyping (the art of evaluating if an animal really is a wolfdog, or just a "wolfy looking" dog) but I can probably identify breeds and mixes better than most vets and definitely better than most staff at animal shelters who don't know dick.

You should consider joining the group called "Guess the Breed" on facebook and post him to see what people think. There are a lot of knowledgeable people there who would be very intrigued by him, just as I was! = )

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamaskan_Dog

It also looks like he has a mild Snow Nose, which is often seen in Malamutes. Here's an example of a subtle one (left) and a more obvious prominent one (right).

German shepherd, Tamaskan mix.

Do you have pictures of the Tamaskan parent, or is that just a guess? They're a rather new and rare breed with very few real breeders; most are just wolfy-looking mixes being claimed to be a Tamaskan, usually by someone who takes a look at one, goes "that looks just like my dog, that must be what he is! he's a tamaskan!" and that's that.

I definitely see GSD in your boy, but I'm seriously doubting any Tamaskan influence. Would be curious to be proven wrong though!

pic of my dog in return

Fare enough. TBH I have no real idea. Hes mutty as they come. This idea of him being Tamaskan came from two things. The first was we asked the vet what he was (we originally thought he was GS-Husky mix) and with out even our knowledge that Tamaskans where a thing the vet said that he was Tamaskan. The second is the fact he was originally from South Carolina and there is a breeding group (if that is the right terminology) in SC. (spoiler is link to them) blustagtamaskan.com/state/southcarolina/index/index.php With those two things in mind WE THINK what happened is that a GS somehow got in with the Tamaskans and the result was... well my dog. No way to prove it but its what we think. Also his temperament and his features are that of a Tamaskan to a T. So much so that when i first started to read up on it was a bit creepy.

You can think other wise and that''s fine but hes always going to my little Tamaskan.... Would love to get his DNA checked... if that is a thing.

First off, vets don't study how to determine dog breeds, let alone mixes. In the words of my mentor who has worked with nordic breeds and wolfdogs for going on 20 years:
"Before I knew any better, I used to take my Malamutes to the vet and tell them they were wolves. Now I take my wolves to the vet and tell them they're Malamutes."
I've even seen a vet take a look at a real German Shepherd / Malamute mix and say "This dog is 60% wolf, I can tell because I am a vet."

It's total bullshit; they study veterinary medicine and health, NOT dog breed phenotyping.

Secondly, don't waste your money on DNA tests - even the most popular ones available are extremely unreliable. Modern technology has not yet caught up with correctly identifying one breed from another through blood.
I've seen people pay hundreds to get tests, even on dogs with known ancestry, and get completely obscure breeds thrown out - like a husky/wolf mix coming back as being part "Shikoku Inu" (some incredibly rare Japanese breed) or purebred Siberian huskies or pure German shepherds coming back as part wolf.
Totally pointless, at least for now.


I strongly doubt your boy is a Tamaskan mix, and I guarantee you he's no Husky / Shepherd - I've seen dozens with confirmed lineage, and I own one myself (pictured). Looks more like an unorthodox breed - I'd guess something like Chow, Rottweiler, Collie, Malamute... hard to say, and I'd need more (and better quality) photos to make an educated guess, but definitely not Tamaskan or Husky.

The thing about breed databases is that if you read a hundred different descriptions of breed temperaments without seeing what the breed actually is, he could match dozens of them "to a T" because they're very broad generalization; no two dogs are the same and individuals can have very different dispositions based on genetics, environmental upbringing and many other factors.

Behaviors can be hard to judge by; that's why so many people think they have a wolfdog or pet wolf when they really have a husky or malamute (or a mix of either or both), because those are very primitive, "wolfy-acting" dogs - even though they're 100% pure dog.

My girl could match many descriptions of a Golden Retriever or a Border Collie, but we met her parents and know her lineage.

You sound like you know what you are talking about so i wont fight ya on it. Just saying what i have been told. Im not an expert on dogs.... i just wanted to tell a story about how my dog took care of me when i was drunk... I get what your saying and you may be right but like i said, hes always going to be my little Tamaskan. Here is another pic of him if it helps you fig out what he is.

lol, my proudest title for sure!

I think my best guess would be primarily sable colored German Shepherd and Alaskan Malamute - I've seen quite a few who look like him, usually mistaken for wolfdogs or wolves sadly enough.
Here's a good example of one - disregarding the ears, your big guy looks fairly similar, but with a stockier build and larger, thicker muzzle.

However, I would also guess at least a third breed in the mix somewhere as well, because I'm seeing something else and can't quite put my finger on what it is. Still thinking that one or both parents were mixes themselves.

If I'm right on the Malamute, that would explain why you thought his temperament was similar to a Tamaskan's - the Tamaskan was bred from Malamutes and has many similar characteristics.

I'm no expert, and most of what I've picked up has been from studying dog breed information books and websites along with what I've learned over the past few years regarding wolfdog phenotyping (the art of evaluating if an animal really is a wolfdog, or just a "wolfy looking" dog) but I can probably identify breeds and mixes better than most vets and definitely better than most staff at animal shelters who don't know dick.

You should consider joining the group called "Guess the Breed" on facebook and post him to see what people think. There are a lot of knowledgeable people there who would be very intrigued by him, just as I was! = )

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamaskan_Dog

It also looks like he has a mild Snow Nose, which is often seen in Malamutes. Here's an example of a subtle one (left) and a more obvious prominent one (right).