Help me identify my rescue pup...

Hey all,

First post here, go easy! My wife and I adopted a pup from a rescue in Littleton, CO in March and are still having the toughest time figuring out what she is. We are asked all the time, and never really have a good answer! Can anyone help us out?

Here are some details and pictures:

-Rescued from Houston, TX in a litter of 6
-She had 2 brothers similar looking to her. The other 3 siblings were either all black, or primarily black with brown markings.
-The rescue reported her as a 'Shepherd/Lab' mix

Current stats:
-Age: 9.5 months
-Weight: approaching 45 lbs. (at 8 weeks, she was 6 lbs.)
-Height: approximately 19 inches to shoulder

Traits:
-Very strong, pulls a lot on leash
-Very fast and excellent at fetch
-Can hike 10+ miles in one trip without breaks
-Extremely loyal, and protective at times
-Likes cuddling, does not mind humans being close
-A generally deep bark for a young dog.
-A bit rambunctious at times

Pictures are attached. The shopping cart one is her first puppy pic. The other 3 are from the last month or so.

Our best guess thus far is: Black Mouth Cur / Labrador Retriever mix with maybe a smaller breed mixed in. Being from TX, I think the Cur breed is possible.

Any feedback is much appreciated!

As someone who has had four Labradors in a row and previous to that German Shepherds one of which was a cross with a Lab. I would say that pup is definitely a cross between the two. Hope this helps.

Could be Great Dane cross. Or Ridgeback cross.

Does it matter? She is gorgeous whatever she is

What is she called.

I agree with Brenda, the first thing I saw was a Ridgeback.

Why the obsession to try and identify a breed in your dog? if you wanted a pedigree dog then why not get one instead?

I agree! The dog is absolutely stunning!!

I think anyone who has rescue dogs will agree it's not about specific breeds. You always wonder .........what, why, where etc.
You can only make best guesses!

The thing with mixes is they can look like a mixture of the two breeds or favour one or the other side.
I thought Mastweiler but to be fair they come in a huge variety, although the one I know looks just like yours.

Google Mastweiler and you'll see what I mean.

Would like to see his tail.

Nothing to add concerning her breed, most likely a Lab cross.
However, the hiking 10 miles without a break did jump out at me. Hip problems are common in many of the heavier breeds, and are not helped by the over-exercising of puppies. I would not want to be covering distances such as these with a 9 month old puppy. The usually quoted guide is 5 minutes for each month of the puppy's life. Garden type play is not counted.