I can't imagine that she is actually that much rottie, being only 38lb, that's 17kg. My Cookie was a staffy x and he was 30kg. He was way way smaller than any rottie we can across. I know she's young but even so. If she's rottie she must be crossed with a yorkie or something!
Sorry
But serious, nobody else think that she's far too small to be majority rottie. If you ignore the colouring?

She is beautiful though! Bet she has a cracking smile too.

As for DNA test, might be useful if it comes back saying she's like a collie cross or something? The results might be completely wrong but it might convince others for the sake of housing that she isn't a "big mean rottie" (personally I love them).

I see rottie and GSD, look at them long legs...beautiful pup who needs a daily workout. Best wishes to both of you!

Thanks every one! It's interesting to see what everyone sees in her. She is a great pup, loves her walks, sticks and could spend hours outside sniffing the yard if I let her. The apartments we are looking at in Boston are EXTREMELY dog friendly and have dog runs, park, grooming and walking services on site, so perfect for her except for the restrictions!

I'll bring all of the suggestions to my vet. It's mostly her size and body type that make me think there must be something smaller in the mix. Hopefully we can determine she can be labeled as something else so she doesn't get discriminated against.

Head shape and ear set say rottie to me too and thats before you consider the colour. To bring the size down and the legginess up whilst considering the brindle pattern perhaps crossed with a whippet or greyhound.

I think you probably have a Lab/Pit cross. In the 2nd pic I can see that in her head and her build in the 3rd pic too. I see the features of either.

You're right to question the shelter assumption based on her size. A Rott is much bigger unless crossed to something really small. Her size is closer to a Pit (or numerous other breeds). A Pit crossed to a Lab would have a higher potential to be smaller as they are not as large as Rotts. Could be something else too. While I see Pit as a possibility she doesn't look pure bred, like a little something else. Pit might not help with your restriction issues either. It is possible she's a Lab mix with something else too (no Pit). Something other than Rott, obviously a smaller breed. I could see her being labeled predominantly Lab and that's really help you.

It could still be possible maybe a grand parent was a Rott. Since the thing is with unknown mix they could be more than one breed. I could see more possibly to have Rott in the 2nd generation giving less strong Rott features and size. Could be 3-4 breeds or who knows in this dog.

I see absolutely no Boxer in her. Not seeing those features, especially with Rott you won't get that muzzle breeding Rott to brachy breed. Or that color if it's a cross.

Staff are a bit more stocky but Pits are leggier. When we were on breedia in the discussion of SBT what came to mind when discussing Pits is how a lot of SBT are an inch or 2 shorter than my dogs but the same weight or heavier.


If Rott were a large % I'd think she would be bigger but at any rate I'm sure not seeing Cane Corso in the features and she's really small too. But she doesn't show the build or head shape. Even as a mix.

I don't think so. Brindle in GSD is controversial. Most say it doesn't exist. It is something very, very rarely seen and people question the purity of said dogs. It's not something that could have been hiding in the gene pool.

Not to mention coat. Rotts have a bit shorter coat length, but not that short and they have a double coat. GSDs have a longer coatime type. A cross would have a length of coat and pronounced double coat. A cross to a short haired breed with either and you could get considerably short coat. Same with cross to a Lab though & short hair.

Except neither of those breeds carry tan point. She's also smaller than a greyhound she's probably not too far from her mature size so crossing Greyhound to Rott should give a dog at least as big as a Greyhound.

Lovely looking girl.
I'd have said rottie cross.