Dog of the Day: ???

I am having a lot of trouble even guessing what this guy could be… maybe a Sheltie mix? Autumn has hazarded a guess that it may be a pomeranian mix, but that’s a stab in the dark for her, too.

He looked really odd, too. Do you see the dark line that goes from near the left foreleg back and across? Where it kind of looks like all the fur behind it is a little patchier, or shorter, or darker, or something? That’s because the fur behind it is patchier, shorter, and less fluffy. It’s really odd: the only thing I can think is that this is one of the breeds that doesn’t take well to being clipped. Apparently, with many double-coated (undercoat and guard hairs) dogs, if you shave them, their guard hairs grow back but their undercoat only grows back in patches, and can end up looking awful, and also being much less protective against climate, water, and so forth. And it’s not necessarily determined by breed: what works fine for some members of a breed can end up causing major problems with others. (I’ve especially heard this about Shelties.)  Never clip a double-coated dog short, unless the fur is so matted that there is absolutely no other choice (or unless that’s part of the recommended grooming for the breed, in which case it’s probably safe.) Even if they are that matted, you might want to take it to a groomer and see if they can do anything about it first.

This little guy was very timid, and clearly intimidated by me, too.

Still an awfully cute foxy face on this guy. But I feel so sorry for him, with that patchy fur.