My new puppy's breed is a mystery. How do I care for him properly?

Hello. It is sometimes pretty difficult to try & obtain information from a previous owner, so it is best just to start fresh with everything. A good physical exam, heartworm test, fecal exam & update all the vaccinations, even if some of these were previously done. Make sure they scan Max for a microchip in case this was done by his previous owners. As to his breed, you can always pick up one of the Witness canine DNA kits online or at the bigger pet retailers & see what it comes back as. But I would guess at least some Yorkie & maybe Maltese or something similar in him. He is adorable! Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for taking care of this dog, He is a sweet looking dog, From the photo he looks like a poodle mix, however your vet will be able to give you a better idea of what breed he is when he does a hands on exam, as he can see the whole dog, size and physique, which is not visible on the photo The same is with estimated age. The vet will also look at his teeth and will be able to tell you whether it is a young dog or an older one , and may be able to pinpoint an age range. If you cannot find out whether he was vaccinated, you can have him vaccinated and wormed at your vet. You may want to give him a bath and a brush before taking him to the vet, so he is presentable and it will be easier to examine him. Again, thank you for saving this little fellow.

From th epictures he looks likehe may be a medium-large collie type and should do very well with obedience training and should be intelligent and high energy, Be sure to keep him occupied in order to prevent any desructive tendencies and consider crate training also. HE should be fed 4 times a day at such a young age and be sure to keep him up to date with monthly deworming medications. Your vet can help to estimate his age from his teeth and advise on dates for vaccination schedule

He looks pretty cute! It's hard to guess a puppy's breed from a couple pictures. It does look like he needs some care. His big belly may be caused by intestinal parasites, and he may have an infection or mange on his face (I can't see clearly). His coat is a little dull, but I am sure that would be a glossy brown after a few weeks of a good puppy food and a bath. I would recommend that you take him to the vet for a good checkup. They can test him for intestinal parasites and check for mange. They can also get him started on proper vaccinations to protect him against common puppy diseases.

What a cutie! You are right that some skin irritation like wearing a male diaper may have caused this yellow fur. Over time this should go away since the skin looks normal in the photo. Once he's settled in I recommend a veterinary exam. If she did not give you any vaccination history he should get all his vaccinations and should have a heartworm blood test and fecal check too. They you'll know he's up to date and protected. They will probably recommend using monthly heartworm and flea prevention too depending on where you live. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Rambo.

The first thing you need to do is to take him to a veterinarian for an exam to make sure he is healthy, He can then be vaccinated and wormed. Check for fleas or have the vet check for fleas and get some flea medication/prevention. It also is a good idea to ask your veterinarian about a heart worm test and heart worm preventatives, Depending on the condition of his fur, whether it is very matted or just long, clean or dirty, he likely needs a bath with dog shampoo, and then you can take him to a groomer to be groomed or shaved.

What a cutie!!!! This is strictly as guess as visual identification has been proven to be 75% inaccurate but if I had to guess, he looks like there is hound and possibly Cattle Dog. Its highly unlikely however that he is a 50/50 mix. I bet there are several breeds present within his ancestry! There are many canine genetic companies out there and some are better than others. You will need to check however that they have a canine genetic database from the country where he is coming from as genetic signatures do vary based upon location or origin. Congratulations on your new puppy! I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.