A dog trainer has taken to social media to challenge followers with a guessing game: Identify the two breeds of one of his newest clients.
Grant Foster told Newsweek via TikTok that he has been training dogs for 10 years. He took on a new client, Ursa, about a month ago after the owners brought her to Foster for basic manners training. He knew about her two breeds before making his video, since a dog’s lineage can influence training and behavior. Breeds were developed for specific tasks requiring certain traits. He also thought the one breed looked “obvious.”
Studies show that traits like trainability, attentiveness, prey drive and fear reactions often run within breed groups, an article from the American Kennel Club says. Herding and retriever breeds tend to score higher on trainability due to their history of working closely with humans, while scent hounds are often more independent and scent-driven. Genetics linked to a breed help shape common behavioral tendencies, though individual dogs may vary.
In his February 20 TikTok clip posted to @grant_f_oster, he introduced Ursa and asked viewers to guess her breed mix based on her appearance and demeanor—a prompt that quickly drew thousands of responses.
Fans of the guessing game have offered thousands of theories, with guesses from Akita to Shiba Inu and various mixes. His TikTok video has reached over 806,000 views, 18,600 likes and 5,200 comments as of Tuesday.
Some thought Ursa was a mix of “cutie and patootie,” while another joked: “50 percent cutie pie, 50 percent velociraptor.”
Someone else wrote: “I would guess Akita and Chow Chow but would need to see her tongue to be certain,” referring to the Chow Chow’s notable blue-black tongue.
Foster said a few people correctly guessed the breed combination. Akita was the most common guess, but he hasn’t gone through all the responses yet.
The truth? Ursa is a Chow Chow and German shepherd mix.
Chow Chow-German shepherd mixes are often intelligent, loyal and protective, but can also inherit an independent streak that makes consistent training and early socialization especially important, an article from Hepper states. They are sometimes wary of strangers and strong-willed, reflecting traits from both parent breeds.
Ursa appears to favor her Chow lineage, with a curled tail and coloring similar to the breed.
“I think she definitely shows more chow than shepherd in both appearance and personality,” Foster said.
As for her training, the stubbornness of this dog mix hasn’t been an issue. Foster said she’s been “killing it,” describing Ursa as having a balanced personality with plenty of spunk—proof that while breed can shape tendencies, each dog still brings its own unique character.
He’s also been working with Ursa’s littermate, Mochi, whom he highlighted in a follow-up video. But to him, Mochi looks more like a shepherd than a Chow Chow.
The playful breed-guessing challenge has captivated dog lovers, highlighting how diverse mixed-breed dogs can be—and how much personality can hint at ancestry.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.