A breed of their own

Published 9:11 pm Tuesday, February 27, 2018

: Sophie Age: 9 months Breed: Blue merle Chihuahua and terrier mix Weight: 11 pounds Pictured with: Emily Crews Why that breed: Crews and her family have had pet Chihuahuas before, and she liked the look of Sophie’s markings Interesting fact: Sophie has heterochromia, meaning her eyes are two different colors

We set out to find one-of-a-kind dogs in Freeborn County from you, our readers. After considering all of the nominations, we present to you a dozen.

: Ruby Age: 6 years Breed: Chinese crested and poodle mix Weight: 20 pounds Pictured with: Lora Sipple Why that breed: Sipple heard from a friend who was looking for a home for Ruby. Sipple said, “If we don’t love her, who will love her?” Interesting fact: Sipple’s daughter, Cali Christensen, helped coach Ruby for pictures and even did her hair

: Angus Age: 13 months Breed: Pomsky (mix between Pomeranian and husky) Weight: 15 pounds Pictured with: Grace Niebuhr Why that breed: Niebuhr’s mother, Sharon Parriott, liked the look of huskies, but didn’t want a dog that size Interesting fact: He is named after AC/DC guitarist Angus Young

: Bella Age: 8 years Breed: Royal Bahamian potcake Weight: 42 pounds Pictured with: Kelly Schultz Why that breed: Schultz’s daughter-in-law was vacationing in the Bahamas when Bella kept coming up to her hotel; she worked with a Bahamian veterinarian to bring Bella back to the United States Interesting fact: Potcake dogs are an indigenous dog found on several Caribbean islands

: CoraBelle Age: 1 3/4 years Breed: Silver labrador Weight: 75-80 pounds Pictured with: Greg Gudal Why that breed: Liked the look and intend to breed her Interesting fact: Gudal has built what his wife, Robin, calls a “castle” for CoraBelle to live in: a heated dog house with a fenced in yard and a bed in it

: Fletcher Age: 7 years Breed: Collie Weight: 80 pounds Pictured with: Rosanne Gilmore Why that breed: Gilmore has always liked collies Interesting fact: Fletcher is a rescue

: George Age: 4 years Breed: Irish setter and poodle mix Weight: 70 pounds Pictured with: Cece Irvine Why that breed: Cece’s mom, Amanda Weiss Irvine, is allergic to dogs so the family needed to find a dog who wouldn’t shed Interesting fact: Weiss Irvine said George is great with both her 3-year-old and 2-month-old daughters; he’s very gentle and loves running around with Cece

: Linus and Birdie Age: 7 years; 19 months Breed: Irish water spaniels Weight: 85 pounds; 55-57 pounds Pictured with: Bill Daly Why that breed: Daly and his wife, Mary, and their daughter show Irish water spaniels nationally Interesting fact: Linus is Birdie’s father; the Dalys had him bred

: Sherman and Shirley Age: 4 years; 2 years Breed: English mastiffs Weight: 200 pounds; 103 pounds Pictured with: Laine Sailor Why that breed: The Sailor family has had mastiffs before and likes the breed’s temperament Interesting fact: Sherman and Shirley are expecting! Shirley is pregnant with her first litter of puppies

: Sophie Age: 9 months Breed: Blue merle Chihuahua and terrier mix Weight: 11 pounds Pictured with: Emily Crews Why that breed: Crews and her family have had pet Chihuahuas before, and she liked the look of Sophie’s markings Interesting fact: Sophie has heterochromia, meaning her eyes are two different colors

: Toby Age: 5 years Breed: Great dane Weight: 180 pounds Pictured with: Rhonda King Why that breed: King liked the breed and initially wanted to breed Toby, but said he has too many allergies Interesting fact: King has another dog besides Toby: a shih tzu

Colleen Harrison is the photo editor at the Albert Lea Tribune. She does photography and writes general-assignment stories.

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