Mixed breeds can look a lot like their parents or NOTHING like their parents. Certain breeds have traits that tend to come through, and then there are some that are not dominant that you would expect to be. For instance, you would expect a schipperke mix to be black and tailless, right? Well, they are often not black unless the other dog was black, and tails are usually docked, not natural bobbed so schip mixes have spitz or shepherd type tails. Poodles crossed with a smooth coated dog will produce a wire coat, and are often thought to be terrier mixes.