A man who thought he had bought a dachshund puppy was left stunned when his adorable new pet grew into something very different—a Doberman.
In a viral TikTok video that has now been viewed over 300,000 times, Luca, 23, from Italy, shared how he bought what he believed was a dachshund puppy named Astra last July. At first, everything seemed normal until her pedigree papers arrived.
“At first, I was convinced she was a dachshund,” Luca who only gave his first name, told Newsweek. “But the truth came out a bit later, when I received her pedigree certificate. That’s when I discovered that not only was she not exactly what I thought she was, but that Astra actually comes from a very prestigious bloodline.”
Rather than being upset, Luca decided to share the bizarre discovery with humor, posting a lighthearted video about his mistaken identity mix-up. In the clip the on-screen text reveals how he initially thought he was getting a bargain, saying: "Omg! A dachshund was listed for only €250 ($290)."
“It was such an absurd and unexpected situation that I thought it would be fun to tell others about it,” he said. “Even though the whole thing was rather unbelievable, I wanted to approach it with lightheartedness and turn it into something amusing.”
In the video, he shared footage of Astra when she was small, and then later, after gaining more than 45 pounds and with a more obvious Doberman look.
According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), dachshunds come in two sizes—essentially small and smaller.
“ Dachshunds can be standard-sized (usually 16 to 32 pounds) or miniature (11 pounds or under), and come in one of three coat types: smooth, wirehaired, or longhaired,” the website says.
They range between eight and nine inches tall for the standard breed, and between just five and six inches tall for miniatures. They have a life expectancy of between 12 and 16 years, and the miniatures weigh 11 pounds (lbs) or less, and the standard size clocks in between 16 and 32 lbs.
In contrast, an adult male Doberman can grow up to 28 inches tall and weigh up to 100 lbs.
The AKC describes the breed as “muscular, fast, and powerful”, with even females weighing between 60 to 90 lbs, and growing between 24 to 28 inches tall—very different from a dachshund.
Since posting, Astra’s story has attracted thousands of amused comments, with many followers joking about the dramatic difference between the two breeds.
“How did you not notice that she wasn’t a dachshund puppy?” said one commenter.
While another shared their own similar story of a mistaken breed identity: “Mine turned out to be half Jack Russell. Looked just like my other dachshund as a pup. But I love her,” wrote one viewer.
Despite the mix-up, Luca says his love for Astra has only grown stronger.
“Over time, I’ve truly fallen in love with her, no matter the breed,” he said. “She’s my dog, and that’s what really matters.”
Luca has since created a dedicated page to share Astra’s adventures with her growing fan base. While some commenters have poked fun or criticized him for not realizing sooner, he says he’s taking it all in stride.
“That’s part of the game on social media, where humor isn’t always interpreted the same way,” he said. “Overall, I’m happy I shared the story, and even happier that it made so many people smile.”
This isn’t the first time a dog owner has been met with a surprise when they found out their pet wasn’t the breed they expected. Like the owner who thought she had a husky only for a DNA test to reveal the truth. Or a dog with such an unusual breed mix that it left the internet scratching their heads.
