What in the DNA?????????
“Is she a puppy?” That was the first question I asked the volunteer at the rescue when I saw Lili for the first time. I saw this small girl with a long body and they told me she was fully grown. Then I asked the question everyone asks when they see a dog at a rescue or a shelter, “What kind of dog is she?” We were told she was a Lab Dachshund mix. It made sense to us. She has a Lab head and the long body of a Dachshund. We knew shortly after we met Lili she would be coming home with us and it’s been an adventure.
Lili’s second day of her adoption.
After her adoption, we took her to the vet who said the same thing…she was a Lab/Dachshund mix. We didn’t even begin to question what Lili was until we saw a dog similar to her at the dog park who was a Lab/Corgi mix. Well, that made more sense to me because of Lili’s bushy butt and her size. And where does that tail come from????? We were curious where her tail came from because of the way it curls up.
The following year, in 2016, we adopted Lance. Lance had come from an abusive home and when we asked about Lance, we were told he was a Husky/Shepherd mix. And well, if you look at Lance, it makes sense to think that.
Lance, a week after his adoption.
My husband and I have told ourselves for years we were going to get their DNA done, especially for Lili because we had no clue where that long body came from and as she has gotten older, she is starting to slow down and have some health issues.
We went with Embark’s Breed and health kit. Since Lance isn’t exactly the poster child for the patience it requires to get a DNA swab for a dog, we decided to have his vet get a sample while Lance was sedated to have his teeth cleaned. Lili wasn’t happy about getting a sample, but she let me get a sample.
And then we sent in the tests and waited. Embark kept us up to date on the progress of their tests and then the big day came. I got an email letting me know their results were ready.
WHAT IN THE DNA??????????
I went to the website, expecting to see Lili was part Corgi and then I had to start laughing. Lili is what????
What???? Where is the Corgi I was looking for? Where was the Dachshund? Even in the super mutt possibilities, there is nothing listed that really explains her long body to us? Collie, Golden Retriever, Poodle, Pomeranian, andLab??? We are guessing her tail came from the Chow Chow mix in her and her incredible sense of smell could be from the Coonhound part of her, but where did her long body come from??? I think that will be one mystery my little Frankendog is not going to tell us.
I wasn’t quite as surprised when I looked at Lance’s results. He is in fact part Shepherd, not the Shepherd I was thinking, but NO HUSKY?????
It turns out Lance is a Lab/Shepherd mix. What? Only 4.4% German Shepherd and 35% Australian Shepherd??? 53.2% Lab???? It does explain Lance’s love for affection and to be close to his humans vs Lili’s standoffish nature. She likes to be near humans, but far enough away that you have to work for it if you want to pet her.
I’m glad we got their tests, even if Lili’s results were nothing like I thought they would be. It doesn’t change how I feel about them, if anything, it makes me love them more. When I think of what it has taken to create a beautiful creature like Lili, I have to smile and be thankful she, and Lance, found their way to me.
How about you? Have you given your dogs DNA tests? What were the results? What you expected or something completely different. Let me know. I’d love to hear about your dog’s breed.