We at Sarah the Pet Sitter have the good fortune of knowing some absolutely beautiful dogs. When dog walking, people stop us all the time to ask, “What kind of dog is that?” Many times we can’t give a direct answer. This happens very often with Princess (pictured below)–she is the cutest thing and has a very happy disposition. If I could get one like her, I would! Her owners wanted to know her genetic make up as well, so they sent her DNA off to be tested.
Unfortunately, Princess’ results came back rather inconclusive. The test only identified that one of Prin’s parents was a mix of Irish Setter and Akita. She’s much smaller in stature than these two breeds, so we know there are quite a few pieces missing from the puzzle. The results indicated 5 other breeds in their genetic database that possibly appear in Princess’ DNA: from Irish Terrier at 12.7% to the English Cocker Spaniel at 3.4%. Although the results don’t answer all the questions about Prin’s ancestry, it helps us to recognize that dog breeding is quite fascinating stuff. Genetic diversity is responsible for some of the most beautiful mixed breed pups.
The company who processed Princess’ DNA advertises knowing the breeds present in your dog can help you better understand their behavior. However, at Sarah the Pet Sitter we have found that breed does not equal behavior. There are a lot of factors that contribute to your dog’s well-being, and many have to do with the behaviors they learned from their humans!
Do you know the breeds present in your dog? Have you gotten her or him tested? We’d love to hear your experience.
