One of life's little mysteries is finally solved...

Wipsy-Woo

For YEARS I've been asking for DNA tests for my dogs for every birthday and Christmas, but no one took me seriously.  That is, until Trevor finally relented and bought me one earlier this year.

I think he was tired of listening to me beg ask.

We decided to test Gypsy Kitty, because...well, she's eleven now.  Obviously, at this point, I'm not concerned with how big Gypsy may or may not grow up to be, or how the breeds that went into the making of a Gypsy might affect her temperament, energy level or overall health.  Because, after a decade together, she's just my Woo.  She's smart.  She's needy.  She licks a lot.  She's allergic to EVERYTHING.

She's just herself.  All.the.time.

But I've always been curious, you know?  So, really, why not find out her breed lineage?

And, guess what?  The results blew my mind.

We've always thought Gypsy was some sort of lab-mix.  But were COMPLETELY wrong.  She has absolutely no lab in her.  Not even a little bit of retriever.

Also, I always assumed Gypsy was pretty mixed up, but her great grandparents were all purebreds.  The blending of breeds only took place in recent generations.  Specifically, when both sets of her purebred grandparents got together and created the first generations of mutt on either side - Gypsy's mom and dad.

So, want to know the recipe for a Gypsy?

Well, here you go:

That's right.  Gypsy is a mix of American Eskimo Dog, Rottie, Border Collie and Standard Poople.  Which explains so much.  Like why she tries so hard to be a guard dog (Rottie), and why she hardly ever sheds (Poodle).  Why she herds us (Border Collie), and why her snot is short and forehead dished (Rottie again).  It also explains why she's never been much of a water dog (Rottie be like,"erm no Dog, dont do it"), and - while she likes to play fetch on occasion - why she's never been super obsessive about the ball or frisbee.

And, her brains?  Obviously, that came from the Border Collie/Poodle side of the family.

As for the Eskie, yeah...I'm not super familiar with the breed. But THIS description on Wiki sounds a lot like her with Banner,

"American Eskimos, with their high intelligence and inquisitive nature, will love to 'investigate'. If they find something very interesting they will often want their owner, or handler, to investigate as well, and will at times, not let the 'matter' go until the person complies. You will often find this behavior when it comes to children, for instance, if a baby or child is crying, the American Eskimo will want you to see what the problem is and will not stop 'worrying' until you do. The American Eskimo being so 'tuned in' is one of the characteristics that makes them a desirable breed around children."

Because Gypsy is nothing but an epic worrier.

Does any of this change how I feel about Gypsy?  No.  Of course not.  But there is a lot of fun in knowing, and now I can't wait to test the other two.