The results are in, and they are amazing...

The Awesome Pawsome

As you may remember, we did a DNA test on Gypsy earlier this year.  Her results can be found HERE.

For my birthday next month, I asked Trevor to get me a test for Haskell.  Because doggie DNA tests are like potato chips.  You can't test just one.  Especially when every mutt in the house presents its own four-legged mystery.

(Or something like that.)

Which (sort of) explains why Trevor threw a third test in the virtual cart for Alley, because he wanted in on the fun, too.  

I collected samples from Haskell and Alley back on July 7th, and we just got the results back today.  

Let's start with Alley Cat:

S'up?

We always kind of assumed Alley was some sort of pit bull mix, and...well, we weren't all that far off.  She is part American Staffordshire Terrier.

What we weren't expecting was this:  

She is also part Pom.  Because, I'm sorry.  What?

Alley is clearly much more mixed up than Gypsy, but - even though the test only goes back three generations - the results provide a good educated guess about the make-up of the remaining "mixed breed" relatives.  It is all about breed markers or something.  Anyway, in Alley's case,  the five breeds with the strongest statistical likelihood of having something to do with her ancestry are identified below:

Surprisingly, "seal" wasn't an option.

 Moving on to Haskell:

C'mon Maury Povich.  Tell me who my daddy is!

Ironically, he is the only one of the three that is bonafide a lab mix (lab and golden, actually).  Which is funny because if you throw a ball at the dog, it bounces off his head and he's all like, "What did you do that for?"

That said, years ago in Durango, Haskell somehow managed to catch a duck (he's obsessed with birds).  He very carefully picked it up in his mouth, swam across the pond (he rarely - if ever - swims), and placed the duck gently in my hands. It was like he knew that was what he was supposed to do. Of course, I was completely freaked out, because the poor duck! It was still alive. I actually don't think it was hurt badly at all, but died anyway. Poor thing was literally scared to death. Anyway, somewhere back in the deep, dark recesses of Haskell's brain, the lab/golden came out and my little idiot dog did exactly what his ancestors were bred to do.

Kind of cool, right?

But I digress.  Here is what goes into the making of a Haskell:

Told you he isn't part pig (TREVOR)!

But my FAVORITE part of his analysis is the "other" breeds that went into all of those mutts on the mixed-up side of his family tree.  Because the breed with the strongest statistical likelihood?  Yeah, a Chinese Crested.  Because OBVIOUSLY.

I've always thought he was a little dog trapped in a big dog body.
And he (sort of) is.  Because 3 of those 5 are wee little yappy things

I think the most surprising thing about the test results is that Gypsy, Alley and Haskell have nothing in common breed-wise, but look like they could be litter mates.  I find that fascinating.

(Although, I've always been easily amused.)

In other news, Wisdom Panel should totally take me to dinner, because of all the people that have told me they have ordered kits to test their mutt.  I can't recommend it enough!