Hey Dawg, Who’s Your Daddy?

If you have been snoopin around my playground for a while, you know I have frequently written about my pets. Especially my little puppy dog Missy. That’s because Missy is an important part of our family. Yes, she is a family member. Those of you without a close family pet, probably think that’s a little strange. Those of you who identify your canine and/or feline companion as one of the kids, know what I’m talking about! If you refer to yourself as your pets “Mommy” or “Daddy”, please proceed!

Dogs are really people with short legs in fur coats

Searching

When our beloved dog Sandy passed away in 2003, we decided to take a break from pets for a while. We had our fair share of dogs, rabbits, reptiles, fish, and hamsters. We needed a rest. But, by the winter of 2007, we had had enough. We decided that it was time to find another canine companion. So began our search. We were very selective. We checked the 2 local SPCA branches and the Humane Society, every weekend for a month. We were starting to get discouraged. On our “last” trip to the SPCA my wife spotted Missy. She was an adorable 8 week old fur ball. She seemed very excited to meet us. She was extremely friendly and cute as can be. We found our new puppy!

Missy goes everywhere with us. To the store. On walks. Camping. To the beach. On vacation. You get the picture.

Left for Dead

When we adopted her, the SPCA told us that Missy, along with 3 siblings had been found abandoned in a field. They thought that her mother was a Chow. As time went on, Missy looked less and less like a Chow and more like a Rottweiler. On trips to the doctor, the veterinarian always would say things like; “What a cute German Sheppard” OR “How’s your little Rotti doing?” We always wondered if she was REALLY a Chow.

Believe It or Not

One day, my wife calls me all excited. She proceeds to tell me that she just read about doggy DNA tests. She told me that she had read about it on the Internet and heard a radio commercial. My first thought was “Doggy DNA tests? Yeah right. What will they think of next?”

Just Say No

My wife was very excited at the prospect of finding out about our puppy Missy. I was initially very skeptical and uninterested. I tried to protest. I said “absolutely not, I’m not going to pay for a DNA test for a dog. No way.” I soon came to realize that resistance was futile and found myself swabbing the inside of Missy’s mouth with a q-tip. Has anyone seen my pants?

Who’s Your Daddy?

It was very simple actually. I swabbed the inside of her mouth. Put the q-tip in an envelop and mailed it off. In a couple of weeks we received the results. Are you ready? DRUM ROLL: Missy is part Chow, Rottweiler, Dalmatian and American Terrier. In my opinion, the Rotti is obvious. The Dalmatian makes sense too. Her body is shaped like a Dalmatian and she is nervous and rambunctious. Although she resembled a Chow when she was younger, I don’t see it anymore. The American Terrier makes sense as Missy is incredibly strong and has a lock jaw!

Get Over It!

Although initially skeptical, I am glad we had the DNA test done on Missy. It was cool to find out about her canine heritage. We even had a family pool going on the results. Everyone had to guess at least 3 breeds, write them down and we sealed them in an envelope until the results were in.

Ever wonder about your pets ancestry? Have you heard of the doggy DNA test? Have you had one done on your canine family member? Let us know!

Tagged as: dna test • dog • Missy