Who’s In There? DNA Breed Results

During the ten-plus years of Nicholai's life, we often wondered what breeds made up our sometimes sensitive, occasionally aggressive, always protective, soft-touch of a hundred pound dog. He looked to the casual observer – even dog-savvy ones – to be largely black Labrador retriever. However, retrieving wasn't really his shtick and while I described him as a black Lab mix myself a thousand times, I had my doubts. What breeds do you see?

Nicholai had a short coat with hints of an undercoat, a thick ruff at the neck, feathers on the back legs and a bit of brush to the tail he often held over his back with a slight curl. Then there was his goofy big pink tongue with giant black spots. Many people argued those spots to be a definitive sign of Chow, but I have personally seen many other dogs, including purebred dogs, with black markings on the tongue.

Personality and temperament seemed to rule out the Labrador retriever most people mistook him for. He wasn't affable or easy-going, didn't much like to retrieve, and was quite circumspect when it came to strangers. He loved to hunt small mammals – and eat them. He was impatient with dog parks and crowds, sensitive to moods and raised voices. He loved a den and retreated to quiet out of the way spots around our house and yard – behind the washer in the basement and under the work table in the greenhouse were his favorite hideouts. He was devoted to his people, loving, affectionate, and soft of mouth. We adored him and he adored us, but everyone else raised his suspicions and he maintained a keen sense of proprietorship over home, grounds, and family. When he was younger, I sometimes took our old three-legged dog on outings with us, hauling her in an all-terrain wagon. Nicholai would not allow any dog – no matter how friendly – to approach his Molly in her wagon.

All along we guessed Nicholai to be some kind of mix of pitbull – based on his mother, and Lab – based on his looks. We speculated about Akita, Chow, and Rottweiler with occasional conjecture about mastiff, bulldog, or shepherds. Here is what we found out.

When we tore open the results in anticipation, we were initially disappointed. "Send them back," I declared, "they must have switched samples." According to the test we used (Bio-Pet, accuracy unknown), the following breeds were present in Mr. Nichol-Pickle (in descending order): Rhodesian ridgeback and Dachshund; Afghan hound, Chow-chow, and Chinese Sharpei; and finally, unbelievably, Maltese.

On examination, it turns out all the breeds (except Maltese) have characteristics that really could have been our Nicholai. "Aloof," "protective," "suspicious," "territorial," and "excellent guard dog" came up with four of the six. Afghan hounds, Rhodesian ridgebacks and Dachshunds are all hunters of small animals with high prey drives. Chows have a ruff like the mane of a lion and they and Sharpeis are known for a dark purple-to-black tongue. Clearly, the Rhodesian ridgeback won hands-down in the size category, the only dog on Nicholai's genetic history list to reach 85-90 pounds. Maltese? Cute and fluffy, thrive on attention – hmm, can't see it.
I'm thinking a Maltese would have it's advantages as a lap dog.

I don't know if the test is accurate and in the end, I don't care. I care little for breed (or racial) purity. My kids were adopted from foster care and our dogs' pedigrees were built on the street – from whence they hailed. So whether Nicolai was Lab or pitbull, Rhodesian ridgeback or Maltese (??), the point was that I loved him and he loved me. We shared a moment on the journey of life.

But it's fun to speculate about the ancestors in his family tree, and perhaps gain a tad of insight to the dog I cherished.