What will his DNA reveal?

[KarenSoCal]

I have done a DNA breed test on my Bishop that should be back in a week or so. He's certainly a German Shepherd, but what is he mixed with? I'd love to hear your guesses, and will post the results when I get them.
This is Bishop, we think around 6 years old. I adopted him from the shelter a year ago. His original owner refused to pay for his surgery after he was hit by a car.

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[wellington]

He's a tuff one. I usually can spot at least one or two breeds that make up a mixed breed.
My best guess right now would be Pit and/or Lab, maybe Golden Retriever.
I however, don't really trust the DNA results. I have seen breeds listed that are so rare that it just doesn't seem likely at all, unless it was from very long ago in the lines and at the point of the DNA, just seems that touch of that rare breed would have been bred out.
I don't know the science behind it so, just my opinion.
Will be interesting to see what comes up.

 

[Yvonne G]

I have done a DNA breed test on my Bishop that should be back in a week or so. He's certainly a German Shepherd, but what is he mixed with? I'd love to hear your guesses, and will post the results when I get them.
This is Bishop, we think around 6 years old. I adopted him from the shelter a year ago. His original owner refused to pay for his surgery after he was hit by a car.

View attachment 359580View attachment 359581View attachment 359583View attachment 3595840View attachment 359582View attachment 359579

My first impression was chow chow. Be sure to let us know.

 

[SinLA]

For what it’s worth, I’ve known people who have done those DNA tests on dogs they know the heritage of and they come out all over the place. I’ve seen it with most of the famous brands. I think they a little bit like getting your tarot cards read. It’s fun entertainment, but I wouldn’t put a lot of stake in it.

 

[jsheffield]

Olive is a rescue from Texas who has lived with us for 7 years now, and as you can see from the picture, she's a little Chewie.



To save some time and money, I made up the results of her DNA test, but I still think it's pretty accurate.


Jamie

PS - FWIW, we think she's a pretty even split between lab and pittie.

 

[EricW]

I have a hard time seeing it as a mutt and almost believe it to be "pure." There are German Shepard's around that do not look like what we are accustomed to seeing today or on the dog shows we watch. I feel like the American German Shepard was screwed over in the name of the show dog (happens in many breeds such as the Golden Retriever and Labrador as well). The show line German Shepard gate is horrible and in my opinion inhumane.

However, your dog is more of a hind stature I would prefer in my opinion, happy to see it, and are harder to find, but I do not go searching for German Shepard breeders. There are several different variants around the world of the German Shepard and also differences between show line and working line.

I wonder if the variability in DNA is in the fact that even what we deem "pure" breed are actually mutts. They have just been line bred (and inbred to an extent) over generations to give us what we see as "pure" bred.

 

[KarenSoCal]

He's a tuff one. I usually can spot at least one or two breeds that make up a mixed breed.
My best guess right now would be Pit and/or Lab, maybe Golden Retriever.
I however, don't really trust the DNA results. I have seen breeds listed that are so rare that it just doesn't seem likely at all, unless it was from very long ago in the lines and at the point of the DNA, just seems that touch of that rare breed would have been bred out.
I don't know the science behind it so, just my opinion.
Will be interesting to see what comes up.

I think your guesses are good ones. I have an advantage since I live with him, but I think he could have some hound in him, like coonhound or black and tan. He sometimes kind of bays at the end of a bark. I'm so curious to get the results!

 

[Blackdog1714]

I saw chow or Akita too!

 

[wellington]

I saw chow or Akita too!

I'd be surprised. Both those breeds are thick dogs.
Chow much shorter and Akita bigger, of course if you get good bred ones.
He does have some light black/purple on his tongue but so many breeds can have the light color like this one has.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Chihuahua.
Definitely Chihuahua.

 

[KarenSoCal]

My first impression was chow chow. Be sure to let us know.

I've had others suggest chow because of his mottled tongue. I googled, and discovered that German Shepherds can also have a mottling of the tongue.

One of the most popular guesses off the forum is husky. Apparently they are very vocal and like to "talk". Bishop sometimes "talks" to me when he wants something.

 

[KarenSoCal]

View attachment 359588

Olive is a rescue from Texas who has lived with us for 7 years now, and as you can see from the picture, she's a little Chewie.

View attachment 359589

To save some time and money, I made up the results of her DNA test, but I still think it's pretty accurate.


Jamie

PS - FWIW, we think she's a pretty even split between lab and pittie.

Jamie, you got me good with this! I read and re-read, trying to figure out how a velociraptor could be in there! I was wondering how I was going to interpret Bishop's results!

BTW, Wisdom Panel is the one I used on the recommendation of my niece. I just did the breed ID...I don't need to know what health problems he's likely to develop.

 

[TammyJ]

Akita is my guess, but not full Akita. So it's German Shepherd, Akita and wolfdog, but maybe not full wolfdog... 🤔

 

[SinLA]

Since you are in SoCal I am curious to see if the results will show a small % of chihuahua.as I said I do not have faith in these at all and everyone I know who has one one in LA has been told part chihuahua regardless.

 

[SinLA]

Btw for funsies: I had both wisdom and embark both done on my dog Sylvester who was an 18lb Tibetan spaniel which is not that common a breed. Now it’s probable he was not 💯% purebred most likely a puppy mill/BYB dog — his mouth was wry (adorable!!) and not as flat as the breed “calls for” (not a fan anyway) and while he sometimes held his tail up and curled up it wasn’t set that way. but both companies tested were wildly different, neither had Tibetan Spaniel. I don’t remember them both but one said German Shepard with a mix of chihuahua and poodle, the other was terrier and maybe poodle?

This was him (note I kept his coat short it was naturally thick and medium length, not curly at all)

 

[Yvonne G]

I've had others suggest chow because of his mottled tongue. I googled, and discovered that German Shepherds can also have a mottling of the tongue.

One of the most popular guesses off the forum is husky. Apparently they are very vocal and like to "talk". Bishop sometimes "talks" to me when he wants something.

Well, I didn't see the mottling on his tongue. I was going by the shape of his head. It will be interesting to see how it turns out.

 

[wellington]

Since you are in SoCal I am curious to see if the results will show a small % of chihuahua.as I said I do not have faith in these at all and everyone I know who has one one in LA has been told part chihuahua regardless.

That's too funny. I bet a lot of them are big dogs too right?
I agree though about not having faith in them, me neither.

 

[wellington]

Btw for funsies: I had both wisdom and embark both done on my dog Sylvester who was an 18lb Tibetan spaniel which is not that common a breed. Now it’s probable he was not 💯% purebred most likely a puppy mill/BYB dog — his mouth was wry (adorable!!) and not as flat as the breed “calls for” (not a fan anyway) and while he sometimes held his tail up and curled up it wasn’t set that way. but both companies tested were wildly different, neither had Tibetan Spaniel. I don’t remember them both but one said German Shepard with a mix of chihuahua and poodle, the other was terrier and maybe poodle?

This was him (note I kept his coat short it was naturally thick and medium length, not curly at all)

Cute dog, no matter what it is

 

[wellington]

Well, I didn't see the mottling on his tongue. I was going by the shape of his head. It will be interesting to see how it turns out.

That black/purple on the tongue though is very common in a lot of breeds. But even when a Chow or Shar-Pei doesn't have a full purple/black tongue, it's usually more spotted and darker.

 

[KarenSoCal]

I have a hard time seeing it as a mutt and almost believe it to be "pure." There are German Shepard's around that do not look like what we are accustomed to seeing today or on the dog shows we watch. I feel like the American German Shepard was screwed over in the name of the show dog (happens in many breeds such as the Golden Retriever and Labrador as well). The show line German Shepard gate is horrible and in my opinion inhumane.

However, your dog is more of a hind stature I would prefer in my opinion, happy to see it, and are harder to find, but I do not go searching for German Shepard breeders. There are several different variants around the world of the German Shepard and also differences between show line and working line.

I wonder if the variability in DNA is in the fact that even what we deem "pure" breed are actually mutts. They have just been line bred (and inbred to an extent) over generations to give us what we see as "pure" bred.

I understand what you're saying here. Wolves were bred for generations favoring specific traits, like protectiveness, herding, size, speed, prey drive, etc., finally getting to fluff balls that nip at ankles. So actually all dogs started as mutts, until after enough generations that the traits and appearance of the offspring were fairly reliable.


I saw a Nat Geo program that showed "just a dog"; what dogs would look like if all dogs freely bred, no influence from humans, for multiple generations. He would be a brown/tan color, medium hair length, about the size of Bishop, a tail that arched over his back, medium muzzle length...a "just-a-dog". He would not have any of the physical problems that are so common: hip dysplasia, blindness, subluxating patellas, shoved in face respiratory problems etc.

I believe people have interfered with natural selection way too much, across all species. I for one certainly don't trust the current meddling with the human genome. Good will come of it, but what a huge Pandora's box to open.