Friday, March 27, 2009

RJ


Here is a photo of RJ with his original family and a photo with his stuffed bear. What a cutie!

RJ's owners purchased their DNA test from www.HappyDogDNA.com.

Hi,

We just received the DNA results for our puppy, RJ. We adopted him from a rescue shelter where the mother had come in pregnant and delivered at the shelter. The shelter staff thought they were probably black lab/Australian shepherd mix puppies and even mentioned possibly Rotweiller based on their coloring. We thought our puppy was blue heeler/Australian cattle dog and so did our vet. We were sure surprised when we got the result. He isn't any of the things people thought. He is level 2 Boston terrier, level 3 Border collie and level 4 Italian greyhound. Check out his picture. Who would have guessed!


RJ's Family

RJ's DNA Test Results:
  • Boston Terrier: Level 2
  • Border Collie: Level 3
  • Italian Greyhound: Level 4

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Lizzy

As you can see, Lizzy's owner put some serious effort into her results (click on the pie chart for more detail)! Thanks to Kristin for doing all that work and sharing her story with www.HappyDogDNA.com.

We received the results in the mail today!! I can't say we were surprised to find out Lizzy wasn't all border collie - but wow - to find out she was NO border collie and with so much variety/little tiny dogs was VERY surprising. We got Lizzy a month ago from a Border Collie Rescue agency. But, she is VERY laid back with little/ no behaviors that I would pin to that breed. So, many nights the dog breed book would come out and we would try to match up her looks with her behavior. She seems so big for 5 months -- but she is long/not tall -- with a curly tail. I was guessing some border collie, some chow (curly tail), maybe some sheltie, maybe some poodle (curly hair), maybe some Bernese Mtn dog. We love knowing. I am attaching a 'chart' I made - fudging the levels to their approximates and her baby picture collage.

Thanks,
Kristin

Lizzy's DNA test results:
  • Chinese Shar-Pei: Level 3
  • Lhasa Apso: Level 4
  • Pekingese: Level 4
  • Shetland Sheepdog: Level 4
  • Golden Retriever: Level 5
  • Poodle: Level 5
  • Shih Tzu: Level 5

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Oliver... with a twist!

Here are some wonderful photos of Oliver: the day he was adopted and the five months later in a photo studio. Looking good, Oliver. Looking good.


The following is a note from Oliver's owner, Annie:

I adopted Oliver Klozehoff 5 months ago from the shelter, they had him labeled as Shih Tzu, 14 lbs, and approximately 3 years old. Many of my friends suggested that he was part poodle because although he has a very soft coat, it starts to curl towards his lower back/tail. And finally, after being asked time after time from strangers "What kind of dog is he?", I finally started calling him a Jackapoo because everyone was SO SURE that he had a small terrier breed in him. But then I started having my doubts again when we met a Lhasapoo at the dog park that looked almost identical to Oliver.

Here are his results:
  • Poodle: Level 2
  • Bichon Frise: Level 4
  • Dachshund: Level 4
  • English Setter: Level 4
  • Golden Retriever: Level 4
  • Rhodesian Ridgeback: Level 4
To my surprise, there was no terrier but rather a lot of big dog breeds in his test results! He is only 14 lbs! Attached are two pictures. One professional picture that was taken recently and the other where he is behind bars at the shelter just prior to being adopted.

~Annie
Portland, OR

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

First Dog

The dog-loving world and just about everyone else has been eagerly awaiting the announcement of the Obama family’s pick for First Dog. Malia’s allergy concerns have been much publicized so it seems clear that they can’t pick just any ol’ dog. But their early interest in selecting a shelter dog generated much-needed attention for shelters across the country and probably around the world.

The latest buzz is that they’ve narrowed it down to the Portuguese Water Dog. While it may be possible that they’ll find a purebred PWD at a rescue or a shelter, it’s much more likely that they’ll have to go to a breeder for this one. A PWD may prove to be a wonderful dog for them but there are many, many shelter dogs that could also be the perfect dog for them. Their chance to profoundly promote and stimulate dog adoptions is now. Yes, they can!

Happy Dog DNA sent the Obama girls a DNA breed ID test a couple weeks ago. For several days, the tracking information said, “Notice was left. If package is not picked up, it will be returned to the sender.” We’re picturing a “Delivery Attempted” note stuck to the front gate of the White House, fluttering in the winter winds. After several days in limbo, it was finally delivered. Now, if it just makes it through the Secret Service screening…

A letter was included with the DNA test urging the Obama’s to make a strong statement by using the test to help select a shelter dog which would encourage others to do the same thing. Heck, the girls wore J. Crew and their sales got a nice little bump – and their stock price shot up over 16% within three days of the inauguration. What they could do for shelter dogs would be much more powerful and lasting.

If we hear back from the White House, you’ll be the first to know.