Monday, November 30, 2009

Nyah



Nyah's results were:
  • Level 2: English Springer Spaniel
  • Level 4: Akita & English Setter
  • Level 5: German Shepherd, Siberian Husky & Pug!
Yet she resembles a Border Collie more than anything (not in the results!) I adopted her on 9/11/09 when I visited our local Briarcliff SPCA with a cat-food donation. My beloved pug had passed away in June & I had a miserable summer. I went there with no DEFINITE intentions, but I DID completely empty-out the back of my Tahoe (just in case!) She had come into the shelter just the night before, not even 24 hours, in a van driven by a blessed volunteer woman who brought up a bunch of adoptable adult mixed breeds from a high-kill South Carolina shelter. She had come in as a "stray", but it was explained to me that this often happens in the South due to lack of leash-laws.

Somebody had invested time in her. She knew sit, stay, come & we actually had to coax her to come join us on the couch (we're not that strict here!). We love each other like we've been together forever, I was blessed to find her -- we were both just in the right place at the right time!

She was a bit scrawny, we have built-her-up with lots of healthy food, LONG walks daily, brushing & love & affection; she's met all the neighbors & had play-dates with their dogs. We installed invisible fence for her & are working on that now. I'm considering registering us for obedience this winter, not that she needs it, but it's a pre-requisite to agility & I'd like to try that with her in the spring, to better channel her energies! So as of now, there couldn't have been a "happier ending" for Nyah's saga, but it's far from an ending as I'm considering adopting her a play-mate in the spring/summer as my boy will be heading off to college & it will be another tough time here!

Roberta
Katonah, NY

Nyah looks like she's a very close member of the family! Thanks for the photos and for sharing her story.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Remy


We received Remy's DNA results recently and were somewhat surprised to find he was exactly the breeds we were originally told he was. We were told his mother was a miniature Poodle and his father was a Pomeranian. Both supposedly weighed 7 pounds so when Remy grew into 18 pounds we were sure some other breeds must be at work; even our vet thought there was some Border Collie in there. So when we our family received the results we had to laugh to find he was EXACTLY what we had been told last year when he came to our home as a puppy. His results are:
  • Level 1: Pomeranian
  • Level 3: Poodle
People ask what breed of dog he is and are usually doubtful he is a Pomapoo, but now we have proof! Today Remy went to the groomer's and I told them about your website and the DNA test and they had no idea that testing could be done. I wrote down your web address for them so they can let other customers know as well.

Thanks!
Donna
Winnemucca, NV

Thank you, Donna, for sharing Remy's photos and for spreading the good word about www.HappyDogDNA.com!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Boo!


Our story....

We got Boo at the Greater Birmingham Humane Society in Homewood, AL in August 2009. He was sharing a run with his litter mate. They were the last of a litter and he was listed as a 7mo Border Collie mix. He obviously had the markings of a border collie but was a bit smaller and didn't have the same facial features. My husband, three daughters and I started guessing as to what other breeds he might be related to. We heard about the DNA test offered by HappyDogDNA and Biopet which led to "The Bet." So after careful, and most definitely, wasted time flipping through dog breed books, everyone took their guess. Everyone had to pick 5 breeds. My 11yr old daughter came up with the best guess. She picked Border Collie, English Springer Spaniel, Shetland Sheepdog, Lab, and Jack Russel Terrier. Considering he was related to 8 different breeds, guessing 3 was quite a good guess.
The final results BioPet found were:
  • German Shorthair Pointer (level 3)
  • Border Collie (level 4)
  • Cocker Spaniel (level 4)
  • Weimaraner (level 4)
  • Collie (level 5)
  • Dachshund (level 5)
  • English Springer Spaniel (level 5)
  • Shetland Sheepdog (level 5)
Thank you for the entertainment and family fun your service provided.
Devery
Birmingham, AL

Thanks so much for the photo of Boo and for sharing your family bet with us! It sounds like your daughter really knows her dogs. Perhaps she'll be the next generation Dog Whisperer!