It Was an Honest Mistake

When our son Daniel and his girlfriend Jess adopted a very frightened little Pablo in the wee early morning hours of January 27, 2018 from Crossing Paths Animal Rescue, they were told that he was most likely some sort of Schnauzer and terrier mix.

 

As a non-shedding wiry haired dog, Pablo certainly holds many of the terrier traits; and that adorable face, it’s definitely got a little bit of a Schnauzer look to it. Whenever we took Pablo for walks when he visited, people often asked what kind of dog he was and some would even ask if he was part pit bull because of his large barrel chest. Being far from an expert on dog breeds, I could only surmise that he was a smart six-month-old pup who had been well trained and cared for at his foster home before making his way from Alabama to Virginia, and that his background made him a wonderful pet and the perfect addition to our family.

 

Hashtagging Like a Boss

Armed with Crossing Paths’ best guess as to what breeds were in Pablo’s ancestry, whenever I posted pictures of Pablo on Instagram, I consistently used the hashtags:

  • #SchnauzerTerrierMix
  • #SchnauzerTerrier

Clicking on the hashtags brought up pictures of other cute dogs who often resembled Pablo and it was fun seeing the different traits of other dogs with similar genetic backgrounds.

 

Getting the Results

This past year for Christmas, Jess’ brother gave Pablo a gift certificate to Wisdom Panel, a DNA testing site for dogs. Once the test results came back, Daniel and Jess called us with the news.

 

Pablo’s Breakdown by Breeds

We were quite surprised by the results of Pablo’s DNA test. He definitely has a lot of terrier in him, but not a trace of Schnauzer. I gathered the following information from the American Kennel Club to help understand Pablo’s physical traits and mannerisms.

 

50% American Staffordshire Terrier

  • Confident, smart, and good natured
  • Stocky, muscularly built
  • Highly trainable
  • Males average 55 to 70 pounds
  • From the terrier group

 

25% Bulldog

  • Friendly, docile, and a loyal companion
  • Well-muscled, stocky
  • Stubborn
  • Males average around 50 pounds
  • From the non-sporting group

 

12.5% Beagle

  • Friendly, curious, clever, and energetic
  • Sturdy and solid
  • Needs lots of exercise
  • Under 20 pounds
  • From the hound group

 

12.5% Sporting, Hunting, and Asian

  • Sporting – spaniels, pointers, retrievers, setters
  • Hunting – hounds, spaniels, pointers, retrievers
  • Asian – shepherds, chow chows, pugs, spitz, pekingese, shih tzu

 

Making Sense Out of the Results

At 40 pounds, Pablo is quite a bit lighter than the average male American Staffordshire Terrier (AmStaff) and bulldog, but his lighter weight is probably a result of the 25% of other smaller breeds in his family tree. And that barrel chested pit bull look people ask about? It comes from his AmStaff lineage. He inherited his good natured disposition from that side of the family, but he got a double dose of stubbornness from his bulldog ancestors.

Pablo is very friendly as his beagle heritage would suggest, but he can also be quite shy around strangers. Thanks to his intelligence from his AmStaff and beagle ancestry, Pablo graduated with honors from puppy school. He understands several commands – sit, shake, down, wait – and often combines them all in rapid succession if he suspects a treat is on its way.

 

Using the Right Hashtag

I stopped using the hashtags with his incorrect breeds after seeing Pablo’s DNA results and perhaps it’s time I come up with some new ones. Maybe I’ll give one of these a try…

  • #AmericanStaffordshireTerrierBulldogBeagleMix
  • #MixedBreed
  • #TheWorldsMostPerfectDog

The world’s most perfect dog… Not only is it true, but it’s got a nice ring to it!

 

Thank you, Daniel and Jess, for bringing Pablo into our family! xoxo

 

Questions:
  • • If you have a dog, do you know what breed he/she is? ~ Growing up, we always had mutts until my dad got a beagle while I was in college.
  • • Did you even know DNA tests existed for dogs? ~ I didn’t until Daniel and Jess told me about it.
  • • Have you done a DNA test for yourself or your pet? ~ My brother did Ancestry, but I haven’t.