Sunday, January 6, 2013

NORMAN'S DNA RESULTS!

Norman's DNA results finally came in! The puzzling thing is that the breeds that showed up are actually exactly what I would think Kaya's would be. I even double checked that it was his test results and not hers. I am happy to report that Norman is at least 1/4 Pit Bull(Am Staff). He is also 1/4 Vizsla and 1/8 Bull Terrier. The rest is mixed breed.



Interestingly, I don't think the main traits Wisdom Panel lists for each breed relate to Norman at all.

AMERICAN STAFFORDSHIRE TERRIER:

Intelligent, hard-working, and stoic dogs. - NOPE


American Staffordshire Terriers seem to enjoy dog sports such as agility, flyball, rally and competitive obedience. - NO

Does playing with a flip flop count?

Very loyal to family and usually good with children. May not get along well with other dogs. - YES & NO (Norman adores children, but he also adores every living thing on the planet earth and would probably go home with any stranger who says hello to him. He loves other dogs too.)


There have been reported incidents of American Staffordshire Terriers being aggressive with other
pets or people.
- HELL NO


Though it is not described by Wisdom Panel, we all know that Pit Bulls are also known to be very affectionate, willing to please, goofy and wiggly which he certainly is.


VIZSLA:

Energetic, alert, intelligent, and active dogs who may be exuberant. Good swimming or jogging companion. - NO


May be shy around strangers. - NOOOO


Like dog sports such as retrieving, flyball, Frisbee, hunt and field trials, agility, tracking, and obedience events. - NO


May chase or hunt wildlife or bark. - NO


I did find some similarities on Wikipedia though:

Vizslas are gentle-mannered, loyal, caring, and highly affectionate. They quickly form close bonds with their owners, children and even strangers. Vizsla thrives on attention, exercise, and interaction. However, they must be trained gently and without harsh commands or strong physical correction, as they have sensitive temperaments and can be easily damaged if trained too harshly. Vizslas are very gentle dogs that are great around children. The Vizsla wants to be close to its owner as much as possible. Many Vizslas will sleep in bed with their owners.


And more differences:

Vizslas are very high energy. They are very vocal dogs, and some will gladly "sing" along to the radio. Whenever these dogs feel neglected or want something, they will cry. They are natural hunters with an excellent ability to take training. They will retrieve on land and in the water, making the most of their natural instincts. Like all hunting dogs, Vizslas require a great deal of exercise to remain healthy and happy. Vizslas have been compared to horses in their tendency to "trot" rather than run.


BULL TERRIER:

Intelligent, active, strong, and usually friendly dogs. - NO & YES (Intelligent - not really. Active - sometimes. Strong - NO. Friendly - YES.)


Enjoy dog sports such as flyball, agility, weight pull, tracking, and both rally and competitive obedience.
- NO


Respond well to a reward-based approach to training to reduce any stubbornness and to teach dropping of retrieved items. - YES & NO (Never had to teach him drop, he just does it. And he has never retrieved a thing in his life. He is anything but stubborn and he does respond to reward-based training.)


Some may be apprehensive around strangers. There have been reported incidents of Bull Terriers being aggressive with other pets or people. - NO WAY


I also found some more similarities on Wikipedia:

The Bull Terrier is a fun, comical, people-loving dog. They are known to be courageous, scrappy, fun-loving, active and clownish.

One of the few times I've caught Norman with a ball in his mouth.

Though the differences were aplenty too:

Bull Terriers can be both independent and stubborn and for this reason are not considered suitable for an inexperienced dog owner. A firm hand and an assertive demeanor are essential if the Bull Terrier is not to run riot. They are also fiercely protective. When it comes to other animals, caution should be advised. Bull Terriers have a strong prey instinct and can cause injury or death to other animals, especially cats. Introducing a Bull Terrier of the same sex as the dog in residence is considered unwise, and some Bull Terriers won't countenance any other dogs, of either sex. - HA!


I was really banking on Lab to be in his mix due to the fact that he is so sweet, gentle, fun-loving, forgiving, similar ears and head, longer hair on his back and not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I guess not!


I can see the Vizsla in his ears and his narrower build, but I have known them to be hyper, intelligent and driven which he is surely not. In fact, I do not know why I did not think of it before, but I can definitely see Vizsla in Kaya. In fact, in almost all of the traits above, I would say yes according to her behavior. I sent in her results a few days later, so hopefully I'll get them soon!


I guess his results prove the beauty of a mutt. Norman got the best of all his breeds and somehow missed out on their downsides. I couldn't have designed a better dog:)


Related Posts:
Kaya's DNA Results
What the &^#$%@! Mix Am I?
Norman's Adoption Story

22 comments:

  1. Hmmm...vizsla seems to pop up in a lot of the panel tests. I wonder if they have a common dna with another breed?? Norman always looked like he had a touch of American Bulldog in him, but maybe the Frenchie is what I was seeing...whatever he is, he's adorable!

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    1. I noticed that too. Maybe it's just a really old breed or maybe the Vizslas just love them a bit of pit bull? :D

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  2. Norman, the world's calmest terrier mix. His face is just so squishable!

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  3. What a fantastic bunch of pictures, especially with the cat. Norman is such a sweetheart, whatever his mix is! I've considered the DNA testing for Breeze. A few people have asked if she is part pitty and some people have said she certainly is.

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    1. It was fun to do and I can say that I will still call him my pit mix when people ask:)

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  4. I love reading the dna tests of everyone and I guess this one especially surprises me because I always thought Norman and Ray resembled each other quite a bit and they actually have nothing in common, dna-wise other than a bit of the "mixed breed" in there, which I assume to be APBT since Wisdom doesn't screen for it.

    Anyhow, no matter how you slice it, Norman is 100% adora-bull.

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    1. They do look a lot alike! What is Ray's mix? I do wish Wisdom Panel could test for APBT.

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    2. Ray, on one side is 100% American Bulldog and on the other is 50% boxer and 50% "mixed breed." The weird thing is I know Ray's mama and I guess she must be the boxer/mix, cuz she looks all APBT to me. I would have put money on American Bulldog showing up in Norman...

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    3. Ray looks very Am Staff or ABPT to me! Funny that he has so much AB and Boxer but he does not have a droopy face. I would have loved to see Norman's parents...I wonder if they are as cute as he is!

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  5. So exciting to find out exactly what makes up Norman! I like how his traits don't exactly match up to what the DNA test spelled out...he's his own guy!

    I'm hoping that in the near future we will get a DNA test done on Athena. When we adopted her the sign on her kennel said "pure bred," but she came with no papers. She doesn't look like much else though...but I often do think she might have a smidgen of Vizsla in her.

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    1. I would bank that Athena is mostly Am Staff, but she does have that reddish tone and love for fetch like a Vizsla. I wonder if shelter's write "pure bred" to get dogs adopted out faster. It was fun to do the test:)

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  6. I've always wanted to do this test. It's odd how they come out cause you based all his traits on personality and yet the results came up something totally different. Thats something i think would come up similar. Plus he looks so aggressive with that lion on his face, haha!

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  7. That's so funny. No matter his background, he's 100% adorably squishably awesome. :)

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  8. Awww Norman! He's an original for sure. :) It's always so much fun to see what the breed panel reports say!

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  9. I wonder what parts of his personality/looks the Irish Wolfhound represents.... ;)

    Emily @ Our Waldo Bungie
    www.ourwaldobungie.com

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  10. Norman obviously has some special magical stuff that a DNA test just can't explain :)

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  11. He really is an amazing dog and incredibly handsome beyond reason! Isn't it wisdom panel that doesn't test for American Pit Bull Terrier, just Am staff?

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    1. Am Staff and Staff Bull Terrier, but no APBT. Not sure why, it would be cool if they did.

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  12. I would've guessed American bulldog somewhere in there. But what do I know?

    He is about the cutest dog I've ever seen!

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