KAYA'S DNA RESULTS!

Kaya's DNA results are even more of a mixed bag than Norman's! After seeing Norman's results, I really thought that Kaya had some Vizsla in her. Especially after reading this line in Wikipedia, Many Vizslas will sleep in bed with their owners and, if allowed, burrow under the covers. But I was wrong again. And if I was given both their results without knowing which was which, I would definitely have them swapped. Nonetheless, Kaya's mix is 1/8 Bull Terrier, 1/8 Collie, 1/8 Bulldog and 1/8 Am Staff.

How the heck did Kaya end up with so many large breeds in her mix and she is so slightly built and agile?!

Like Norman, I decided to compare her behavior to the traits listed for her breeds by Wisdom Panel.

BULL TERRIER:

Intelligent, active, strong, and usually friendly dogs. - YES

Enjoy dog sports such as flyball, agility, weight pull, tracking, and both rally and competitive obedience. - YES

Respond well to a reward-based approach to training to reduce any stubbornness and to teach dropping of retrieved items. - YES

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

COLLIE:

Intelligent, obedient, active and watchful dogs. - YES

Collies are eager to learn especially with reward-based training. - YES

Collies seem to enjoy dog sports such as agility, flyball, Frisbee, tracking, rally and competitive obedience. - YES

Although they are often good with children and are usually friendly, some Collies can be wary or reserved with strangers. - NO

BULLDOG:

Playful, calm, and usually friendly dogs. - YES, NO & YES (Kaya is playful and friendly, but definitely not calm.)

Bulldogs are less energetic than other breeds, although they still need exercise to avoid becoming obese. - NO

Stubborn tendencies may be lessened by using reward-based training involving small treats. - YES

A Bulldog can be tenacious or difficult to disengage from an activity that has its attention. - NO

AMERICAN STAFFORDSHIRE TERRIER:

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

Very loyal to family and usually good with children. May not get along well with other dogs. - YES & NO (Like Norman, Kaya loves everyone she meets, including kids and would probably go home with any stranger. She is not submissive like Norman with other dogs, but she generally either ignores or enjoys every dog she meets.)

American Staffordshire Terriers seem to enjoy dog sports such as agility, flyball, rally and competitive obedience. - YES

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

Kaya had a lot more similarities than Norman. And I am pleased that she is at least a tiny bit Pit Bull and relieved that she is not Beagle (sorry Beagle lovers). I am assuming the Collie in her is where she gets her tracking abilities. Kaya can sniff out her tennis ball within a acre of space! And I can really see the collie in her snout and nose.

I read a bit about the Briard in Wikipedia and thought this was interesting...

The Briard has a very good memory. Once a lesson is learned, good or bad, the knowledge will be retained for a long time to come. Sometimes they may appear to be strong minded and stubborn but these are a few of the Briard's characteristics. They were bred for centuries to think for themselves and to act upon their conclusions, sometimes to the point of thinking what the "flock" will do ahead of time.

I can see that in Kaya for sure! But it's amazing that both of my dogs look much more Pit Bull than anything else. I guess it goes to show how dominant the gene is physically and it's sad to think so many dogs are mislabeled, looked down on and put to sleep when they are just mutts like mine. Though of course full Pit Bulls do not deserve that fate either. And I'd be happy with all pittie too:)

I am slightly disappointing that she came out with so much mixed breed in her results. I wonder if she really is just that much of a mix or did I not do a good enough job swabbing her? Some day I might repeat the test. If it comes back different, Wisdom Panel will refund you. But for now, it was really fun to test them and I'm glad I did it!

Related Posts:
Norman's DNA Results
What the &^#$%@! Mix Am I?
Kaya: aka Pretty Little Baby

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

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HOLIDAY CRAZE

Well, we had to take a little blog break for Christmas and visiting family. Hopefully all of you had a wonderful holiday! Here's a couple things we have been up to...

We've had a lot of rain so the dogs have spent plenty of time cuddling inside...

But Christmas Eve was a sunny beautiful day so we went to Chrissy Field...

Kaya got to swim!

And Norman made some friends:)

Are there enough dogs here for Norman to play with?

But this was his main squeeze for the day.

And Kaya got to play her favorite game...

And Norman made more friends...

Then Norman tried to catch her...

But he gave up quickly;)

Kaya & Norman got new toys for Christmas...

Waiting patiently...

While trying to get a good picture, I realized that I have never taught them a hold command. 
I think that will have to be a new years resolution...

How can I play with my new toy if you keep telling me to look at you??

The next day we went on a road trip...

To Tahoe for our first snow trip of the winter...

Sadly, we head home tomorrow. We'll have a full post about our trip soon though! What have you been up to over the holidays? I hope everyone has a  safe and happy new years!

CYCLE DOGS!

It's been a while, but I finally bought Kaya & Norman new collars. Wait, scratch that. I should say I finally bought Kaya & Norman new collars that they are actually going to wear. 

I did a photo shoot with this new collar and then put it away:/

I've got a whole pile of custom fabric collars that I realized are the worst possible collar for a dog to wear if he/she spends all their time running around in the sand, dirt or mud, as well as swimming, wrestling and rolling in questionable substances.

This was the only day they wore even one pair of their custom collars...since they went on a "clean" outing.

So in the mean time, they've just been wearing a series of basic Target collars. Now I know dogs don't care what they wear(I'm sure they'd prefer to be naked), but I'll just pretend they care so I can feel better about my craziness!

The nylon collars work great for their activities, but they're so boring!

Anyways, last summer my mom bought a Cycle Dog collar for Zoey. I really liked it so I bought the same one for Norman and a purple one for Kaya!

It's kind of hard to see underneath all her furs, but it looks really good on her!

I love these collars because they are 1.5" width and they are lined with recycled rubber, which is supposed to dry quickly and keep the stink away for dogs that get dirty and wet all the time. That's us! My mom said Zoey's collar has worked really well at being stink-free, even with her German Shepherd coat and non-stop swimming! So I'm excited to see how these hold up. But in the meantime, they look really nice. And since the outside is nylon, I know they will wash clean really easily. Oh, and they also have a bottle opener for the D-ring...not that I can remember the last time I needed a bottle opener, but I like it anyways.

Norman trying to look sophisticated.

I think purple is Kaya's color!