Jack’s Pedigree

When we first met Jack (then named “Mario” by his foster Mom) in late October 2015, we were told – either by her or by his new Norwich-based veterinarian – that he is a German Shepherd/Blue Tick Coonhound mix.  Somewhere along the way the German Shepherd part was replaced with Rottweiler, but we really didn’t have a clue.

Puppy Jack 10/2015

Puppy Jack 10/2015

New Years Eve Jack 2015

New Years Eve Jack 2015

Hiking Jack 8/2016

Hiking Jack 8/2016

Well, the big gift in Jack’s Christmas stocking in 2016 was a “Wisdom Panel” DNA testing kit.  I love their tag line:  “Dogs can’t talk, but their DNA can.” The little box had four identical swabs with plastic bristles on one end, two envelopes for sealing them after collecting cheek cells, a return envelope, and instructions.  For Boxing Day, we decided to get the process started. By “we” I mean Peg and me, Jack didn’t get the memo.

Jack does not like to be held down or controlled – who does? After several attempts, I finally got him contained by essentially lying on top of him and holding him as firm as I could on the floor.  Peg did the swabbing – he didn’t seem to mind that, because he was so upset about being manhandled.  Once we were all done, there was a visible pile of dog hair on the floor from all the squirming around.

Peg registered online, answered some key questions – approximate age, weight, neutered – and we shipped the box off to Mars Veterinary.  About three weeks later she got an email from Mars Vet on January 19 – subject:  Jack’s Wisdom Panel DNA Test Results Are Ready! – with a link to his report.

Clicking on the link sent us to:

click through

So, based on DNA testing looking back three generations, Jack is half Australian!

ancestry

25% Australian Cattle Dog

acd

Searching Google Images for a shot that looks like Jack, the coloration is there and so is some of the body conformation, but the ears look to be too pointy, the fur is not as smooth, and the tail points down and is too bushy.

acd image 1

25% Australian Shepherd

as

Again, supports the coloration, the ears look too floppy, the fur is obviously too long, the snout looks pretty close, body conformation isn’t right – Jack is firmer.

as image 1

25% American Staffordshire Terrier

ast

Good for body conformation, snout, ears too pointy, tail is starting to go in the right direction. Fur close.

ast image 1

12.5% Basset Hound

bh

Colors good, tail pointed in the right direction, ears definitely wrong, but could be the source of the floppiness he has in his ears. Fur close.

bh image 1

12.5% Mixed Breeds

mb

The sighthound group includes greyhounds and whippets, which have body conformations and tails similar to Jack.

So, two of Jack’s grandparents were “pure bred” – Australian Cattle Dog and Australian Shepherd.

certificate

Not being experienced dog people, we don’t know much about the different breeds as far as behavior goes.  Wisdom Panel says this about Australian Cattle Dogs:

  • Intelligent, active, energetic, and watchful dogs.
  • Eager to learn and responds well to reward-based training, allowing them to participate in activities such as agility, flyball, and Frisbee.
  • Herding tendencies may lead to chasing cars or herding children.
  • May be suspicious or cautious around strangers requiring careful socialization with rewards to prevent or reduce fear-based defensive aggression.

And this about Australian Shepherds:

  • Very intelligent, obedient, active, energetic, and watchful dogs.
  • Australian Shepherds seem to enjoy dog sports such as herding, agility, tracking, flyball, Frisbee, rally and competitive obedience.
  • Eager to learn and respond well to reward-based training.
  • Herding tendencies may lead to chasing cars, herding children, or barking.

And this about American Staffordshire Terriers:

  • Intelligent, hard-working, and stoic dogs.
  • Very loyal to family and usually good with children. May not get along well with other dogs.
  • American Staffordshire Terriers seem to enjoy dog sports such as agility, flyball, rally and competitive obedience.
  • There have been reported incidents of American Staffordshire Terriers being aggressive with other pets or people.

And this about Basset Hounds:

  • Calm, obedient, and usually friendly dogs.
  • Need physical and mental stimulation through dog sports or indoor tracking by finding small treats.
  • Less energetic than other breeds, but with the high level of endurance that helps them in tracking, field trials, agility, rally, and competitive obedience.
  • Stubborn tendencies may be lessened by using reward-based training with motivational tools such as treats and favorite toys.

So, what does Jack get from each of these?  Intelligence (first three), stoic (Staffordshire), calm and friendly (Basset).  For the most part he is NOT a barker (other than sitting outside and barking at his own echo from across the valley).  He shows some herding tendencies when he is running around with other dogs, but is pretty skittish around the sheep. He likes fetching and Frisbee, but doesn’t demand it.  With continued training, he is becoming more obedient every day.

It’s entertaining to know where Jack comes from, but bottom line: He is Jack, and we love him! While he is not a “working dog”, he is very much part of the farm!

Todd

 

 

 

 

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