Dogs: A Mystery Revealed!

For Christmas this year I got Dev a DNA test for the dogs to determine their breed mixture after so many years of speculating.

The results?

Shackleton is an Australian Cattle Dog mixed with an Australian Shepherd and one other dog of uncertain breed (the test suggested Great Pyrenees but without a high enough degree of certainty to deem it official).  We assumed all along that Shack was an Australian Cattle Dog but the Shepherd part was a surprise.

Cromwell is a Chihuahua mixed with a Pekinese and other dogs of uncertain breed, maybe Tibetan terriers.  Again, we had always assumed he was part Chihuahua but the Pekinese was a surprise.

Dev highlighted some choice quotes from Cromwell's breed analysis:"The Pekingese were dogs of nobility and, for centuries, only members of the Chinese Imperial Palace could own them.  In fact, Chinese custom demanded that commoners bow in the presence of the Pekingese. Custom also specified that the dog be sacrificed at the time of his master’s death to protect him in the afterlife," and "Stubborn tendencies may be lessened by using reward-based training involving small treats and favorite toys."  There is also mention of "defensive barking."