The Big DNA Reveal:Birdie
The guesses are in and although no one got it quite right (it would have been a miracle!), Birdie thanks you all for throwing out so many small breeds, like the Jack Russell and Fox Terrier. She’s a little self-conscious about her weight, so it was a big ego boost for Birdie that so many of you think she’s a petite little gal.
Before you see Birdie’s results, I’d like to tell you what Birdie’s dad and I thought she was, based on her behavior and physical characteristics.
There was no doubt in our minds that she was part Beagle, but Birdie is 40lbs. Too big to be a Beagle. Plus she never, ever makes any noise. I think she barked once two years ago. And once the year before that. Not very hound-ish.
She’s also really broad chested. Even though she’s much smaller than Boogie, her chest is the same width. When we try to buy her coats, we always have to look for extra stretch, otherwise she pops the front clasp open like the Hulk. Plus, she has a very wide stance in the front and is strong as an ox. So our guess was that Birdie was part Beagle, part American Bulldog.
Or part cowgirl:
So what did the Bird turn out to be? Here are her results!
- Birdie’s DNA Results
It turns out that we have a Beagle, Mastiff, Shepherd mix! We were really surprised by the Belgian Tervuren, but not as surprised as you’d think by the Dogue de Bordeaux. Maybe that would explain why Birdie is built like a brick house. I have no idea how accurate this is, but it confirms that she is a Beagle mix and now we’re having a lot of fun referring to her as a Mastiff.
So, how should I break the news to Birdie that she’s not a Jewish Beagle from New Jersey?
Next up: Boogie’s Results…
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notes from a dog walker 
which company did you use for the dna test? I’ve heard some are better than others and I love the way th results were presentedd for you.
Hi Gail, It’s the Mars Wisdom Panel: http://www.wisdompanel.com/
WHAT? Sorry, not buying that one. I would have thought Cattle dog first. Plus , am i reading that right? 1/4 beagle and a 1/4 of the other two breeds?
sorry, meant 1/2 beagle. yup at least, but a 1/4 of the others? wha?
Nancy, That’s funny – what makes you think cattle dog? She’s super laid back, quiet, and doesn’t chase anything, so definitely not a herding breed IMO! : )
just body type—wise in front
“It turns out that we have a Beagle, Mastiff, Shepherd mix”
I’m puzzled by this– where do you see Mastiff in Birdie’s profile? Or Shepherd? A DdB is not a Mastiff, nor is a Tervuren a Shepherd (although in countries other than the US, the “Belgians” (Tervuren, Shepherd, Malinois and Lakenois (sp)) ARE considered variations of one breed.
On another note, I’ve been HUGELY enjoying your blog since discovering it via the DINOS movement!
Hi Ellen, I called her that because The DdB is a French Mastiff and the Belgian Tervuren is sometimes known as the Belgian Shepherd Dog. That’s all : )
Thanks for reading!
The DdB is also known as the French Mastiff. I love seeing these results, so fun to see what’s not totally obvious on the surface. We were very excited and surprised by our dogs results.
This is a really nice presentation and more informative than when I did my dog. We got a print-out listing four possibles (?) in decending order of prevalence! Border Collie, Aussie, Catahoula and kelpie… three breeds are known to be connected and my dog weighs a lean 96 pounds at 12yrs. Temperament was surely explained but not his size. It would be really interesting to have it re-done.
Hi Tery,
Wisdom also gave us a file with detailed information about all of the breeds listed, so the actual report was a few pages long. From what I hear, DNA tests have gotten a lot better in the last couple of years, so it may be worth another try some day!
I don’t understand, aren’t DdB pretty rare? And the Belg Tervuren isn’t too common, either. Have you seen any around in the area?
Yep, they are! Birdie orginally came from Arkansas (we live in Maine), so I’m not sure what was going on down in her hometown ; )