Meet the Breed: All-American Shelter Dog!

H E A L T H & W E L L N E S S

WRITTEN BY JEANNE TAYLOR, Staff Writer

Breed Standard Height: Lowrider to XL.

Weight: approximately 5 to 200 lbs.

Life Expectancy: Varied!

Let’s start with some frequent questions often found on rescue and shelter posts.

A cute puppy photo is posted on socials with a brief bio about how it was brought to a shelter by a caring Good Samaritan or Animal Control Officer and how it’s now available for adoption. And so, it begins …

“How big will he get?” and “What kind of dog is he?” or “Is he good with kids?” Generally speaking, NOBODY KNOWS!

The Lowcountry is unfortunately overrun with stray dogs, puppies, and a crisis-level overpopulation issue. Puppies and adult dogs land in our shelters daily and in many cases, their lives must start from scratch. Did they live with other animals or children? That kind of information is rarely known.

In response to size questions, adopters should assume a puppy’s full-grown size can be estimated using a number of online tools, and some best guesses by folks who have experience with dogs of mixed genetic heritage as well as basic knowledge of dog growth charts. A veterinarian can also offer an educated opinion about how big a puppy will grow to be, but the definitive answer for a shelter stray could be anyone’s guess!

Posts about adult dogs who may have a unique appearance will get these questions too and the response is similar – unless an animal was surrendered and the owner provided the information, dogs are typically described using their perceived predominant breeds – Labrador, hound, terrier, etc. However, an exceedingly small portion of a dog’s DNA is actually responsible for their appearance so these descriptives can truly be tossed out the window.

The only TRUE way to determine ancestry will be a DNA test. A fun fact that many are surprised to learn: puppies in the same litter can have multiple fathers so a DNA test for one sibling may not yield the same result as another. So, if you are waiting on a littermate’s adopter to pay for a test, know that those results may not be accurate for your adopted pup!

In recent years, these dog DNA services have become wildly popular and the databases have grown, allowing for more accurate identification of overall breed composition. Embark DNA boasts a 95-99% accuracy rate for their reports. Generally recognized as the leader among testing agencies, Embark can identify 200,000 markers, which is twice what competing companies offer and is further set apart from the industry pack by the use of a research-grade DNA genotyping platform.

Wisdom Panel also offers several kit options and is sold at a lower price point; there are other test kits on the market as well, but the accuracy of the Embark tests is unmatched.

I have personally used Embark for our shelter dog and the process was simple – it was a gentle mouth swab, a mix in a test tube with a stabilizer, and voila! Off it went. The turnaround timeframe for results was quite reasonable and their communication throughout the process was impressive. Her results returned as we suspected: 100.0% Catahoula Leopard.

Embark offers several kits: standard breed identification (which is what we did), breed and health, as well as a breeder health kit. These kits are affordably priced and Embark goes one step further, connecting users whose pets have shared genetic history. If a possible family member tests and they make a match to your pet’s DNA, they will email you the other user’s information including the percentage of shared DNA! Through this we have located a number of close family members for our Gracie, and this part has been so intriguing, especially since she was a stray who ended up in the shelter system.

While it’s fun to know the ancestry, dogs who return at a 100.0% breed ID can’t be registered as purebreds. Being able to answer the question of, “What is she?” is the biggest benefit to breed ID testing. The Breed + Health kits, however, offer much greater insight into conditions that you as a caring pet owner may need to be aware of so you can monitor your pet’s health more specifically.

Lovey, Lowcountry Dog's Canine Correspondent

Lowcountry Dog Magazine’s most recently hired canine correspondent, Lovey, was adopted from Carolina Haven Rescue. Lovey joined her new family as a puppy and once she settled in, her dogmom, who also happens to be the publication’s Media Manager, moved forward with a DNA test through Embark as well. Lovey’s identification came back with multiple breeds, all of which combined to create a beautiful, healthy girl!

A Wisdom Panel sample report on a mixed breed also provided percentages broken out in an easyto-follow format, as in the case of Annie Moo, also a rescued pup.

When it comes to our canine companions, many of us want to know as much as we can to further our bond and understanding of these amazing beings – and let’s face it, genetics are fascinating! If you’d like to learn more, you can investigate the Dog Genome Project and review the different test options to find one that suits your data requirements and budget. Then swab your pups and see what you get! ■