Ziggy's DNA Results Are Here!

I received an e-mail informing me that Ziggy’s DNA test results are available. I expected to find that Ziggy was mostly a mutt. I expected him to be part American Staffordshire Terrier, Dalmatian, or Pointer, with several “unidentifiable” results thrown in for good measure. I was wrong.

I read the results with growing disbelief. The DNA results indicated that Ziggy was a product of two purebred dogs. One of them, I’m assuming his mother, was a purebred American Staffordshire Terrier. No real surprise there, and now Ziggy can truthfully claim to be a “pit bull” mix. But the other parent? His father? It’s just too embarrassing to share.

I’m sure Ziggy would like to keep this a secret, but since we already announced he was taking a DNA test, I will have to tell you. According to his DNA test, Ziggy’s other parent was a Yorkshire Terrier, also known as a Yorkie.

Once I stopped laughing, I immediately e-mailed the company to ask them to verify the results. After all, a union between an AmStaff and a Yorkie is not only unlikely, but Ziggy of course looks nothing like a Yorkie. Yet the results are clear – 50% of Ziggy’s DNA matches that of a Yorkshire Terrier. And in fact unions between AmStaffs and Yorkies have been known to occur. Yes, the little dog with a big personality – the one often accused of having Small Dog Syndrome – is most likely Ziggy’s father.

Some people think canine DNA tests are inaccurate, and while they are not 100% foolproof, after a lot of research it appears they are most often correct when a dog is a hybrid of two purebred dogs. So as much as I hate to say it, I have to admit it’s possible that Ziggy really is 50% Yorkie. Until I look at him. Then I start laughing all over again.

So what do these results mean? Well, first of all I told Ziggy not to be so embarrassed. There are plenty of famous AmStaff/Yorkie mixes out there. Okay, maybe not. But maybe he can be the first! Plus, being half Yorkie means he is a designer hybrid. I am going to start calling him a Yorkiestaff. I made that up myself! He did not seem amused. But Yorkies are a very popular breed, so I’m quite sure this will help him get adopted. Who wouldn’t want to adopt the most famous Yorkiestaff in the world??



Ziggy's DNA

I figured it out. The DNA results are not back yet, but I think I know what they’re going to say. Here’s what made me realize it. All Paws recently took in a young dog with an attitude similar to Ziggy’s. He can be pushy and thinks that he always should have his own way. He will probably never be able to be adopted out to a family with young kids. He will need a dog savvy owner who will be able to set boundaries and rules and enforce them. As I talked to someone about this dog, I started to say “he is a stereotypical Chihuahua with small dog syndrome”. And then I realized. Ziggy has small dog syndrome. Ziggy must be part Chihuahua.


Rascal (related to Ziggy!?)

Suddenly it all made sense. The reason Ziggy is possessive of food and toys and other items was due to small dog syndrome. The reason he took on adult dogs that were much bigger than him even when he was a four month old puppy – again, small dog syndrome. The reason he is pushy and demanding – small dog syndrome. So I did some research on small dog syndrome. And I read about how small dogs get small dog syndrome because of their owners. When their owners allow them to sleep on the bed and jump on people and bark at other dogs, they are reinforcing this idea that the small dog is in charge. And when owners show affection without making the dogs work for it, they are setting the dogs up to be demanding and pushy.



Ziggy - part Chihuahua?

 Sometimes people assume that I am the reason Ziggy is the way he is. After all, it’s easy to blame the owner when a dog is misbehaving or has some sort of issue. The owner was too harsh, or the owner was too lax in enforcing rules, or the owner never spent time with the dog, or the owner babied the dog when the dog was afraid, thus making the dog more afraid. There is some truth to this in most cases – owners are generally the ones guiding or reinforcing every choice a dog makes. However I’ve fostered, trained, and worked with over a hundred dogs in addition to Ziggy, and not one of them has had Small Dog Syndrome. Not even the Chihuahuas that I have fostered. So it’s something special about Ziggy. And although I’d like to find an explanation for his behavior, I’m not sure that’s going to happen. Because I never let him sleep on the bed (he would have eaten it). I never gave him table scraps, or shared my food, but that didn’t stop him from begging and trying to steal it out of my hands. I never gave him unwarranted affection (I tried, but he doesn’t like to be touched). I never even carried him around or let him sit on my lap. He has been given rules to follow, and received consequences for misbehavior, since he was a pup. So what caused his Small Dog Syndrome? Then I read this wonderful post from The Charming Chi. And I realized that there probably isn’t a thing such as Small Dog Syndrome after all. And sadly this puts an end to my theory that Ziggy is part Chihauhua.  His DNA results should be arriving in the next week or two, and then I won't have to come up with these theories anymore. Stay tuned!

The Reason Ziggy is being DNA Tested

You may wonder why, after all this time, I’ve decided to give Ziggy a DNA test. The reason is because I’ve exhausted all other efforts to get Ziggy adopted. He’s gone through as much training as I can possibly give him, he’s been advertised everywhere, including on TV, and now I seem to have run out of ways to get him noticed. At least until the DNA results come back. Then, everything will change. Suddenly Ziggy will no longer be just a pit bull mix. He’ll have a whole new adoption listing, with a scientifically accurate breed result! The possibilities are endless! Here are just a few possible results that would greatly benefit Ziggy’s chances of finding a home:


A) If Ziggy has any poodle in him at all, I will be able to call him a Ziggypoo and tell everyone he’s hypoallergenic and a designer breed. That’s sure to get him adopted!

B) People love rare dogs, so if Ziggy has any DNA from a rare breed such as a Black Russian Terrier or an Xoloitzcuintle, people will want to adopt him immediately!

C) Another option is if he turns out to be 100% Weimaraner. At that point I will be able to transfer him to a Weimaraner rescue and let them find him a home.

There are so many ways that this DNA test will help Ziggy get adopted, that I can’t believe I didn’t think of it earlier. Of course there’s always the slim chance that the results will come back showing that Ziggy is officially a pit bull mix – but really, how likely is that? Even the experts have their doubts. At a recent fundraiser I was able to introduce Ziggy to the St. Louis area’s leading pit bull rescuer. She doesn’t think Ziggy is a pit bull (American Staffordshire Terrier or American Pit Bull Terrier). That could be because she has heard enough Ziggy stories to know how he acts nothing like a pit bull. In fact, if we guessed his breed based solely on his personality, a pit bull would be somewhere at the bottom of the list. Here are some excerpts from the breed temperament descriptions of four purebred dogs. Which ones sound most like Ziggy to you?

Dog type A: This is not like your average domesticated dog and is not recommended as a house pet for most people. If properly socialized, it can be tame enough to tolerate the handling of humans.

Dog type B: They are busy, bold, inquisitive and stubborn, but they also love to monkey around, being playful and mischievous. A lively, sharp-witted dog that is courageous and confident….he does best with a family who has a very good sense of humor.

Dog type C: This is a good-natured, amusing, extremely loyal and affectionate family pet that is good with children and adults. Almost always obedient, it is always eager to please its master.

Dog type D: This dog has a good sense of humor. It is sensitive, independent, intelligent, skillful, tough on itself, and energetic. A robust, persistent, and powerful dog, it is willing to take on virtually any game animal.

The breed names that fit these descriptions can be found at the end of this post. Suffice it to say that Ziggy’s appearance does NOT fit his behavior. Nonetheless, people tend to seek out dogs to adopt based on how they look, not how they act. So I can only hope that the DNA test finds genes in Ziggy from a breed that more closely fits his behavior, and then perhaps he can find an adopter who will appreciate him for who he really is -- an independent, persistent, bold, mischievous dog with a good sense of humor, and tame enough to tolerate the handling of humans – sometimes.



Answers:
A) New Guinea Singing Dog
B) Affenpinscher
C) American Pit Bull Terrier
D) Karelian Bear Dog

Ziggy's DNA Test

I just submitted a DNA test for Ziggy to find out what breed(s) he may be.  As you may remember, I tried to figure out Ziggy’s breed once before, based on the fact that he has a curly tail.  However, now that we’re taking a more scientific approach to this question, I’ve been thinking about what the results will tell us.  

The DNA test company says that there are two good reasons to take a DNA test.  First, it will help you predict inherited characteristics.  I believe that means we may finally have an answer for why Ziggy is so food-obsessed.  I did some research to determine which breeds are most obsessed with food.  Front-runners included Labs, Beagles, Pugs, and every other breed currently known to mankind.  So if the DNA test verifies that Ziggy is a dog, that will most likely explain his food obsession.
 
The other reason to test your dog is to identify their genetic background.  I've thought a lot about this, and I feel confident that the DNA test will show Ziggy is related to at least one of the following dogs:

Spuds MacKenzie promoted beer in several beer commercials.  

Ziggy has been known to promote beer any chance he gets. 


Marley, from the book and movie entitled Marley & Me, is described as a high-strung, boisterous, and somewhat uncontrolled dog. He is strong, powerful, endlessly hungry, eager to be active, and often destructive of property (but completely without malice).

DITTO

Michael, a deaf pit bull who was once in a high kill shelter, was rescued and is now the star of a show in Reno.  In the show, Michael plays an irascible reprobate who has no interest at all in pleasing his owner.

Ziggy, who is also a deaf dog rescued from a high kill shelter, has apparently been practicing for this role his entire life. 

Pete, who was President Theodore Roosevelt’s Boston Bull Terrier, bit so many people that he was exiled from the White House.  

 Ziggy, an avid shopper, was for several months exiled from PetSmart adoption events due to his high level of stress caused by being surrounded by food and not allowed to eat it all (he has since redeemed himself and is allowed to attend events again). 

Snoopy, the much loved Beagle from Peanuts, is described as “wildly imaginative, supremely confident, and a canine master of disguise."

Ziggy is also supremely confident, wildly imaginative, and a canine master of disguise!


It’ll be a few weeks until we have the DNA results, so for now I’ll continue my research so I can be prepared for whatever we find out. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post, when I share the reason behind the DNA test.