Doggy DNA

Hello all,

Veatch's mama here and I have some exciting news! For Christmas this year Pop Pop and GG bought Daddy a Doggy DNA testing kit for Veatch, and the results are in!

When we adopted Veatch from Last Chance they guessed he was most likely a Labrador and Corgi mix. To us he was simply pure love. We've always had a curiosity about his origins and now we have some insight.

The DNA test is from Wisdom Panel Insights and is sent out to Mars Veterinary where their experts compare your Doggie's DNA to over 185 breeds. Just after the new year we swabbed the furballs cheek and sent it out for testing. I have been painstakingly checking my e-mail... And it's finally here!

So without further anticipation! Veatch the Corgidor truly is..... (drum roll please)....!

A Pyrenean Shepard and Korean Jindo mix!!!! W-w-w-w-what?!?!?

Never in my life have I even heard of these two breeds, let alone ever suspect that a little mix between them would become the love of my life.

The Pyrenean Shepherd is thought to have been present in the Pyrenees for centuries with medieval artwork picturing the breed and archaeological digs have dug up bones of small dogs in Neolithic deposits in the region. Given that herding is thought to have altered the ecology of the region in 6000BC, the breed is likely to have been there a long time. The Pyrenean Shepherd attained national recognition in France after World War I when dogs were used for couriers, watch dogs, search and rescue, and mascots. The breed comes in rough and smooth-faced varieties and was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 2009. Coat comes in two variants with smooth- and rough-faced variants seen. Many colors are seen in the breed including shades of fawn, gray and brindle. Black masks, merle coat and white spotting are also frequently observed.

The Korean Jindo dog is a rare spitz-type hunting dog originating from the Island of Jindo in South Korea. There are no official written records of its origins, which remain unknown and speculative. This breed has been isolated on Jindo for hundreds of years and, owing to the absence of other dogs, the Jindo’s genetic pool has remained relatively pure throughout the centuries. The primary functions of the Jindo are hunting and guarding. The breed is protected under the Cultural Properties Protection Act and in 1962, the breed was recognized as the 53rd Natural Treasure by the Korean government. Jindos were used in the opening ceremony of the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul. It is illegal to export Jindos out of Korea, however many Korean-Americans have been exporting them since the mid-1980s. The breed was recognized by the United Kennel Club in 1998. The Jindo has been recorded in the Foundation Stock Service of the American Kennel Club since January 2008. The Jindo comes in three coat varieties, including red (including a deep red to a light fawn) to white (including red or gold hints on the ears or legs) or black and tan.

The physical and mental characteristics of these two breeds paint a perfect picture of our little guy. Wow, well you truly do learn something new every day! Thank you Pop Pop & GG for the awesome present!

No more a Corgidor! Now the fun part begins.... What exactly do we call him? A pyredo? A jindean? Oh boy, I'll have to fix the blog!