With all the dogs in the world, it is not surprising that a large part of them is made up of mongrels, i.e. dogs whose breed is not pure. If you have a mutt, you may want to find out which breed its ancestors belonged to, information that can be useful to prevent any genetic diseases to which the dog may be predisposed and to better understand the animal from a behavioral point of view. To identify which breeds led to the crossing of your dog, you can limit yourself to observing it carefully or contact a specialized agency for more detailed information.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Examine Your Dog's Characteristics
Step 1. Consider the size of the dog
The size of your mutt definitely depends on the breed to which his ancestors belonged. It is impossible to be wrong: if the dog is large, it can only descend from a large animal.
- For example, if the dog is very small (weighing between 2.5 and 4.5 kg), it is likely descended from a toy dog (a toy poodle, chihuahua, papillon, or shih tzu).
- If your dog is medium in size (weighs between 4.5 and 22.5 kg), he may be descended from a terrier or spaniel.
- Large dogs, weighing between 30 and 45 kg, include setters, retrievers, and most herding dogs.
- Larger dogs weighing up to 90 kg can be descended from a large dog, such as a St. Bernard, Komondor, or Mastiff.
- However, mixed breed dogs can be of any size. If yours is of medium size, it may be difficult to determine which dog breeds contributed to its crossing.
Step 2. Examine the dog's ears
The ears vary from breed to breed. Your mutt's ears could give you valuable information about his ancestors.
- The "bat" ears are broad and straight. They are quite large in proportion to the head and may be slightly rounded. Chihuahuas and welsh corgi cardigans have this type of ear.
- The "pointy" ears are straight and pointed. Ears of this type belong to Alaskan malamutes, Siberian huskies and certain breeds of terriers. This type of ear can be artificially obtained by cutting a piece of cartilage. Such an operation is often done with Dobermans and Great Danes. Other dogs, such as the Basenji, have pointed ears that curve slightly inwards at the ends.
- The "rounded tip" ears are blunt at the tips. They are typical of the French bulldog and chow chow.
- The "candle flame" ears are pointed and narrow at the ends. The English toy terrier has ears of this type.
- "Button" ears. They are held straight, but the ends fold down to cover the ear canal. They are characteristic of the fox terrier and the jack russell terrier.
- "Partially folded" ears. They are kept straight but bend slightly down at the ends. They are typical of the Scottish Sheepdog and the Pit Bull.
- The "hanging" ears fall to the sides of the head, as in the bassethound. The "v" ears are also hanging, but have a triangular shape. They are characteristics of the bullmastiff. Pleated ears are drooping ears that do not fall straight. They are rippled and are typical of the field spaniel.
- The "cat's tongue" ears are also hanging, but have a very particular shape. They are typical of the bedlington terrier.
- The "rose-shaped" ears are hanging, but fold inward instead of forward. They are the ears of the grayhound.
Step 3. Examine the queue
The tail can provide useful information about the breeds your dog is derived from. There are several types of queues.
- Curly tails form a slight spiral. They are characteristic of the pug, the akita and the chow chow.
- The docked tail is very short and appears to have been clipped. The Australian shepherd dog and the welsh corgi pembroke have this type of tail.
- The "flagpole" tail is straight and carried vertically. It is typical of the beagle.
- The "mouse" tail is hanging and has very little hair. The Irish water spaniel has this type of tail.
- There are also “saber” and “sickle” tails. The "saber" tail hangs downwards but, at a certain point, curves slightly upwards; the German Shepherd has this type of tail. The "sickle" tail curves over the body and is covered with hair; Siberian husky and chihuahuas have this kind of tail.
Step 4. Look at the dog's head
The shape of the head can also indicate which breeds your dog is descended from. Dogs can have heads of various shapes (apple-shaped, square and massive, etc.)
- The “apple-shaped” heads are rounded and their top is domed. The chihuahua has this type of head.
- The "square" head is massive. It is typical of the Boston terrier.
- Flat-nosed and protruding jaw dogs are similar to the Pekingese.
- The “tapered” heads have a thin and sharp muzzle, like that of the saluki.
- Dogs with concave snouts in the middle are similar to pointers.
- Some dogs have a convex, egg-shaped face. Their muzzle curves outward from the nose to the top of the head. The bull terrier has this type of face.
Step 5. Realize that you will not be able to accurately identify the dog breeds your dog is derived from
You will be able to discover some of them simply by observing the dog, but it is difficult to spot them all. When a dog is a mixed breed, it can develop truly unique physical characteristics that cannot be traced back to any dog breed.
Method 2 of 2: Use the DNA Test
Step 1. Request an online test
Contact an agency specializing in this type of dog test. They will send you a DNA test kit.
- The test can provide useful information, although it is not foolproof. Consider that, often, turning to two different agencies gives different results.
- Tracing the breeds from which dog derives is rather difficult, especially if there are many breeds. If your dog is the result of crossing only two breeds, identifying which they are is quite easy.
Step 2. Take a saliva sample
There should be two swabs in the kit. You will simply have to wipe them on the inside of the dog's cheek, let them dry and put them back in the bag.
Step 3. Operate the kit
Some sites require you to activate the kit online. You will be given a code to write on the sample label.
Step 4. Send the sample by post
Many kits have a shipping label. All you have to do is put the kit in the bag.
Step 5. Wait for the test results
The agency will send you information on your dog's genetic makeup. Some agencies claim that they can trace the great-grandparents of the specimen examined.
