She was taken in as a stray, so we had no information about her heritage. Our intention was to adopt a mixed breed dog, and we love everything about her. She has an independent, self-possessed temperament, she's very smart and learned all her training commands immediately, and gets along beautifully with our small poodle.
The shelter workers thought that Hannah was probably a Dachshund/Chihuahua mix. Hence the long body and big, slightly protruding eyes. One vet thought she was a Chuggle - Chihuahua/Beagle combo, and another guessed Jack Russell Terrier or Rat Terrier and Dachshund. The groomer thought she might have some Jack Russell or maybe even Basset Hound mixed with Chihuahua. I thought I saw Boston Terrier or perhaps Pug in those large, wise eyes and her blocky body.
My best friend throughout my childhood was a short-haired Dachshund named Herman. I certainly knew there were Dachshund traits in this little girl. A great nose, a sense of independence, and a penchant for burrowing under blankets.
She definitely has a very sparky, take-charge manner when on guard duty. Her body is much wider than a Dachshund's, her neck is short, and she carries her head relatively low. Those beautiful eyes have the appeal of a Disney animal.
So, long story short , friends and family all chipped in a bit for a gift they knew I'd appreciate but was too frugal to spring for - a doggie DNA test. This was done by the vet with a blood draw, as we wanted reliable accuracy.
So, this week the results arrived in the mail. They showed that our girl is not Chihuahua, not Beagle, not Pug, nor Boston Terrier, Jack Russell or Basset.
She is:
1/4 Short-haired Miniature Dachshund - not a big surprise
1/4 Lhasa Apso - which explains her goldfish gait, bulky build, big eyes, and watchdog manner
1/2 Miniature Poodle - which could be where the trainability comes from, and perhaps explains her bond with our Toy Poodle
I'm so glad that I was able to find this genealogy information, thanks to my pals who were all eager to hear the results. Probably the most important thing, however, was the medical information that was given to the vet. This is all about the recessive genetic markers for various health conditions, etc. Not my area at all, but what they did reveal was that with all the genetic factors, there was very little risk of health problems from my dog's heritage simply because those factors were recessive, and therefore not strong enough to cause problems for her. Can we hear it for hybrid vigor!
So much fun and such a very professional and thorough report. I'm glad I have the answer to the puzzle. Our little girl is such a unique and precious combination of some very wonderful breeds, and she has a style all her own. I will not give her one of those obnoxious and silly hyphenated breed names, either. She is a Hannah. One of a very fine kind!
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