Pog and dog.org

Met Chyla at Fetch today. She was awesome and uber friendly. She kissed me right away, and the magical moment was caught on camera!

The French greet eachother kind of like this.

I was walking around the old port and I spotted this cool looking dog, when I asked if I could get a photo, I was told “you’ve already got him, this is Petey!” I had to get a follow up. The official update is that he is doing AWESOME. I first met him when he was very, very young. I think like 3 months old. He is featured in this video along with a younger looking Quimby. I think he was happy to say hello. I was happy to see him!

I had high hopes when I gifted a dog DNA test to someone who I knew would use it on Quimby. It had been, when we adopted Quimby, we were told that the only thing they really knew was that he was part lab. This theory was confirmed by several vets and animal care providers. I had read poor reviews about Dog DNA testing online but decided it would be worth it to see what our Quimby was made up of. The entire experience a complete and total waste of time and money and I would not recommend it to anyone, ever.

Looking at www.canineheritage.com, everything seems in order. It sounds like a legit organization. Just listen to this statement from their website:
The Canine Heritage® Breed Test, developed by the pioneer in canine breed identification and a recognized leader in DNA technology, can help unravel the mystery of your mixed-breed pup. How often have you been asked: What kind of dog is that? This DNA-based diagnostic test can give you the answer by comparing your dog’s DNA to over 100 of the most popular breeds.
Wow 100 breeds. I had my theories on what he was, and was sure that out of the 100 they test, he would have at least 3 or 4.

I ordered the test, which involved swabbing Quimby’s cheek and sending in the sample. Easy enough. The estimated date for an answer was 4-6 weeks. 6 weeks go by and they send an email, stating that we need to contact them. They ended up calling and explaining that the only match they found was a 3rd generation Rottweiler. The woman who called then went on to say that she went on to poganddog.org and judging by the looks of him had some ideas.

W-T-F

I paid out money for this? I don’t want your best guess or opinion, I get that from everyone who meets Quimby (for free). That would be like getting a paternity test and having the scientist tell you that while the results were inconclusive, judging by some internet photos, it looks like you are definitely not from New Zealand. What kind of business does that? Apparently Canine Heritage. Of course there are no refunds for these results either.

My advice: Stay far, far away from any company offering this service. It’s a complete waste of money. Take the hundred bucks it costs to get the test done,(spent the money on it BEFORE we knew about his surgery, FYI) and donate it to a shelter. Then take a walk to the dog park for some “expert” advice.

This is Samson. I lived with him once. He’s a husky/rottweiler mix, and is very, very cool. he actually reminds me a lot of Quimby.

Quimby Update:
Quimby has been recovering nicely. His elbow was swollen for a long time. He saw the vet a couple times who assured him it was normal, and finally, it seems that the swelling is under control and starting to go down. The vet said he can not hurt the elbow by playing/running on it, it will just slow the recovery. That being said he seems to know this, and usually has a nightly freak out right before bed, where he runs laps either around the bedroom or living room. I’m sure the cats are thrilled he can now go up and down stairs as he pleases.