Pog and dog.org

So, yeah. Quimby is doing great. He’s come into his own as a dog that is perfect for me. He likes to run, but only for short distances, and has random freak outs, but is never violent. I’ve heard him bark a total of 3 times. It was very strange. I don’t see myself doing any more random Pog and dog photos. I am getting just a little too old for it. I will however probably start to post more photos of Quimby, and our amazing experiences together.

Quimby has gotten big, and he loves to tear down bamboo.

This is Samson (the 3rd one we’ve seen, but hey it’s an awesome name). Samson is Quimby’s brother!!! It had been nearly a year since they had seen each other, but after a few minutes they seemed to remember. I took a bazillion photos of them playing, they are so similar and so different at the same time. It was a truly awesome experience, his owners are really nice and have a great home for him. He has a huge lawn to play in, and gets to get outside a lot! Much more to come this week, but here’s a general vibe of what happaned:

You can tell that Quimby was bigger. He probably had close to 20lbs on his brother, but interestingly enough Samson dislpayed more dominant behavior. Apparently Samson’s comfort zone is at home, wheras Quimby seems to find comfort everywhere, with everyone. I will post more similarities / differences tomorrow.

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.