The time had come to figure out what kind of dog we were dealing with. Rocket’s overly hyperactivity and constant need for action was proving to be a challenge during training. It wasn’t that he was “being bad”, he was just constantly on the move. Every noise, every movement around him, every second of every day was an opportunity for Rocket to jump into action. Traveling in a car was a horrible experience. He would prance from the back seat to the front, try to get in our laps, check out what was on the floor, and stand on the console. He would be everywhere but in his seat. At home, he couldn’t sit still either. He was perpetually engaging Frank into a game of chase and tumble or climbing onto our laps to give kisses, or running to the door to go outside. On the rare moments through the day when he was still, it was only to listen to what sounds he thought warranted his attention. We knew he was about 7 months old when we adopted him. We thought that maybe he was kept in a cage with his litter mate, and that this might be the reason for his need to be in constant motion. Because my parents had his litter mate, Rocket and Hoppy visited each other often. They would instantly engage in a rough and tumble game of chase. We thought maybe that was the reason for the scaring, cuts, and missing fur on them, so we tried to intervene when things got too rough. Rocket’s attention, once locked on something, was nearly impossible to break. Knowing that different dog breeds react differently to various types of training, we decided it would be best to find out what Rocket was made of. With that in mind, we bought a kit and sent it into Wisdom Panel. After a few weeks or so, we received the results. We were not completely surprised by some of his mix but were quite puzzled by others. We received results in May of 2020. At that time, the results showed that he was 25% Pitbull, 25% Bull Dog, 25% Pekinese, and 25% of five other dog breeds which included breeds such as Chow, Ridgeback, and other breeds which may be considered more aggressive type dogs. So, not surprised about the Pitbull; it explained his eye shape. Bull dog made perfect sense as he is very stocky in the chest and his legs are bowed-he definitely has a resemblance to Bulldog in his body type. The biggest surprise was the Pekinese! Really?! Well, that does explain his peanut head! We could never get a collar or harness to stay on because his head is too small in proportion to the rest of his body. The other 5 breeds that made up his DNA lent us to believe that he may have been bred to be a fighting dog. It would certainly appear that he had all the most aggressive breed mixes in him, except for the Pekinese. And that, would give him the “ankle biter” attitude! In any case, Rocket was a loveable, cute pup. We were making progress with his training, and now armed with some insight as to who Rocket was, we felt confident that we could conquer the challenges that came with Raising Rocket.
Interestingly, as I was writing this Blog, I pulled up Wisdom Panel to ensure accurate information. I was surprised to see that the site has been updated along with Rocket’s Ancestry results. The most recent information has changed. I learned that he has a brother (in addition to Hoppy), 50 relatives, a mix of 15 breeds, and has no genetic conditions that would be a negative impact on his health. His breed results now read as follows:
Guard Dog: 30% American Staffordshire Terrier, 24% American Pit Bull Terrier, 4% Bulldog
Companion Dog: 5% Poodle (Toy or Miniature), 5% Shih Tzu, 4% Pekinese, 2% Norwegian Elkhound, 2% Pug
Sporting Dog: 4% Cocker Spaniel, 3% Golden Retriever
Hound: 5% Beagle (explains why he tries to howl like Frank who is part Basset!)
Terrier: 4% Chihuahua
Asian and Oceanian: 4% Chow
Herding: 2% German Shepherd
Mountain Dogs: 2% Newfoundland
I guess I will have to ponder over these results for more insight…
I apologize for the blurry photos. As noted, Rocket is always in action! Better photos to come!!!
