The Canine Composition Collaborative and Co-op

We LOVE our dogs – even when they shed all over the house or dig holes in the yard. Even if they’re not {gasp} purebred…

But I can't stop wondering what mix of breeds make up my lovable mutts. I have browsed through hundreds of breed descriptions and thousands of images seeking this knowledge.

And I found it: she’s Shetland Sheepdog and Australian Shepherd.

Then, inevitably, one of the parameters change - sometimes within a few weeks, sometimes not for a year or more.

It could be the dog’s behavior: you notice she’s herding your nephew;

or a new statistic: Keeshond popularity jumped up 15 spots on the AKC registration chart from 2009 to 2010.

That’s where Canine Composition Collaboration and Co-op comes in. The objective is simple:

Determine what breeds have collided to produce the perfect storm that is my magnificent mutt.

Amended 3/11/11: Find the best educated guess of the breeds in my dog’s ancestry.

The technique usually follows this course:

You start, of course with appearance:

· Size

· Shape

· Coat

· Color

Next, consider personality:

· Some breeds have distinctive traits

· Your dog has distinctive traits

· Work back and forth to see where they overlap

It’s also a good idea to consider the probability that the breeds you’ve decided on would actually have – um, gotten together - to produce your puppy.

· For instance, it would be unlikely that a Chinese Foo Dog would have met up with a New Guinea Singing Dog

· Improbable doesn’t mean impossible: one of my dogs had a father who was a purebred Rhodesian Ridgeback – not common at all. So in the absence of any proof to the contrary – it’s your dog and your decision to make!

· Also realize that your dog could be a mix of 3, 4 or more breeds

The new resource I’ve added is the wisdom and experience of other dog owners.

Purebreed dog owners can share the knowledge of their particular breed that is not commonly available or comprehendable to most people. (Brindle and merle colors among Australian Shepherds, Border Collies and Shetland Sheepdogs still confuses me.)

Mixed breed owners – I have never owned a purebred dog, but I did know the parents of some of the mutts I’ve had. I’m always surprised when I see a dog that looks just like one of my “unique” dogs. When I do, I like to share my information and I’m hoping others will want to share with me.

Usually your first guess is fairly easy to settle on, but be prepared to change your mind. Your silky-haired dog may be well past her 3^rd birthday before her adult coat comes in and suddenly she’s blowing out a full woolly undercoat. Or you might discover that last year the American Kennel Club started registering a dog you've never heard of and wow, your dog looks a lot like an Icelandic Sheepdog!

It’s enough to drive you crazy if you let it - and I did. My new way of dealing with it is to make a game of it. I know you can order home DNA kits, and I will admit to being tempted, but with all the dogs I have (and will have in the future!), I would rather use the money to buy them a bagful of toys. This is much more fun, and knowing “for sure” won’t make me love them any more!