Mystery Solved!

I know I've mentioned before how we don't know exactly what breed(s) our dog Maya is. She was listed as "husky mix" at the shelter we adopted her from, but of course they didn't know for sure. We're VERY obsessed with our sweet Maya and have naturally developed a slight obsession with figuring out what exactly she "is". We are always on the lookout for dogs that look like Maya to offer us any clues, but our best luck was running into a dog that looked a whole lot like her, even in size and build, only to find out that it was a husky/wolf hybrid puppy that would grow to be 70 pounds. Maya tips the scales at only 33 pounds and is most definitely full grown as she is nearly three years old (or even older... we aren't totally sure). Anyways, we get questions ALL THE TIME about what she's mixed with or why she's so small.

Fast forward to this past Christmas. I was trying to think of something to get Kolby and remembered hearing about a dog DNA test that could determine the breed composition of mutts. I figured it would be super expensive but looked into it and found a "DNA Breed Identification Kit" online for $35. I realize that even $35 sounds like a stupid amount of money to spend on something like this... but whatever. So I got it for Kolby (and myself, of course) along with plenty of non-dog-related Christmas gifts. A few weeks ago we got the kit in, swabbed Maya's mouth with the included q-tips, mailed the kit back, and waited for the results.

Today we got her "Ancestry Analysis Certificate" in the mail. As expected, she is at least 75% Siberian Husky. Quite unexpected, however, was the news that she is 10-20% DALMATIAN! Isn't that awesome? I love Dalmatians. Her husky markings are so dominant that she of course doesn't look like a dalmatian, but it does explain the traits that keep her from looking 'all husky' like her straighter tail, narrower face, and thinner fur. Unfortunately, the fact that a mix of those breeds should have Maya weighing between 45-50 pounds confirms that her small size means that she likely spent all of her pre-us life on the streets and that year of malnourishment stunted her growth, which is sad. But she's healthy and happy now and we're blessed to have this little husky-dalmatian mix in our lives!