The verdict?  Best decision we ever made – right up there with building a fence and adopting 3 more dogs (*wink wink, husband).  Word to the wise: Only disclose the cost of the DNA test to confirmed dog fanatics.  Based on the look you get from non-dog fanatics after you tell them how much you spent to uncover your fur baby’s ancestry, you might as well tell them you lit your wallet on fire. Admittedly, the original goal was for breed determination.  Herky was going to be one of the few mixed breed basenjis in the Embark database and my newly discovered talent of breed identification would be validated.  Wrong and wrong.  He wasn’t a rare mixed breed basenji because he was purebred basenji!  Just kidding… I had to.  Before any of the other results, Embark sent through the health results.  They screen for 172 different genetic diseases and report whether your dog is At Risk, A Carrier for the disease, or Clear.  In case you were wondering… you better believe those 2.3 seconds of loading time felt like a doggone lifetime!  Finally, a magnificent sea of green indicated Herky was cleared for all diseases. 

The next day, the rest of the results were in: Breed, Traits and Relatives.  While I was initially surprised by the breed results, it was in fact, the traits sections that had me shouting in agreement at my computer screen, getting more and more excited as I delved deeper into the results.  Clutching the mouse in one hand and Herky in the other (it was only fair we read the results together), I could tell he was eventually getting tired of me shouting things in his ear like “Herk, look!  You DO have the genetic markers for hind dewclaws!!” as if we both hadn’t known this already based off the hind dewclaws clearly sprouting from his hind legs; or making up a song about his melanistic mask (once I googled what exactly that meant) and silently singing it to him on repeat while we perused more genetic traits.  Strangely, what was not embedded in his genes (or at least not tested for on this panel) was the splooting gene or his talent of making hacking noises at the most inopportune times such as during dinnertime when guests are over or in the middle of the night, jolting me out of my sleep.  (Surely he was a chain smoker in a previous life.)

So… what special breeds make up this 24-lb, goofy, eyeliner wearing, rabbit hunting, paw crossing, cat-like, carrot loving, upright sitting, stubborn, snuggly, sweet little boy? Drum roll please…

Like I said… no basenji.  It’s only disappointing because I’ve grown quite fond of the Basenji Facebook group but they assured me ahead of time that even if Herky wasn’t a basenji, genetically speaking, we would still be welcomed members in the group. (What a relief.) Our chihuahua mix is part minpin so I was quite familiar with that breed. Okay…  I then got to rat Terrier. Terrier?  I guess I didn’t really know much about terriers but if we were playing Pictionary and my word was terrier, I would probably draw something that resembled Eddie from Frasier or Toto from Wizard of Oz. Back to trusty Google image search. 

HOLY CRAP!  Yes, this made sense.  I started reading about rat terriers, their traits and personalities.  Herky and I shared a glance and both started laughing.  (Okay, not really.  I laughed, Herky stared at me with wide eyes; they may have rolled back at one point.) “Stubborn as all get out, they are not big on pleasing people, but the people who love them laugh all the time.”  is how Embark describes them.  Accurate. The description goes on to say “…escape artists who are true terriers: feisty, funny, energetic, lively, vermin-chasing, and incapable of being boring.”  The more I read, the more parallels I found with basenjis, which explains why we landed on basenji to begin with.  With a rabbit and a mouse checked off his hunting bucket list, it’s almost as if Herky was trying to tell us all along.  If only he would have caught a rat.

In case you’re skimming this post, I’ll get you up to speed. Herky is primarily minpin and rat terrier. The rest? Well, it’s a cluster. Instead of calling him “my little basenji”, he is now “my little minpin, rat terrier, chow chow, collie, siberian husky, boxer, german shepherd, australian shepherd”. That makes my brain hurt (now I know how Ellie feels). As I learned in my college days, the only way to memorize complex lists is to spend hours and hours writing a catchy song with the words embedded inside. Stephen and I came up with the following so we would never forget the next time someone asked what breed Herky was (as if they cared down to the last percent).

Herky’s Breed Song
The biggest mix that’s full of tricks and this is what he is:
Super-collie-german-ausie-shepherd-husky-chowchow. 
Even though the sound of it might make you raise an eyebrow,
If you say it loud enough he might just take a dog bow. 
Super-collie-german-ausie-shepherd-husky-chowchow.

The melanistic mask song or the breed song weren’t anything to scoff at but there is one catchy tune that hasn’t left my brain since discovering Herky’s Terrier-ness.  This particular song is from a hilariously relatable mockumentary called Best in Show about show-dogs and their obsessive, look-alike owners who have dedicated their entire lives to their canine companions.  The way these exaggerated characters are portrayed almost reminds me of the unbearable pageant moms you see on cable networks, however there’s something much more acceptable and endearing about these individuals.  The first time I ever saw this movie, which was probably 15 years ago, all I remember is rolling on the floor laughing hysterically as Harlan Pepper, who comes from the town of Pine Nut, starts rattling off the name of every nut he can think of.  I think what I love most about this song is I can imagine my husband and I sitting around one lazy Sunday afternoon, crafting a similar tune that highlights everything we love about our dogs, not taking a break until the harmony is perfect (oh wait, we already did that). 

The Terrier song from Best in Show goes like this:

God loves a terrier, yes he does
God loves a terrier, that’s because
Small, sturdy, bright, and true they give their love to you
God didn’t miss a stitch
Be a dog or be a bitch
When he made the Norwich Ratties merrier with its cute little derriere
Yes, God loves a terrier.

It is true that whatever powerful forces were at play, they sure made Herky, the ratpin, one special boy!

If you’re interested, you can see Herky’s full results here.

If you’d like to get your Embark DNA kit, feel free to click on the “Embark DNA” tab in the ribbon above. Most recent sales and coupon codes are listed here. I receive 10% of sales generated through this link.  All money I receive from my Embark affiliate link will be donated to my trusted local animal shelter, Paws and Claws Humane Society of Rochester, MN.  Thank you!