I sent them the same picture of Oz at the vet that I've posted on this blog about a million times (OK, maybe three), so I'm not going to post it here again. If you really want to see it, go back to the original results post. Sorry, but I'm easily bored and recently got a spiffy new camera.
"The sample obtained from Ozzie was adequate and generated a good genetic signature. The Labrador Retriever is clearly his top breed match in terms of chromosomal match and the algorithm is very confident about it being a parent. The White Swiss Shepherd is also routinely coming up at the grandparent level and has a commensurate chromosomal match. The other grandparent is a mix but the algorithm does find the Dachshund routinely, suggesting evidence of this breed in the mix. The White Swiss Shepherd is a subset of the German Shepherd Dog though they do have genetically distinct signatures. In Europe, they are considered separate breeds and our reference samples for the White Swiss came from Europe which is why we have made the distinction. In the US, the White Swiss Shepherd can be registered as a German Shepherd but cannot be shown. We are doing further analysis on US derived white German Shepherds to see if the distinction is as defined in this population. However, because they are considered German Shepherds in the US, there has been more interbreeding of the lines which may complicate the matter a bit.
Looking at Ozzie, we see that he has some similarities to his "sister". He also exhibits a short coat and drop ears which again are dominant traits that we would expect in light of a Labrador parent. However, he has a base erect ear set which is a bit more marked than Brugge's. Though the drop ear (Labrador) is dominant, it is working upon the prick ear influence from the White Swiss grandparent. Like Brugge, Ozzie is also unable to make black as he has inherited the chocolate gene from both sides. He also exhibits a black and tan pattern which is a recessive pattern though in his case it is chocolate and tan since he cannot make black. The Labrador does carry both of these trait as we noted with Brugge. The White Swiss may also carry them as we do see it occasionally in the German Shepherd. However, the second set may be coming from the mixed ancestor by way of the Dachshund, as well. It also appears that Ozzie has a mask on his muzzle - this is a dominant trait which again is likely coming through the White Swiss though the mixed ancestor may also be passing it on. It is interesting to see that on the surface your two pups may look somewhat alike but that their genetics tell us that they are a fair bit different!"
They also sent me a link about dog coat color genetics. My inner child, who still believes she may someday be a Mad Scientist Geneticist, is totally nerding out right now. Additionally, I did a quick google search for "chocolate tan points labrador" (and several other amalgamations with the same point) and found tons of pictures and information about them. Apparently it's not rare, but not quite common either. It's just a mismark, like any other marking not allowed in a show ring. Don't you just love how you can learn about a subject your whole life, and still discover fun new pockets of knowledge? I adore it. Once again, my experience with Wisdom Panel Insights and Mars Veterinary was a lot of fun. If you're curious, I would highly recommend purchasing a test of your own (Amazon carries them at a discount, and they pop up on daily deal sites from time to time). And ask questions!
The opinions expressed on this blog are my own, and I have not been compensated in any way by Wisdom Panel or Mars Veterinary to talk about their product. The only thing they've dropped is knowledge, no cash or swag.
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