Curious to know the breeding of your mixed-breed dog?

Start the new year by finding out the makeup of your dog’s breeding.  Knowing your dog’s breeding can help you know how to feed your dog, how to manage its health, and how to exercise it.  All in all, it’s a great way to take better care of your dog, and your dog will love you for it.

Enter the contest by writing a short essay about your dog — as a comment to this post.  What are your guesses for your dog’s breed mix?  Why?  Why would you like to know your dog’s breed mix?  Write the best comment, and you will start the new year by knowing your dog’s breeding background.

Contest deadline is midnight, Friday, January 15, 2010.  Callie Golden Retriever’s decision will be final.

Learn more about the Wisdom Panel test here.

Did you have some ideas for the two breeds that make up Dante’s DNA?

Dante, a mixed breed dog, belongs to Dr. Stacy Fuchino, of the P.V. Village Pet Clinic in Redondo Beach, CA.  A few weeks ago, we made a deal with MARS Veterinary Services to give Dante their “Wisdom Panel Mixed-Breed DNA Test.”  Then, last Wednesday, Dr. Fuchino met Dr. Angela Hughes, an advisor to Mars Veterinary Services, to find out the final results.

Dr. Fuchino had guessed one half of Dante’s dog breed puzzle — miniature poodle.  But he was stumped about the other half.  The result from the MARS Wisdom Panel Mixed-Breed DNA test:  Papillon.

So, Dante’s personality is a blend of miniature poodle and papillon.  According to the AKC,  “carrying himself proudly, very active, intelligent, the Poodle has about him an air of distinction and dignity peculiar to himself. Major fault: shyness or sharpness.”

The other half, the papillon, according to the AKC, is “happy, alert and friendly. Neither shy nor aggressive.”

So, the puzzle solved, Dr. Fuchino says, “Now I know why Dante is always bouncing off the walls; it’s the papillon!”  Knowing this will change the way I feed him.  It will also change the way I manage his health and his exercise.  Actually, we’re going to start some agility work right away, because papillons need a lot of exercise.”

Listen to the interview with Dr. Fuchino and Dr. Angela Hughes, from MARS Veterinary Services:

Can you figure out this dog’s mixed breeding?  Take a shot at it, and then listen to the “My Doggie Says…” radio show this Wednesday night to learn the answer.

You will learn about Dr. Stacey Fuchino’s dog Dante.  And Angela Hughes, representing the MARS Wisdom Panel mixed-breed test will reveal Dante’s breeding components.  So you will have a chance to test your guess!

The “My Doggie Says…” show will help you gain a deeper appreciation for “Man’s Best Friend.” The show is broadcast live from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday nights, on KFNX 1100, Phoenix. It is streamed live on www.1100kfnx.com. Host Fred Haney interviews dog whisperers, dog trainers, authors of dog books, and experts on all aspects of dogs and dog behavior and dog nature. The show is also available as a podcast on iTunes. Go to the iTunes store, click on “Podcast,” and search for “My Doggie Says…”

Poor Lily, she’s seven years old and physically healthy, except for her eyes. Two weeks ago, she lost her second eye because of glaucoma. She still wears a “lampshade” so she can’t scratch at the stitches from her surgery. The lampshade also keeps Lily from banging her head into walls and furniture as she tries to navigate around her home.

I spent three days at Lily’s house, as a guest, and it was pretty amazing to watch Lily cope with her new situation.

As you would expect, Lily bangs into things – walls and furniture. But she doesn’t get discouraged. She manages to work her way around the obstacle. What gives Lily “direction” is usually the sound of a human voice. Wanting to be with people, she follows the sound of voices until she reaches the same room. Then she waits until she can feel soft carpeting under her doggie paws and then she curls up on the floor, enjoying the respite from walls and furniture.

Just in the time I visited with Lily, she learned to follow the path from her owner’s garden back to her home. It’s a well defined dirt road, and Lily has already learned, by the feel of the path, to find her way from the garden to the house.

In a loving partnership between owner and dog, Lily has learned to follow her owners’ (my sister, Eleanor and her husband, Ignatius) voices, as they steer her along an uncluttered path to get where she wants to go.

We have this ongoing debate about “How smart are dogs?” If you read this blog, you know I am on the side of “smarter than most people think.” This story about Lily probably isn’t about “smart.” It’s more about courageous and resourceful. Regardless of how smart you think dogs are, you can’t deny that they can be incredibly brave and clever.

Therapy Dogs: Pat Carlson, co-chair of “In Hospital Training,” for the Pet Visitation Program at Torrance Memorial Hospital, talks about the hospital’s program for using dogs to help calm and cheer patients.  She describes how dogs and handlers are screened, how the dogs assist patients, and some of the wonderful successes of the program.  Pat also talks about different dog breeds and how some breeds, like Golden Retrievers, seem more suited for the program than others.  Providing this kind of service can be one of the high callings for the family dog.

The “My Doggie Says…” show helps listeners gain a deeper appreciation for “Man’s Best Friend.” The show is broadcast live from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday nights, on KFNX 1100, Phoenix. It is streamed live on www.1100kfnx.com. Host Fred Haney interviews dog whisperers, dog trainers, authors of dog books, and experts on all aspects of dogs and dog behavior and dog nature. Listen to past interviews at www.mydoggiesays.com/blog/. The show is also available as a podcast on iTunes. Go to the iTunes store, click on “Podcast,” and search for “My Doggie Says…”

David Frei, co-host of the Westminster Dog Show and CEO of “Angel on a Leash,” talks about dog breeds, dog intelligence, and some of the dog training involved in becoming “best of show” dog.  David has also been chaperone to Uno, 2008 “best of show” beagle, for the past year.  In addition to discussing the Westminster and National dog shows, David talks about “Angel on a Leash,” a charitable program he co-founded to provide therapy dogs for hospitals in nine locations around the country.

The “My Doggie Says…” show helps listeners gain a deeper appreciation for “Man’s Best Friend.” The show is broadcast live from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday nights, on KFNX 1100, Phoenix. It is streamed live on www.1100kfnx.com. Host Fred Haney interviews experts on all aspects of dogs and dog ownership. Listen to past interviews at www.mydoggiesays.com/blog/. The show is also available as a podcast on iTunes. Go to the iTunes store, click on “Podcast,” and search for “My Doggie Says…”

On February 4, 2009, Tracie Hotchner, host of “Dog Talk: The Radio Program” (WLIU 88.3 FM), was the guest on the “My Doggie Says…” Radio Show.  Tracie is also the author of “The Dog Bible.”  Tracie’s “Dog Talk” program fits nicely with the dog communication approach of “My Doggie Says…”  During the show, we arranged for Tracie and a guest caller, Victoria, to receive the Canine Heritage Breed Test for distinguishing between dog breeds in a mixed breed dog.  We’ll report the results when they are in.

The “My Doggie Says…” show helps listeners gain a deeper appreciation for “Man’s Best Friend.” The show is broadcast live from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday nights, on KFNX 1100, Phoenix. It is streamed live on www.1100kfnx.com. Host Fred Haney interviews experts on all aspects of dogs, dog breeds, and dog communication. Listen to past interviews at www.mydoggiesays.com/blog/. The show is also available as a podcast on iTunes. Go to the iTunes store, click on “Podcast,” and search for “My Doggie Says…”