And the DNA Winner is ... Dulce

Dulce's DNA results are in.  

Who came the closest to her breed mix?
Her vet, right here in Arivaca. She nailed Dulce's three primary breeds.
Closer than the Humane Society, closer than friends, and waaaay closer than me. (I had the easy, Lab part right.)

Her parents were: 
One parent was Labrador Retriever; the other was American Staffordshire Terrier w/minor Australian Shepherd.  Lab and Staffie are the predominant breeds by high percentages.

Her Grandparents were:
The same big three, with a minor mix of other breed groups:

Great-Grandparents were:
The same big three, with a minor mix of other breed groups.

What I have experienced in our month together is the gentleness and love of the Lab, her webbed feet, love of water and her coat color. She possesses the gentle and trusting nature of the Lab, affectionate to the max. She never grabs food from my hand and waits to be fed. She skipped the retriever gene, however. When I throw a ball she fetches and runs right past me, inside to her bed. Quite the change from Teak!

The Staffie is known as a hard-working, intelligent, strong and loyal dog. I have seen this too, as she  likes to patrol the property and sounds the alarm at interlopers, whether vehicles, coyotes or javelina. Her hearing is amazing. She hears the smallest strange sound outside, even above indoor sounds like the furnace. It's fantastic.

The intelligent, obedient, energetic Aussie Shepherd likes to herd anything. The first three adjectives apply to Dulce. I haven't experienced the "herd anything" aspect, but when we go for walks she begins at my heels, as if to herd. No nipping, thank heavens!! She breaks off quickly, however, and takes off to run and sniff, but never goes far afield. SHE COMES WHEN CALLED.

Most importantly, and this would have been a deal breaker, Dulce loves Hobo. She has learned a healthy respect for Hobo's limits, as defined by a claw-led swat. And Hobo is venturing outside again to explore now that the protection of a dog has returned. It's wonderful to see.

It's been a month since Dulce entered our lives. Her extreme shyness diminishes more every day, in fact, yesterday she greeted a stranger with a dog! She doesn't like raw carrots, she buries her pet toy in her blanket, she sings in the morning and she has cowlicks in the cutest places, like her flanks and two little spirals on her hind end. I adore her coyote shaped body; she even sings in the morning. She tested negative for the MDR1 mutation, which make her immune to many medications. Good information for her vet.

It's all good. We're off, running and having fun!
Thanks for your input, support and feedback. It is heart-felt.

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I used Wisdom Health, ordered through Amazon for $80. Easy, mistake-proof process.