A note to any genealogy purists who may be reading: Bear with me please. This was really fun!

When we adopted Ellie in March 2021, we brought home our first small dog, our first adult dog and our first mixed breed dog. She was a joy from day one. My dear friend’s dear son was working for the Boston Animal Care and Control Shelter, knew we were in need of a dog, and knew our general parameters (not too big/not too small, not aggressive, and cat tolerant). When the call came, we were ready, and it was love at first sight.

Ellie was 22 pounds of love, described as a Border Terrier mix around two to three years old. She was rescued from the street, and when we met her a couple of weeks later she was healthy, not fearful, and eager to snuggle. We still wonder how she ended up on the street–she showed no sign of neglect or abuse, seemed accustomed to being loved, and was (and still is!) a sweet, happy dog.

Recently, dear friend (see above) sent me home with a doggy DNA test kit (Embark), knowing that a) we’re curious about Ellie’s story, and b) I’m totally obsessed with the information and connections I’ve found through my own DNA testing. I asked an assortment of family and friends to guess what the results of Ellie’s test might be, and got a wide range of replies, mostly silly:

• At least 50% Chewbacca
• A Hollywood mix: a little bit Toto, some Benji and Chewbacca 
• Toy Irish Wolfhound
• Terrier, terrier, terrier
• 43.5% Norfolk Terrier; 26.5% Yorkshire Terrier; 18.3% Jack Russell Terrier; 7.7% Shih Tzu; 2% Silky Terrier; 2% Lhasa Apso
• Border Terrier 44%; Norfolk or Norwich Terrier 24%; Australian Terrier 21%; Cairn Terrier 8%; Skye Terrier 3%
• Border Terrier 50%; Norfolk Terrier 20%; Yorkshire Terrier 15%; Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen 15%

Then the results came. She’s what?? The DNA test results couldn’t have startled us more! Where did our Border Terrier go? And what is this Coonhound? Boxer? ROTTWEILER??

Embark, the testing company, also provides a list of other dogs with shared DNA, just like the human DNA testing sites. No, I’m not planning to build a family tree for Ellie, but I love the idea that our little foundling might have relatives. When I looked at the list, her number one match was…drumroll, please…a 51% match named Pupcorn, who lives very close to where we adopted Ellie! Meaning that on day one we’d found either her mother or a full sister. So. Much. Excitement!

Emails and pictures were exchanged with Pupcorn’s person. We’re pretty sure they must be littermates, as they’re about the same age. A playdate is in the works. Size and body shape? Check. Ears? Check. Eyes? Check. Coat? Nope. Goofy underbite? Nope.

So for all the folks out there grumbling about Ancestry’s new pet dna test, give me a little bit of a break. I’m getting a great kick out of learning about Ellie’s unexpected ethnicity. And I never imagined we’d find such close family right from the start. Have fun, all!