Friday, April 4, 2008

What is Kenai?


Yes, he's a dog. That much we know. But what KIND of dog do you think he is?

Before you guess, go back and review my sister's post about her dog Moo. A just-for-fun genetic test revealed that she (Moo, not my sister) was mostly miniature pinscher, with measurable amounts of poodle, miniature schnauzer and german shepherd in the mix.

Well, my sister sent me an extra genetic testing kit they had, and we're going to test Kenai. I'm taking guesses on what he'll turn out to be.

Some key facts about Kenai to help you in your analysis:

1. He's huge: 95 pounds of puppy love, with very long legs.

2. In spite of his size, he's very sweet and gentle. He's wonderfully tolerant and patient with the kids.

3. He's smart. M would argue with me on this, but Kenai has been very trainable. He learned to heel in about a day, and he'll go into a down-stay while we're eating and rarely try to get up until I tell him OK. Dumb dogs aren't easily trained, in my opinion.

4. He's lazy. That dog sleeps all the time, and you eventually end up dragging him on hikes and runs.

And some more pictures of Kenai:





Our best guess on Kenai has always been mostly labrador, with maybe some german shepherd thrown in. The shape of his head and his perky & expressive ears are what make me think shepherd. But given Moo's heritage, maybe Kenai is something entirely different.

I'm going to guess chihuahua and poodle. Would that be a choodle? Or maybe a chihuapoo? Or a poohuahua perhaps? Poohuahua. That fits his personality best I think.

What do you think he is? The first person to correctly guess wins temporary custody of Kenai while we're back east this summer. Just kidding. There's no prize, other than the smug knowledge that you know much more about dog breeds than the rest of us.

11 comments:

Heather said...

Hmmm... definitely lab, but that nose is too long for a lab. You're probably right on the shepard mix. That would also explain his size. We have a shepard/chow mix and he's huge! We are also the proud owners of a breed we call the "Shrab." We think he's a Shar Pei/lab mix and we're waiting for the shrab to become the next designer dog!

Cavatica said...

Thanks for the dog tip. I was about to guess walrus. After that, I got nothin'. Can't wait to hear more. He's huge!

pittmane said...

I am going to guess that there's some collie in there (the Lassie variety only smooth-coated - kinda like Erica and Harry's dog, Early). I think that's where he gets his banana nose. Beyond that, maybe a bit of sharpei? Greyhounds are notoriously lazy and they have long legs.

pittmane said...

Just kidding about the shar pei bit, by the way...and the greyhound. But I would bet he DOES have some collie.

lisa said...

Lab/ border collie-and i have a similar dispute about my dog's intelligence. jb thinks she's not because she seems so amiable-I argue she is, because she has the social intelligence to have adapted to my moods and lifestyle over the years and knows, without being told, what is expected. ~lmc

J said...

Heather, I used to have some neighbors who had a "shrab." It was like he had a sharpei head & a lab body. He was adorable, and the sweetest pup.

Cavatica, walrus would be a better guess if he had a mustache...

Petersdr is my sister, and she has an unfair advantage in that she's actually met Kenai in person. But we've guessed collie before too.

Lisa, your guess is a good one -- that's actually what the Humane Society told us they thought he was when we adopted him. We used to have a border collie mix named Petey though, and Kenai really doesn't resemble Petey in the slightest, either in appearance or temperament, so we decided we didn't believe the HS. But you could still be on to something with that guess.

It will take 4-6 weeks to get the results, BTW.

Maia said...

4-6 weeks?? What kind of a contest is this?

I'm really bad at this. I'd definitely say lab and something, but he's so tall, and most shepherds are smaller. I'd say great dane, but that doesn't explain the longer hair. Maybe some wolfhound? My neighbor has a greyhound mix that has longer hair, but does have that long face. She's more thin-legged and tiny-waisted, though. hmmmmm.....

Anonymous said...

We say lab, some kind of herder, great dane and a pinch of greyhound!
Anne and Casey

Sampsons said...

I'm a lurker, waiting for my own adoption and living vicariously through your posts...I'd say Lab and Great Dane.

N

Donna said...

Gosh...how about black lab and australian shepherd??

fourlittlehawks said...

I was thinking Lab and Great Dane too!

~ Jen