Tues 14th Dec: What does mixed breed really mean?

 Dogs that have a breed name are always top of the list when it comes to their chances of being adopted, even if the breed is known to be difficult (and yes, I'm talking about the shiba inu again). The dogs we call mixed breeds have other names like mongrel and mutt, neither of which are flattering, but what exactly does a mixed breed mean other than a mix of named breeds. 

Earlier this year we took in a litter of ten newborn pups nicknamed "The Edibles". All of the puppies went into foster care and were adopted at a young age, except two of them who eventually ended up at our Tai Po Homing Centre.  Both subsequently found their forever homes, and one of them, Ziti, flew to the UK where he's now living the best life and is very much loved.  He's shown himself to be the perfect dog in every way, and out of curiosity his adopter had his DNA tested to find out what his genetic make-up was.  The results were very interesting, but also ironic in that they showed that far from being just a regular mutt, Ziti can boast of having the DNA of no less than eighteen breeds, many of them rare Chinese dogs. Here's the list:

13% sharpei (there's no mixed breed in Hong Kong that doesn't have some sharpei in them), 13% jindo, 10% chow chow, 7% Chinese Chongqing dog, 5% Thai ridgeback, 5% Qingchuan hound, 3% Mongolian Xigou, 3% Tibetan mastiff (Zang Ao, Nyingchi type), 2% shiba inu, 2% Liangshan hound, 2% Siberian husky, 2% Akita, 2% Solomon Islands street dog, 3% rottweiler, 2% doberman pinscher, 5% chihuahua (this one made me chuckle) and 4% wolf. 

Ziti and his proud mama

I don't know about you but I think rather than labelling dogs like Ziti as "just mongrels", they should instead be recognised for what they really are, an amazing exotic mix of some incredible and sometimes ancient breeds. 

Today was a big one for the Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre's "Shy Squad", plus some others that aren't shy but who realistically were unlikely to find suitable homes.  One of these I mentioned yesterday as being young shiba inu Donny, and he was joined today by another shiba, Gumbo.  There are now three shibas living together as Damson has been at the Lamma base for a couple of years now, and I should mention that she's no problem at all.  These dogs just don't do well being confined or living in small homes. 

Gumbo and Piggy explore their new home

Damson watched from a distance

Ringo and Rumble reunited

Smaller dog Ringo also joined his brother Rumble at the Lamma Home for Small Delinquents, because again neither of these assumed-brothers coped well in the small Homing Centre, even if they're perfectly fine in general. They were happy to see each other, and checking on them later in the day Ringo was relaxed and enjoying the garden. 

Emma moved to Zing's home

Staff member Zing took home Emma, one of the Shy Squad, while Carlo has already been staying with Eagle for a couple of weeks, leaving the upstairs floor of the Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre now housing only a few dogs and puppies.  It will be strange going to the office without the usual multi-dog greeting, but now the sorting and packing up in preparation for our own big move can begin.