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Surprising Looking Dogs

Not all dogs wear their ancestry on their fur. Learn more about what makes dogs look the way they do.

Learn about the genetics behind some dogs' most surprising features

Link to What's a village dog? image from a video about village dogs

What's a village dog?

Not all dogs are mixes of purebred breeds.

Link to How a dog got his spots

How a dog got his spots

Spots don't always point to Dalmatian ancestry. Learn more about Tucker and his "ticking".

Link to Splotchy but not Catahoula photo from a video about how this dog looks like a catahoula but is not

Splotchy but not Catahoula

The splotchy coat pattern called "merle" can come from surprising breeds.

Link to Short-legged and long-bodied? photo of a dog that surprisingly has a lot of corgi in him

Short-legged and long-bodied?

Short legs don't always mean there's Corgi or Dachshund in a dog.

Link to Poodle curls, Lab colors, and body size a dog that surprisingly has poodle in her

Poodle curls, Lab colors, and body size

Sometimes highly visible traits have surprising genetic breed origins.

Link to Why is Chow Chow so common in mixes? a dog that surprisingly has chow chow ancestry

Why is Chow Chow so common in mixes?

Turns out, Chow is one of the most common breeds we see in mixes.

We’re always publishing more content around dog DNA learning. Check out our Learn Genetics at Home center for more topics

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