Wisdom Dog DNA Test

For xmas last year, I received a Wisdom DNA test kit. I’m dying to know what this critter is made up of. The county pound we pulled her from (she was a street stray) identified her as a Shar-Pei / German Shepherd. I see the Shar-Pei, but I’m thinking Australian Cattle Dog (which includes Dingo), and maybe Belgian Malinois. You have to see her in motion to really get the ACD, but she reminds me a lot of Max Rockatansky’s companion in Road Warrior. She definitely knew exactly what to do, the first time she ever encountered livestock!

The process so far (with a nod to the fact that we’re still in the COVID-19 pandemic, with all the attendant disruptions):

• October 21, 2020 (Wednesday): She had to go in for surgery to have some masses removed (they were benign). Perfect opportunity (no food or water for hours prior) to finally swab her cheek. Samples were mailed back to Wisdom that day or the next.
• October 25, 2020 (Sunday): The post office shows the sample having been delivered to Wisdom’s P.O. Box in Nebraska.
• The week of October 25, 2020: Wisdom’s “dashboard” shows the sample received. (I didn’t note the exact date, but it was within a couple of days of the post office delivery.)
• November 4, 2020 (Wednesday): I got an email from Wisdom: “We have successfully extracted [your dog]’s DNA, which means we're one step closer to sharing their results! Next up, we'll purify the DNA and place it on a laboratory chip for genotyping. Then, we'll compare your pup's genetic profile to more than 18 million possible breed combinations (using the largest dog DNA database on the market) and screen your pup's DNA for genetic markers linked to disease.” Meanwhile, the dashboard now shows her sample in “Sample Being Processed” status. (My inner typography nerd is only slightly triggered by the use of a smart quote in the first part of the email, but a standard ' at the end. ;) )
• November 9, 2020 (Monday): I checked the link and her results are up! Definitely not what I was expecting (but makes sense):

Edit: Apparently, in September 2021, Wisdom updated their results to be more granular and specific (and they also apparently now also try to identify relatives): 

Asian and Oceanian
28%	Siberian Husky
19%	Chow Chow
3%	Akita
3%	Chinese Shar-Pei
2%	Samoyed
Herding
15%	German Shepherd Dog
3%	Collie
3%	Australian Cattle Dog
3%	Border Collie
Guard
8%	American Pit Bull Terrier
5%	Doberman Pinscher
3%	American Staffordshire Terrier
2%	Boxer
Sporting
2%	Labrador Retriever
Companion
1%	American Eskimo Dog

Astrid’s updated DNA summary

Meanwhile, it seems all I’m doing is waiting. Waiting on her DNA test results. Waiting on election results. Waiting on a local trial court to issue a final ruling on a huge motion for summary judgment (tons of research, time drafting and assembling, etc., a very favorable tentative, “taken under submission” after oral arguments on Tuesday; history with this judge suggests a ruling by the end of the week, 🤞). Waiting on the Ninth Circuit to finally get around to deciding an appeal I brought last spring; was scheduled for oral arguments in April, before they were canceled due to the pandemic. Our papers were strong, but the odds of successfully appealing are fairly low ...) I just want answers, damnit! But I digress.

Edit (Oct. 4, 2023): Came across this article, which casts unfortunate doubt on the veracity of these DNA tests: How accurate are dog DNA tests? We unleash the truth. So maybe Astrid is an ACD/Shar-Pei/Malinois mix after all. Maybe some Carolina Dog? Who knows?