Rosy: “What am I, Mr. Duck? Will we ever really know?”
Duck: “Not bloody likely, kid.”
For Christmas, Rosy bought me and Geoff a Wisdom Panel Insights DNA test… using my credit card. It cost $65 and involved swabbing her cheek to get a sample (she loved that part), sending the sample off to a lab, and waiting three weeks for the results. And those results are in! Drum roll please…
A Chihuahua mixed with an English Springer Spaniel? Seriously?! I call shenanigans. This dog has to have at least a smidgen of Italian Greyhound in her.
The report goes on to identify the five “next best breed matches” that were detected in her DNA, which could have contributed to the mixed breed grandparent.
Out of those, the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon seems most similar to her body shape, though she does have a few “long face” expressions that remind me a lot of a Dachshund.
Before getting this DNA test, I’d read online that they’re not accurate. It was really an impulse buy that we did for fun. (Damn you, Humane Society, for putting these right next to the register a week before Christmas!) And now that we “know” what she is, I kind of don’t care. Rosy will always be a Greyhuahua to me. But that’s the last time I lend her my credit card…
Emily is a freelance writer, miniaturist, and adventure game enthusiast.
i have my own italian greyhuahua and believe me that looks like a italian greyhuahua! How is he part bulldog? wow! okay then..don’t believe in that junk that wasted your money.just go to a regular vet which is very cheaper than the humane society seriously and near christmas time! wow okay bye now! very cute bulldog by the way! :P
agreed – I have one, and he looks the same! the ”flying fold” of the ears, is an extra fold, that is a sure sign of Greyhound family.
I have a full blooded chihuahua that looks sort of like your Rosie, just not so thin. She was too big to sell so they gave her to the HS where we picked her up. Sorry you wasted your money on that test. Your pooch is too cute, who cares what she is!
I have a female dog that looks exactly like yours. I often thought of doing the dna test as well, but have heard from several people that those tests are bullcrap. I would venture a guess that there are some reputable companies out there but have no idea how to distinguish reputable ones from b.s. ones. My vet says she is italian greyhound chihuahua mix. The closest photo matches i have found on line support that theory. Also min pin greyhound mix is close. The pink nose has always thrown a curveball into the search. My little girl was abandoned and clearly abused so i have no other info. Her name is Sierra and regardless of her genetics, she is a true blessing in my life.
Thank you for your post. I have had Leilani for 2 months. She is a rescue and she seems like a Chihuahua / Italian Greyhound mix but she also has the pink nose! Very lovable, sweet, and fast!
Mine has the ”chocolate nose” too!
Haha, I’ve seen the brown nose referred to as a “liver nose.” I like “chocolate nose” better!
The DNA dog tests are total crap! I have known many people who have used them and the results are just bizarre and make no sense at all. I have a dog who I just adopted and he is 9 months old and looks exactly like your Rosy! He is a Greyhuahua, no doubt! He comes from Texas, where they have a huge problem with way too many chihuahua and chihuahua mixes. I had no idea that the state was simply over run with these dogs, but they are. Breeders from Texas and a lot from Mexico, and somehow these poor dogs have ended up on the streets and flooding shelters and rescue organizations. My baby was in San Antonio, and was in one of the high kill shelters very close to being euthanized. While I think the name “Greyhuahua” is silly and sounds ridiculous, it is definitely what my boy is!
Thanks for your comment! California shelters have been overrun with Chihuahuas for years, too. I’ve seen clips on the news about rescue Chihuahuas being flown out to the east coast where they’re harder to find.
Just today someone asked me if Rosy is a Chihuahua / Italian Greyhound mix. We have never had anyone ask if she’s an English Springer Spaniel mix. ;)
I totally have the same dog!
I found your blog today while looking for pictures of Italian Greyhuahuas. We were told our dog was an Italian Greyhound mix when we adopted her, but we did the Wisdom DNA test & the results said she was a mixture of Chihuahua, Chinook and Norfolk Terrier. I don’t believe it at all because people come up to us on the street all the time and ask if she is an Italian Greyhound.
;-)
I’m glad so many people are now familiar with this wonderful breed
I ran across your page while looking for something else, and had to comment. First, DNA is a crazy thing! My parents were both tall with black hair, and I’m only 5’4″ with blonde, curly hair (and there were no shenanigans, lol). While I don’t look like either of my parents, I look like a cross between two of my Mom’s sisters, and am a near-twin to my father’s niece, so clearly I am related. :whew!:
Take some dogs who don’t look similar and breed them together – of course you’re going to get some unexpected results who don’t look specifically like either of the parents.
One of my dogs is a crazy mix – her Mom was a Chihuahua /Shih Tsu mix, and her Dad was an English Springer Spaniel /Mini-Manchester Terrier mix. People trying to guess think she’s some combo of Jack Russell/Italian Greyhound/Chihuahua. In her face I see a lot of the English Springer Spaniel, but she’s 10lbs, short white and reddish-blonde hair, so it’s hard to get past the ESS and MMMT’s colouring when I look at pictures of those dogs, and she doesn’t look anything like a Shih Tsu.
My other dog was a mystery so I had his DNA tested (I used Wisdom/Mars after a lot of research) and after getting his results (which made sense) I called Wisdom, and was able to speak with a lab tech. They gave me a lot more info, which was really fascinating.
I’m not sure what your Rosy looks like, but I wouldn’t discount the results so fast. Definitely give them a call and ask for more info, you might find it enlightening. :)
I am getting a rescued dog that looks a lot like yours so I have been trying to find out the mix and I came across the Chihuahua Pharaoh Hound mix. They seem to have that pinkish nose too.
I’ve never even heard of a Pharaoh Hound! I looked it up and you’re right, the body type and the pinkish nose are similar to Rosy’s.
those are VERY rare
I just adopted my Mobley a week ago from a dog rescue shelter and I’ve been binging on pictures and videos of Italian Greyhuahua’s all week since Mobley looks identical to so many of the Greyhuahua’s I’ve seen online. I mailed my Wisdom Panel 3.0 test yesterday since I was dying for confirmation of his mix. His adoption papers say he’s a chihuahua mix but they have no history of where he came from other than the Humane Society in Odessa TX (he was transported to the shelter in Wisconsin where I live). I’m hoping SO MUCH for confirmation but after reading your blog-I am hoping I didn’t just waste my money! I really believe he’s a Greyhuahua, but we’ll see what the results will say! HE’s looks very similar to Rosy but only weighs 8 pounds at age 2! He’s only been with us a week and we’re already totally IN LOVE!
Please post again when you get the results, I’m curious what they’ll be! Rosy is now about 12 and still going strong. She has been a great dog.
My sweet little Patrona Cabolita is almost certainly an IG/Chihuahua mix. Cabo looks very much like yours.
She was a street dog in Mexico (Cabo) and was rescued by my friends who have a winter home there.
She definitely has Chihuahua blood. But she also has rosebud ears (when they’re not sticking straight up) and Italian Greyhound tan coloring .
When I let her off leash in a enclosed area, she zooms, faster than light, just like all the IGs I’ve ever had. I’ve never seen a Chihuahua do that.
I wish there were a way to add an image to a comment here.
BJ
BTW, I’ve been referring to Cabo as an “IG-huahua.” With the right inflection, sort of like a Mexican movie bandit, it sounds cool! EYE GEE HUA HUA
? LOL
Haha, that’s perfect! You can email me a picture at inquiry [at] emilymorganti.com. Rosy zooms like that too, she looks just like a greyhound.