Harlow, the Pet-Source Spokesdog -- A Surprising Mix of Breeds!
The results from the Wisdom Panel Insight’s DNA test we administered Harlow, the Pet-Source spokesdog, are finally back, and no one was more surprised with the results than us!
Here it goes! Harlow’s genetic breakdown goes like this:
Primary Breed: Russell Terrier
Secondary Breeds (equal parts each): Chow Chow and Minature Poodle
Of course, the fun part of finding out what breeds make up your mixed dog’s heritage is then learning about those breeds, and seeing what traits that are standard to the breed fit your dog as well. Russell Terriers, or Jack Russell Terriers as they’re also known, tend to be –
1. Generally cheerful, devoted, and loving. Check!
2. Spirited and completely fearless. Check!
3. Intelligent and mostly obedient, but they must be trained well. If you let them take an inch, they can become willful and won’t stop until they’ve taken the whole mile! Double check!
4. Enjoy games and playing with toys. Check!
Harlow's primary breed is the Jack Russell Terrier!
5. Highly trainable and able to perform all manner of impressive tricks. In fact, they are often used on TV and in the movies for this reason. Check!
6. They tend to thrive with a job to do, and may become destructive if they don’t receive enough activities to stimulate them both mentally and physically. Check!
Chow Chow is one of the secondary breeds in Harlow. We know there must be a resemblance in there somewhere under all that fur!
So what about the secondary breeds? Well, we know the Chow Chow is also a dominant breed that needs a dominant owner, or he’ll push his boundaries to the point of complete obstinacy. Chow Chows should be trained with a calm, assertive hand from puppyhood to prevent unwanted behavioral problems. Properly trained Chow Chows, however, can be a joy to have in the house, well-mannered, and are great with kids.
Now, perhaps the most surprising result – Miniature Poodle! The Miniature Poodle is an intelligent and joyful companion dog (okay, so maybe we do see
Miniature Poodle is the other secondary breed found in Harlow's DNA. Harlow certainly has the poodle's joyful disposition and intelligence!
some Minature Poodle in Harlow after all!) Like the Russell Terrier, they can be trained to a high degree, and are happy to please their handler. They’re very clever, and like any intelligent dog, need to have plenty to keep their minds busy to be happy and stay out of trouble. They are also very social, and do not do well outside in a kennel, but need to be part of a family.
So it looks like Harlow has a double dose of stubbornness, coupled with a double dose of intelligence…hmmm, a recipe for trouble? You bet! And we love every inch of her sassy spirit! Thank goodness Sherry got her in training early, and she’s doing great. Playful, spirited, and smart, we believe Harlow represents the best of all her breeds and makes a great ambassador for the Pet-Source brand.
But it was a contest, you’re thinking. WHO WON?!
Congratulations to Abby Bane, our Grand Prize Winner!
Okay, drum roll please… First prize goes to Abby Bane for guessing Harlow’s primary breed of Jack Russell Terrier. Congratulations, Abby! We don’t know how you guessed it, but you were the only one out of 472 contest entries who nailed the primary breed! As Grand Prize Winner, Abby will receive $200 of Pet-Source merchandise – and just in time for the holidays, too. Abby is the proud pet parent of Crystal, Doc, Tiki, Elvira, Malina, so we don’t think she’ll have any trouble finding a way to spend that $200!
We had a little more trouble choosing a second place winner because no one else guessed the primary breed, or even got the secondary breeds completely right. So, we’ve decided to award a $50 gift certificate to one of the six contestants who named Jack Russell as the secondary breed. Congratulations, Carolyn Hastings! Carolyn is the proud pet parent of Jesse. It looks like a happy holiday for Jesse this year!
Thank you to everyone who entered the Guess Harlow’s breed contest. We’re so grateful to everyone who participated and registered a guess. Harlow’s breed make-up is a mystery no more!
the Chow as it is known today is easily recognizable in pottery and sculptures of the Chinese Han
Dynasty (206 B.C. to 22 A.D.); other artifacts indicate that even a much older breed and may have come originally fro Arctic Circle, migrating to Mongolia, Siberia and China. The Chow came to America by way of England where it had been brought from China in the late 1700′s. Sailors returning from the east brought them back in the cargo holds of trade ships. “Chow Chow” was a slang term applied to the large variety of itemscarried by these ships. Like a nickname, the term stuck to these dogs.In the United States, the chow chow was a highly popular pet among the rich and famous during theRoaring Twenties.President Calvin Coolidge and his wife owned a black chow named Timmy. Chow chows were also popular in the 1930s and 1980s.