FC Life January 2018

Column by Lois Stern

Foster and Lilli Are Dog Cousin s

By Marleen Hacker

Three years ago I rescued my dog, ‘Foster’, from the Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue. Very little was known about him, except his papers said he was between 1-2 years in age, he weighed 21 pounds, he had all his shots, he was in good health, and he was a large ‘Yorkshire Terrier.’ When I brought him to our vet, she was skeptical, and said due to his size “he most likely was mixed with another breed”. The average weight of this breed is between 5-10 pounds. Almost daily, I hear, “what a good looking dog. What kind is he? Impossible, Yorkies are small, he must be a mix.” Not that it makes a difference, and I couldn’t love him more, I decided to do a DNA test 6 weeks ago. I went online, and after doing some research I ordered the Wisdom Panel, Canine DNA Test for $75, which tests 250 breeds. A week later, the official-looking kit arrived, and I took 2 swabs from Foster’s cheek. The only information I returned with the swab, was his name and an activation code. I was amazed to

get the results in 2 weeks, and even more amazed when I read the comprehensive report. It said “Foster is a pure breed dating back 3 generations – parents, grandparents and great grandparents. He is 100% Yorkshire Terrier. They also sent me information about the breed, and I then discovered that in 1872 the breed came to America and soon after was recognized by the American Kennel Club. Prior to this, in England this breed hunted for rats and weighed around 30 pounds. These dogs were “downsized” (selective breeding) over the years to become show dogs, and that is the Yorkie we are accustomed to seeing today, a miniature of the original. So I guess you can say, I have an original! Lilli Stern, is a perfect example. She is sweet, beautiful, weighs 7 pounds, is a 100% purebred Yorkie, and technically is Foster’s cousin. They are neighbors and love playing with each other. Her mom, Lois, writes this column and is looking for stories or photos about the pets living in Frenchman’s Creek, so please contact her if you are interested at (561) 626-5062.

My name is Tango. I am a thirteen year old Black Poodle who is slightly overweight. I live with my Mother, Myrna Smernoff, an artist, and my Dad, Gerry Smernoff, a retired orthodontist. When I am not in beautiful French- man’s Creek, I live in Bethesda, Maryland. I do prefer life in Frenchman’s Creek (so many cool dogs to check out).

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