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Merlin

Mixed Ancestry

“We adopted Merlin from Aussie Rescue and Placement Helpline in October 2021 after they rescued him from a shelter in east Texas. He is super sweet and gentle with everyone and loves to play with our other dog. Merlin and I are beginning training to become an animal therapy team through Pet Partners, which I did for 10 years with a previous dog.”

Current Location

Arlington, Texas, USA

From

Burleson, Texas, USA

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Genetic Breed Result

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Embark Supermutt analysis

What’s in that Supermutt? There may be small amounts of DNA from these distant ancestors:

Australian Shepherd

Australian Shepherds are an energetic mid-sized breed that make the perfect companion.

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McNab

McNabs are an interesting breed of herding dog that originated in the Mendocino region of Northern California. It should be noted that it’s quite rare to be able to pinpoint such a specific place of origin for a dog breed from the United States. They were specifically created to withstand the scorching heat of the Mendocino region of California.

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Dogs Like Merlin

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Discover dogs who share a similar breed mix to Merlin. A higher score means the two dogs have more of their breed mix in common. A score of 100% means they share the exact same breed mix!

Click or tap on a pic to learn more about each dog and see an in-depth comparison of their DNA, breeds, and more.

DNA Breed Origins

Breed colors:
Australian Shepherd
McNab
Supermutt

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Here’s what Merlin’s family tree may have looked like.
While there may be other possible configurations of his family’s relationships, this is the most likely family tree to explain Merlin’s breed mix.

Breed Reveal Video

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Through Merlin’s mitochondrial DNA we can trace his mother’s ancestry back to where dogs and people first became friends. This map helps you visualize the routes that his ancestors took to your home. Their story is described below the map.

Haplogroup

B1

Haplotype

B47

Map

B1

Merlin’s Haplogroup

B1 is the second most common maternal lineage in breeds of European or American origin. It is the female line of the majority of Golden Retrievers, Basset Hounds, and Shih Tzus, and about half of Beagles, Pekingese and Toy Poodles. This lineage is also somewhat common among village dogs that carry distinct ancestry from these breeds. We know this is a result of B1 dogs being common amongst the European dogs that their conquering owners brought around the world, because nowhere on earth is it a very common lineage in village dogs. It even enables us to trace the path of (human) colonization: Because most Bichons are B1 and Bichons are popular in Spanish culture, B1 is now fairly common among village dogs in Latin America.

B47

Merlin’s Haplotype

Part of the large B1 haplogroup, we have spotted this haplotype in village dogs in South America, Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. Among the 8 breeds we have sampled it in, this haplotype occurs most frequently in Newfoundlands, Australian Cattle Dogs, and Pembroke Welsh Corgis.

The B1 haplogroup can be found in village dogs like the Peruvian Village Dog, pictured above.

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Through Merlin’s Y-chromosome we can trace his father’s ancestry back to where dogs and people first became friends. This map helps you visualize the routes that his ancestors took to your home. Their story is described below the map.

Haplogroup

A1a

Haplotype

H1a.49

Map

A1a

Merlin’s Haplogroup

Some of the wolves that became the original dogs in Central Asia around 15,000 years ago came from this long and distinguished line of male dogs. After domestication, they followed their humans from Asia to Europe and then didn't stop there. They took root in Europe, eventually becoming the dogs that founded the Vizsla breed 1,000 years ago. The Vizsla is a Central European hunting dog, and all male Vizslas descend from this line. During the Age of Exploration, like their owners, these pooches went by the philosophy, "Have sail, will travel!" From the windy plains of Patagonia to the snug and homey towns of the American Midwest, the beaches of a Pacific paradise, and the broad expanse of the Australian outback, these dogs followed their masters to the outposts of empires. Whether through good fortune or superior genetics, dogs from the A1a lineage traveled the globe and took root across the world. Now you find village dogs from this line frolicking on Polynesian beaches, hanging out in villages across the Americas, and scavenging throughout Old World settlements. You can also find this "prince of patrilineages" in breeds as different as German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Pugs, Border Collies, Scottish Terriers, and Irish Wolfhounds. No male wolf line has been as successful as the A1a line!

H1a.49

Merlin’s Haplotype

Part of the A1a haplogroup, the H1a.49 haplotype occurs most commonly in McNabs and English Shepherds.

Dogs with A1a lineage travelled during European Colonial times.

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