Venn diagram

Compare your dogs to Red Wolf Select one to begin:

Red Wolf

Coyote

“He hunts lots of deer and rabbits”

This dog has been viewed and been given 2 wags

Genetic Breed Result

Loading...

Coyote

Coyotes aren’t really dogs. That’s the first thing people need to know about them. The second thing they need to know is that Coyotes do not make very good pets—they should be left to live in the wild as nature intended. However, just because people can’t bring them into their homes doesn’t mean that they aren’t fascinating creatures. There is a lot we can learn from these canid cousins of our beloved house pets.

Learn More

Loading...

Start a conversation! Message this dog’s humans.

Loading...

Explore

Here’s what Red Wolf’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 Red Wolf’s breed mix.
Loading...
Loading...

Explore

Through Red Wolf’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

H

Haplotype

H5

Map

H

Red Wolf’s Haplogroup

This is a lineage that is found infrequently in dogs and may only be found in coyotes and dogs with recent coyote ancestors. It is very different from all known dog lineages indicating a long time between the most recent common ancestor of canids in this lineage and domestic dogs.

H5

Red Wolf’s Haplotype

This haplotype has been spotted in coyotes and dogs with coyote ancestry. Not only is that pretty neat, but it also helps move science forward.

North American coyotes have been known to mix with dogs in parts of the United States.

Loading...

Explore

Through Red Wolf’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

F

Haplotype

H9.1

Map

F

Red Wolf’s Haplogroup

F is the odd duck in the family of domestic dog male lineages. This paternal lineage is genetically closer to wolves, foxes, and jackals than to other dogs. This indicates that it came into the dog population after dogs were originally domesticated, when one particularly attractive male wolf mated with a female dog, over 6,000 years ago. Since then, these dogs found their way into Africa and Mongolia. It hasn't been found outside those areas except in Basenjis. Basenjis are an iconic African breed, that first made its way to the USA in the early 20th century when a handful of individuals were imported from the Congo. The Basenji is an ancient breed which is distantly related to other dog breeds (most of which are European or Asian), and it has the earliest separation date from all other breed populations. Unsurprisingly, the F lineage has also been found in African village dogs, as well as, surprisingly, some samples from Mongolia. The fact the lineage is found in two very distant places is evidence that it entered the dog population many thousands of years ago.

H9.1

Red Wolf’s Haplotype

Part of the F haplogroup, the H9.1 haplotype occurs most commonly in Coyotes. It's a rare find!

Congo Dogs in Africa commonly have this hapgloroup.

Loading...

Explore