Man Wanted Golden Retriever, So Adopts Stray—Then Come Shock DNA Results
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A man who had always wanted a golden retriever thought he had struck gold with a stray who appeared to be a golden mix—only to be baffled when his DNA results came in.
Reddit user u/vansic32 took to the r/DoggyDNA sub on August 10, where she introduced users to their dog, Walter—"our golden surprise." She said: "My husband always wanted a golden retriever so we adopted this NM [New Mexico] stray thinking we can have a golden mix. We were very surprised with his results."
The woman posted plenty of photos of Walter, who, with his silky golden coat, fluffy ears, brown button nose and smiling face, certainly looked the part. In some images, particularly of him as a puppy, he almost looks like a full golden retriever.
But when the results came in, it was found that not only was Walter not a golden retriever, but also there was not a drop of the breed's DNA in his blood.
Instead, the test revealed Walter was a mix of an Australian cattle dog (31.9 percent); small poodle (24.4 percent); and German shepherd dog (14.1 percent).
The rest of Walter's heritage was a mix of chow chow, Labrador retriever, and American pit bull terrier, the test stated; all very different-looking dogs, which had somehow combined to produce Walter.
Reddit users were fascinated, awarding the post more than 1,100 upvotes, as one commenter wrote: "We call these golden deceivers."
"I'm honestly shocked that he has no golden. What a beautiful boy," another posted, as a third added: "This is the most convincing deceiver ever."
One commenter described Walter as a "DIY golden," adding: "Sorry for your husband. Haha. Maybe ignorance would have been bliss."
Walter rests at home.
Walter rests at home.
Reddit u/vansic32
"Wanting a golden and getting an ACD [Australian cattle dog] is … something," one ACD owner wrote. "I'm sure he's a very good boy in his own way!"
Walter's owner responded, saying the dog is "definitely our aloof weirdo, but we love him."
Personality-wise, golden retrievers are known for their friendly and devoted nature, with a playful approach to life, and always eager to please their owners, according to the American Kennel Club.
Australian cattle dogs, meanwhile, are loyal and extremely intelligent, but not known to be as affectionate—and are clever enough to outsmart their owners at times.
Newsweek has contacted u/vanisc32 via Reddit for comment on this story.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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