Woman puzzled about her dog's breed: DNA test result hits her unexpectedly

Arizona (USA) - It has always been clear that Zira is a mixed breed dog. But the question of exactly what breeds she was made of nagged at her owner Michaela Hyle from Arizona for years. One reason for this was the teasing from her father and husband that the furry friend was part coyote. Now a DNA test has finally shed some light on the matter - and was an unexpected surprise, especially for the owner.

"I wanted a DNA test not only to prove she wasn't a coyote, but also to see what breed she was," Hyle explained in an interview with Newsweek this week.

The US-American originally rescued Zira from an animal shelter, where the four-legged friend would have been euthanized just one day later. She was told there that Zira was a Rottweiler/Shepherd mix - but she never believed it.

Because there was always something more important to do, Hyle kept putting off the planned DNA test. Finally, her husband put an end to the eternal procrastination.

For Christmas, he not only gave his wife a DNA test for Zira, but also for her other two mixed-breed dogs.

When Hyle saw Zira's long list, she couldn't believe her eyes: "It consisted of 20 different breeds, almost all with small proportions, but the largest proportion was 19 percent, namely for Rottweilers, which really surprised me."

So Zira is part Rottweiler, but also: 14 percent Pitbull Terrier, seven percent Siberian Husky, six percent Australian Cattle Dog, five percent American Staffordshire Terrier.

She is also part of a Border Collie, a German Shepherd, an Alaskan Malamute, a Chow Chow, a Golden Retriever, a Chihuahua, a Dalmatian, a Labrador Retriever, a Cocker Spaniel, an English Springer Spaniel and an Airedale Terrier.

Hyle is all the more fascinated by her dog today. "It was a great experience for us," she told the US magazine.