Maxi mystery solved.

Maxi has been a part of our family for about a month now. Long enough for us to settle into our daily routines. We got Maxi from a Lab rescue organization and I know she had a purebred Lab mother because both Maxi and her mom came to the rescue together, but Maxi is so not Lab-like that it was driving me crazy. WHO WAS MAXI’S FATHER?

I’m going to complain a little bit about our dog – it is only because the dog will never learn to read that I am going to do this. Maxi barks. A lot. Maxi is a little stinky. Maxi is not yet housebroken despite being diligently crate trained. Maxi doesn’t really want to do what I tell her to do. Now a Lab generally does not bark. Ruby was house trained in about 24 hours. Ruby is not really malodorous. Ruby might not always do what I want, but she will never give you the hairy eyeball signaling – I know what you want me to do, but I’m going to do this other annoying thing (like knocking all the houseplants over). Even though Ruby is a mutt, I’m pretty sure she’s 75% Lab/Golden. Maxi is great in many ways, very loving, wants to be in the middle of everything, gets Ruby to play during the middle of the day and is an enthusiastic cuddler and tail wagger. She loves the kids/strangers and other doggies. But what genetic weirdness is showing up in our mutt?

So after weeks of fiddling around the internet, with the words, barking, stinky, difficult to housetrain and stubborn, I have discovered Maxi’s father’s identity!

Maxi’s dad was a BEAGLE. I went to the Lab-rescue and I got a Lab-colored beagle! From everything I can figure out, Beagles are awesome dogs, but they can be a lot of work (at least compared to a Lab). Beagles are great family pets, but hard to train. We are actually not very good trainers. Our main method of training is to wait until the dog gets older and tires of our lame shenanigans. Hence the desire for a Lab who’s only desire in the world is to do whatever anyone tells them to do. Not a Beagle who’s main claim to fame is stubbornness.

Apparently Lab/Beagle mixes are not entirely unknown. This is from the Beagle entry of the Wikipedia.

The Labbe, or Beagador, crosses a Beagle with the Labrador Retriever. The cross arose from naturally occurring crosses adopted from shelters. The Labbe (pronounced Lab ee)is an energetic dog that normally features the Labrador parent’s solid color (Chocolate, Black, Fawn, which tends to be darker than a Labrador) with white on the toes, chest and occasionally the chin. The dog grows to about the same size as a large beagle and tops out at between 30 and 40 pounds. The advantage is much of the looks and skill of a Labrador Retriever in a more compact dog that is resistant to some of the Labrador’s genetic problems, and not as prone to shed. However, Labbes often inherit the Beagle’s famous bark and a healthy dose of stubbornness.

I guess I’m looking forward to less shedding.  Which is good because we bought all the furniture to match Ruby’s hair.