When you get a new puppy, you have a million ideas about who they are — and sometimes, reality has other plans.
My first dog as an adult was a purebred Rhodesian Ridgeback named Toronto.
Toronto was an incredible dog — loyal, athletic, soulful. He lived a full, happy life for a Ridgeback, making it to twelve years old.
(If you want to hear more about Toronto — and the lessons he taught me about raising a dog — there’s more in my book, Help! I Got a Puppy.)
After Toronto passed, it took us almost six years to even consider another dog.
When we finally did, I was open-minded. I thought about a number of different breeds:
I also explored more athletic breeds like the German Shorthaired Pointer and Weimaraner, looking for a partner for hiking and jogging.
One day, my wife’s sister sent us a Facebook video of rescue dogs coming up from Arkansas. There, among dozens of pups, was this little reddish puppy — with a full, clear ridge running down his back. He looked exactly like a Rhodesian Ridgeback, and for us, he was irresistable.
We applied immediately and, against the odds during the pandemic puppy craze, we got him.
When we brought Ranger home, I was convinced hewas mostly Ridgeback, if not purebred. The ridge, his athletic build, and his scent-driven behavior all pointed to it.
With DNA testing widely available, it was a no-brainer for us. We chose Embark. We waited for the kit to arrive, swabbed him, and anxiously awaited the results.
Obviously, as the title gives away, I was expecting mostly Ridgeback. I thought, maybe there could be some German Shepherd, and possibly even a little Beagle as Ranger sniffs everything like a maniac.
Reality... 0% Ridgeback detected, 6.6% German Shepherd, no Beagle.
Below is the DNA profile Embark found:
No Ridgeback. No Beagle. Barely any German Shepherd.
I couldn’t let it go. That ridge is real.
So, I reached out to Embark to see if they could explain how a dog with a full ridge could have no detectable Ridgeback ancestry.
They got back to me fairly quickly, and their answer was polite — they confirmed that Ranger’s DNA showed no Ridgeback, and they explained that sometimes physical traits like a ridge can appear without recent breed ancestry.
At the end of the day, it just wasn’t enough for me. So I decided to try a second DNA test, this time with Wisdom Panel, to see if I could get a more complete picture.
At first, Wisdom Panel also didn’t detect Ridgeback. But when I reached out, they provided me a lot more info.
Wisdom Panel:
It felt like they looked at my dog, not just a dog.
A few months later I got an email from Wisdom Panel... "Ranger’s breed results have been updated." And, when I logged in, there it was:
5% Rhodesian Ridgeback detected.
Not a huge percentage — but real, and important. I would love Ranger no matter what, of course — but it’s important to me, if only because it gives me a connection back to Toronto, my first dog.
CategoryEmbarkWisdom PanelRidgeback Detected?❌ No✅ Yes (5%)Ridge Gene Confirmed?Not detailed✅ Yes (FGF gene cluster)Breed OverlapPit Bull, Border Collie, GSD, RottweilerPit Bull, Border Collie, GSD, RottweilerCustomer SupportPolite but genericPersonalized and thoroughTrait ReportingBasicDeep and technicalWould I Recommend?Good for quick infoBest for stubborn owners like me
Final Thought: I'd start with Wisdom Panel next time — but honestly, if you really want a full picture, I'd still do both.
The ridgeback trait is dominant.
That means even distant Ridgeback ancestry can cause a full visible ridge — even if the breed mix is heavily diluted.
Ranger's coat shows:
Fun fact: The white on Ranger’s paws and chest is a result of "residual white spotting." It's like pouring a can of paint over a dog's back — the pigment starts at the spine during development and flows outward. If there's not enough "paint," the edges (paws, chest, tail) stay white.
Ranger's intense nose-to-ground tracking?
That drive is strong in herding breeds and guardian breeds too, not just scent hounds.
"Supermutt" ancestry is a mix of distant, undetectable breed contributions.
Every rescue dog has a little mystery in them — and that's part of the fun.
Different DNA companies have different reference libraries and algorithms.
Updates happen — and catching low-percentage breeds like Ranger's Ridgeback heritage is becoming more possible over time.
DNA tests gave me a window into Ranger’s history. But they didn’t define him.
Your dog is more than a percentage.
They're your hiking buddy, your running partner, your family.
No matter where the DNA says they came from — you’re their home now.
