No Longer A Small White Dog – Benji’s Breed Reveal


Benji and Kat at Crissy Field, Breed Reveal, Agolde Parker Shorts, Kat Ensign, Kathleen Ensign, Ralph Lauren tie-dye



Today is the day! July 31 is National Mutt Day and my lovable little guy, Benji will no longer be referred to as a small white dog thanks to the Breed Identification Dog DNA Test Kit from Chewy.

But before we get to the Breed Reveal and ALL the photos of us in matching tie-dye fits, let’s take a minute to talk about how Benji came into my life…

A little over seven years ago I was minding my own business drinking rosé and reading 50 Shades of Grey on my iPad in Washington Square Park when a man in the park approached me. The man was holding two teeny tiny puppies and said,

“Hey, Lady you want this dog?”

and without skipping a beat (thanks to the rosé), I said sure! The dog fit in the palm of my hand, went by the name Spartacus and had been living in the park and eating mayonnaise sandwiches. I gave the man $60 and he was mine. The man asked to give Spartacus one last mayo sammie and before he left I asked him what kind of dog I had just acquired. The man told me that Spartacus was a Yorkie/Chihuahua mix and walked away. This dog barely weighed 2 pounds, was a dark apricot color and looked nothing like a Yorkie/Chihuahua mix.

Flash forward to today and Spartacus is now Benji (named after the statue of Benjamin Franklin in the park), about 7 pounds and white. Now, if you have a mixed breed rescue dog you are familiar with the game people play with you every time they ask you what kind of dog you have. I always just say that I don’t know and I call him a small white dog. They come back with Havanese or Schitzu and I just shrug my shoulders and walk away!


Benji and Kat at Crissy Field, Breed Reveal, Agolde Parker Shorts, Kat Ensign, Kathleen Ensign, Ralph Lauren tie-dye


Fashion blogger KatWalkSF on the beach wearing the POLO RALPH LAUREN Big Fit Tie-Dye Shirt with her dog.


Now let’s discuss what I used to get the results:

The Wisdom Panel 3.0 Breed Identification Dog DNA Test Kit from Chewy makes it easy to find out the breed of your dog. With this simple kit, you can swab your dog’s cheek, send it off in a postage-paid box, discover your dog’s genetic background in just 2-3 weeks and throw your dog an epic breed reveal party!

The results are traced back to the great-grandparent level with over 250 breeds detected, including almost all of those recognized by the AKC. You decide whether you want the test to be run for mixed-breed, designer or purebred. All of the tests include a predicted weight profile and will check for the multi-drug resistance 1 (MDR1) genetic mutation that may cause severe adverse reactions to commonly prescribed drugs. The purebred and designer dog tests will also provide a chart that compares your dog with others of the same breed, and the purebred test adds a Homozygosity Profile that measures genetic markers.


Fashion blogger KatWalkSF shares the results on the beach of his Chewy Wisdom Panel 3.0 Breed Identification Dog DNA Test Kit

Key Benefits of the Wisdom Panel 3.0 Breed Identification Dog DNA Test Kit

  • Detects over 250 breeds, types and varieties including 99% of AKC-recognized breeds. Traces 3 generations revealing your dog’s genetic background.
  • Provides adult weight prediction to help with lifelong nutritional choices for your dog.
  • Includes MDR1 genetic mutation test to check for multi-drug resistance that may cause severe adverse reactions to commonly prescribed drugs.
  • No need for blood testing at the vet, DNA cheek swab identifies dog’s ancestry so you better understand your dog’s unique appearance, training needs, behaviors, and health/wellness needs. Perfect for use on rescues.
  • The customized report provides a family tree going back to the great-grandparents and will detect whether it is a purebred, mixed-breed or designer dog.

Benji at Crissy Field with his Breed Reveal results, Chewy, KatWalkSF, Kat Ensigm

Ok! Now let’s get to the results:

A luxurious laminated packet arrived with all of Benji’s results and SHOCKER the man in the park who gave me Benji was right!

Benji is:

37.5% Yorkshire Terrier

37.5% Chihuahua

25% Breed Groups

  • Companion
  • Sporting
  • Sighthound

and he tested clear for the multi-drug resistance 1 (MDR1) genetic mutation.


Wahoo! We finally know what he is!

Details on how to throw your own Breed Reveal Party here.

Shop Benji’s favorite bed here


2 Comments

  1. Wow, it’s incredible how this small dog underwent such a transformation – I wonder what inspired the change?

  2. Wow, what a heartwarming transformation—such an inspiring story of growth and change!

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