For many dog lovers, the idea of bringing a Labrador Retriever home feels impossible to resist. It’s easy to understand why they remain one of America’s most beloved breeds. Loyal, playful, intelligent, and full of energy, they fit naturally into family life and often step up as protectors when the moment calls for it.
Emily Bishop Green from Washington knew all of this well. So when Rudy, a black Labrador mix, entered her world, she welcomed him without hesitation.
Right from the start, their connection felt effortless. Rudy adjusted quickly to his new surroundings, showing again and again that he belonged there.
Still, one surprise waited around the corner. Rudy turned out to be not quite as much Labrador as Emily had originally believed.
The “Labrador” That Wasn’t
Imagine the surprise of discovering that the dog you thought was nearly purebred isn’t even close.
That’s exactly what happened when Emily received Rudy’s DNA test results. She was at work when the results came through and wasted no time sharing them with her husband, and soon, the whole community.
Emily posted the shocking results on Reddit, and they quickly went viral. Rudy, who appeared to be mostly a Labrador mix, was revealed to have only a tiny fraction of Labrador in his DNA.
As it turned out, Rudy was primarily an American Pit Bull Terrier and Rottweiler mix, with traces of American Staffordshire Terrier, Boxer, Plott Hound, and Bloodhound in his ancestry. The Labrador Retriever portion? A mere 2%.
“Are these believable? He is about 11.5 weeks old and we got him from a shelter, so of course nobody could have known,” Emily wrote in the post.
Her post gained immense attention, and the reactions flooded in.
“No, he’s 2% lab, and 98% Labrador deceiver,” one person joked.
“Ok, not sure if I speak for everyone here but, we gonna NEED some updates, mkay,” another added.
One user shared their own similar experience with a “Lab mix”: “I think we kinda have the same dog. Most people will mistakenly think he’s a labrador but he’s a mixed of pitbull, Staffordshire, french bulldog, and many others lol.”
Still Perfect In Every Way
While Rudy’s DNA results were a complete surprise to his family, one thing remains unchanged: Rudy is still an amazing dog.
According to Emily, Rudy is full of personality: funny, quirky, and energetic, sometimes to the point of being a little too energetic!
He’s adjusted wonderfully to his new home and family, though he’s still learning how to interact with other dogs, especially the smaller ones, who “scare him,” Emily shared on Reddit.
Rudy is crate-trained, picks up new tricks quickly, and is well on his way to becoming the perfect canine companion.
Despite being only 2% Labrador, adopting Rudy was an incredibly rewarding decision for Emily and her family. And they wouldn’t change a thing.
