To me, every dog is special — regardless of breed. I’m pretty sure most dog owners feel the same. We live life side by side with our pups, making memories, going on adventures, meeting new people, and just sharing everything.
Whether they’re mixed or not doesn’t make them any less valuable. That said, some people do have a preference for specific breeds — and that’s completely valid, too!
But things get tricky when you believe you’ve purchased or adopted a purebred dog, only to discover that the truth might be something else entirely. That’s exactly what happened to a Texas couple — or so it seemed!
Is This Really a Lab?
Sara Barrow, from Texas, was taken aback the first time she met Callie — her friends’ newly adopted Labrador Retriever. The couple had found Callie on Craigslist, complete with documentation stating she was a purebred, but Sara wasn’t convinced.
“When they purchased her as a puppy she was advertised as ‘Pure AKC Labrador Retriever.’ Her husband is convinced she’s pure and says he has paperwork… However she’s clearly a mixed dog,” Sara starts in the Reddit post.
What threw her off was Callie’s unusually long and narrow snout — quite unlike what you’d expect from a typical Lab.
“I’m so perplexed as to what she can be mixed with. I’ve never seen a dog with such a long and skinny snout before,” she adds.
And that wasn’t the only odd trait. Callie also weighed just over 40 pounds and had a bushy tail that curled up — not exactly standard Labrador features.
Despite these quirks, Callie quickly won the hearts of her new family. She arrived looking sweet and innocent, and before long, became part of the family. Her breed no longer mattered — she was their girl through and through.
Still, Sara’s curiosity lingered. So, she decided to surprise her friends by gifting them an Embark DNA test to finally settle the mystery.
Meanwhile, the story gained traction on Reddit, where many commenters sided with Sara. A lot of users speculated that Callie might be part Poodle, or mixed with another breed entirely — but very few believed she was a pure Lab.
Then came the surprising twist!
The DNA Results Say…
When the test results finally came back, they delivered a shock: Callie was, in fact, 100% Labrador Retriever!
That’s right! Despite her less-than-typical appearance, the test confirmed what the papers had claimed all along.
Once Sara posted the outcome, many online followers were floored. How could that be possible? Some suspected a genetic mutation or another anomaly that affected her looks — but there were no definite answers.
“Maybe a generic condition affecting her appearance and size? Inbred? I think y’all will be just as mind blown,” Sara concludes.
Whatever the cause, one thing is now certain — Callie is indeed a full-blooded Lab. And her unique features? They just add to her charm. She’s living proof that even purebreds can surprise you!