Why your dog is a different breed than his littermates

Why can littermates [of mixed breed parents] have different breed mixes or different percentages of breeds?
Genetic recombination!
While they can have different fathers (fun fact this is called superfecundation), genetic recombination is often the cause.

Genes are packaged on rod-like structures called chromosomes. Dogs have two copies of every chromosomes because they get one copy from their mother, and one copy from their father. They can only pass on one copy to a puppy. When a sperm or egg develops, a pair of chromosomes (one from mom and one from dad) will cross over and swap parts so they become a mix of both parents genes. This is called genetic recombination. It is random. Some puppies might inherit a chromosome that had more genetic information from one breed than another. Sometimes, a puppy might not inherit any genes from a breed in its ancestry. This is why puppies (and human siblings!) look different from each other and are not all identical.

*this content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not substitute professional medical advice with veterinarian professionals.

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