Claudia Inoue admits it was vanity — and a touch of curiosity — that drove her to have Nita's DNA tested so she could once and for all determine the dog's genetic makeup.

"Everyday — even today — people will walk into the shop and say, 'Oh my God, she's beautiful. What kind of a dog is she?' " said Inoue, who helps run Toy Auto Man, an auto garage on Airport Road, with her husband, Stephen. "And I wanted to be able to tell them. But Stephen was right all along: She's 50 percent sweetheart and 50 percent beauty queen."

In other words, Nita — short for Juanita — is a dog's dog. After several weeks of anxiety and forced patience, the tests results came back — inconclusive. Mars Veterinary, a company that has worked to simplify DNA testing for canines and developed a "Wisdom Panel" for mixed-breed varieties, wasn't able to pin down the mystery of Nita's ancestors.

That's most likely the result of Nita's origins, Claudia Inoue guesses. Nita came to Santa Fe by way of Puerto Rico, where the canine genetic pool is limited.

Nita was abandoned at Stephen Inoue's parents' then-vacation home, in the island's rain forest. Claudia stepped in and volunteered to take the puppy after the family closed up the home in 2007 following an illness.

The puppy, about 4 months old at the time, quickly found a place in the Inoues' hearts, and joined their family, which includes Lucy the cat and another dog adopted from the island country, Rico. But as Nita grew — short legs, long body, pointed ears — the mystery of the dog's ancestry nagged.

The first canine DNA testing became commercially available only in 2007. But consumer interest has been growing fast, leading to a proliferation of companies and Web sites that tout dog-identification prowess. Aside from the curiosity factor, knowing a dog's genetic makeup can help determine possible health issues or traits based on specific breeds.

Experts caution, however, that it's impossible to know which traits or propensity for disease a mutt might inherit from any particular breed.

Jean Lauer of Cedarwood Veterinary Clinic, who administered Nita's testing, said there's been a constant buzz around canine DNA testing, but few people actually take the plunge and have the tests done.

"When I tell them how much it costs, they usually just say, 'Well, we'll just continue to wonder,' " she said. "It's not inexpensive, especially in this economy. But some people take a special interest in their pets and they're really intrigued about their dog's family tree."

Some companies require only saliva to determine a dog's ancestry, although most veterinarians, including Lauer, prefer the more complete results obtained from blood samples. The procedure requires an appointment for drawing blood and when the analysis is complete, usually within two or three weeks, a follow-up visit to discuss the results.

The cost runs between $135 and $170. One saliva-based test costs about $70, but can only determine about 60 breeds. Another mixed-breed cheek-swab test kit that can detect 108 breeds costs about $120.

The Wisdom Panel, which covers 153 breeds of the 161 recognized by the American Kennel Club, plus four additional breeds on the AKC's foundation list, provides a score for each breed detected. The higher the score, the better a genetic match.

Categories are broken down by significant breed or parent, which means at least 50 percent of the dog's DNA comes from this breed; intermediate breed or grandparent, determined by at least 25 percent of a dog's DNA; and minor breed or great-grandparent, which comprises at least 12.5 percent of the dog's DNA.

According to Nita's report, no breeds were detected at the parent level. The toy fox terrier was detected at the grandparent level, but no other breeds hit the necessary percentage at the great-grandparent level.

The results aren't that unusual, according experts. Usually, DNA testing will show three or four different breeds, and many show five or six. The dog's genetic test might indicate other breeds, but the amounts have been so dissipated over the generations that they are unlikely to influence a dog's appearance or behavior.

But sometimes, as in Nita's case, any pure DNA has become so diluted by mixed breeds over the generations that no distinct breed emerges. So the mystery remains.

Lauer said she was initially surprised by Nita's test results, until she read the report and considered Nita's origins. Other clients who've had the tests done on their canines were able to determine the ancestry.

"They were happy and interested," she said. "It helped them see those breeds in their dogs."

Claudia Inoue also gradually understood the complexity of Nita's ancestry, she said, but both she and Stephen agreed the outcome was ultimately disappointing. They initially thought about testing Rico, but have since changed their minds.

The fact that Nita remains a mystery breed, however, doesn't dilute the affection for the Inoues' canine companion.

"She's just the best," Claudia Inoue said. "The best and the sweetest. Now when people come in, I'll just have to say 'She's a dog.' "

Naming that breed

But what about our contest, you might ask. More than a dozen people took the time to e-mail or mention their guesses about Nita’s breed. A dachshund mix of some kind was a favorite. Other choices included Chihuahua, German shepherd, Rhodesian ridgeback and Welsh-corgi combinations.

Unfortunately, there can be no clear winner because there was no clear breed detected, with the exception of the toy fox terrier, which no one guessed. So we’re going to have a draw for the cool prizes. Winners will be announced next week.