To keep the breed true to type and the preferred white color, Salish Wool Dogs were confined on islands and in gated caves.

[5] Genomic samples of the specimen's DNA revealed that Salish wool dogs diverged from other breeds as much as 5,000 years ago.

This suggests a diet largely devoid of marine foods and primarily based on terrestrial resources, such as grains and animals (pigs, cows, etc).

[4] Comparison of Mutton's mitochondrial genome with that of ancient and modern dogs has shown that the closest neighboring A2b haplotype to Mutton's corresponds to an ancient dog (~1,500 BP) from indigenous societies of the Pacific Northwest, similarly a set of ancient and modern dogs (~620 BP) from Alaska form a clade with Mutton's group, evidencing the deep roots of their ancestry in the region and their relationship to a common mitochondrial ancestor (~4,776 -1,853 years BP).

Similarly, the sequencing of its nuclear genome (3.4x coverage) demonstrated low global heterozygosity compared with other modern and ancient breeds.

In all cases, Mutton displayed conservation of an ancestral allele, revealing that the unique phenotype of the Salish wool dog originated independently from other breeds.

[4] Together, these genomic analyses, coupled with historical records and traditional knowledge, provide evidence of the efforts of ancestral Coast Salish societies to preserve the unique genetic makeup and phenotype of the Salish wool dog against the gene flow of dogs introduced by settlers.

[4] The blankets represented an individual's wealth and were often given away to members of the community or even other villages to show prosperity, such as during the potlatch ceremony and public gathering, and were also used as a currency for which other goods could be purchased or bartered.