If you have a mutt dog, it is likely that at one point or another, you will wonder what kind of dog it is. Today, it is relatively easy to answer this question. There are companies that exist today that will help you do this by conducting a doggie DNA test.
Why Test Your Dog?
Other than just curiosity, what is the purpose of a doggie DNA test? An owner may also decide to take the information to their breeder to see if there are any potential health hazards that are specific to each breed.
People also might want to DNA test their puppy to see how big the dog is doing to get. They also may want to know if the breed is known for being good with children and if the dog may be suitable for apartment living.
Animal shelters may also use DNA tests to help place dogs into homes.
These kits are available online and at many pet supply retail stores. Most of the kits work with a cheek swap sampling, while one requires a blood test at a veterinarian’s office. The results are then sent back to the company that informs you of the results.
WebMD warns that all dog DNA tests are not created equal. Nathan Sutter, PhD of Cornell University says that the more breeds that are in a company’s database, the greater chance the test will come out accurately. However, he says you will find that the more breeds that are represented, the costlier the test is. Doggie DNA tests cost $60 and up.
Do they work? Sutter says these DNA tests are able to tell what the major breeds are in a dog quite accurately. However, if the dog has too many breeds in it, it may be difficult to determine all of them. It has been said that a majority of the time, people are surprised by the results of the test.
Is there one test that works better than the rest? According to the Wisdom Panel website, theirs works better than any other. They claim to be the industry’s “gold standard.” They say that they have 19 million marker analyses that allow it to identify your dog from over 203 different breeds, which is more than any other test on the market.