Getting Your Dog DNA Tested
Monday, June 22, 2009 If you’re not sure of your dog’s breed and are interested in finding out more, there are lots of dog DNA tests out there today. Here’s how most work: You purchase a dog DNA kit online or at your veterinary office, take two cheek swabs from your pet’s mouth, send in the swabs and a small information form in a prepaid mailer, and within a few weeks you receive a certificate of breed analysis. The cost is approximately $80-$120.
Some testing options include:
BioPet Vet Lab
The Canine Heritage XL Breed Test
The Dog Breed DNA Test
The Wisdom Panel™ MX Mixed-Breed Dog DNA Test
There are, however, a few limitations. Only certain breeds are identifiable at this point (more are to come), and you will only be told a general percentage of a match (for example, the service may determine that about 20-40% of your dog’s DNA matches a certain breed or 40-70% matches another breed).
When I got Riley tested with the BioPet Vet Lab test, I was told she was part Saluki, Poodle, German Shepherd, Border Collie, and Great Dane. These were all pretty low matches (about 20-40 percent or so of those breeds matched with Riley’s DNA), but if you look at her picture on the “About” page, you’ll realize it sounds pretty ludicrous. Either way, I felt it was worth finding out a little more information about her.
Have you DNA tested your dog? What was your experience?
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