Dog Breed Test Kit

dog breed test kit

DNAffirm Canine Breed Determination Cheek Swab With Bonus Offer–See Product Description. Discover your dog’s full breed composition. Lab Fees Not Included. See Key Product Features. Bonus offer: See Above Image A READY TO FRAME CERTIFICATE WITH THE GREATEST TRIBUTE SPEECH TO THE LOVE OF A DOG—-AN EXERPT–”HE WILL KISS THE HAND THAT HAS NO FOOD TO OFFER-=–WHEN ALL OTHER FRIENDS DESERT,HE REMAINS,—WHEN RICHES TAKE WINGS,AND REPUTATION FALLS TO PIECES,HE IS AS CONSTANT IN HIS LOVE AS THE SUN IN ITS JOURNEY THROUGH THE SKY” THIS A BEAUTIFUL CERTIFICATE WITH A SPEECH THAT …

Ever been curious about your mixed breed dog and wondered whether she’s really Corgi-Dachshund like you’ve believed all these years? Fortunately there is now a low-cost and accurate way to find out with a simple genetic test that involves just a cheek swab and a few days’ wait. No visit to your veterinarian, no blood sample. Easy.

Why Knowing Your Dog’s Breed Heritage Is Important

Why would you want to know your mixed breed dog’s makeup? Aside from just plain curiosity, knowing your dog’s “heritage” breed can help you understand health and wellness issues related to that breed. The urban myth that mixed breed dogs don’t get genetic diseases is not true. So, for example, if your dog is found to be primarily Labrador Retriever then you and your veterinarian might keep an eye out for joint-related health problems (hip dysplasia).

Another valuable benefit is that you gain a better understanding of your dog’s temperament and behavior. Every dog breed has a different overall temperament so when you discover that your gentle mixed breed is great with kids it’s because she’s primarily Golden Retriever!

The Canine Heritage Breed Test

The Canine Heritage Breed Test (www.canineheritage.com) analyzes your mixed breed dog’s DNA against 38 breeds that represent about 75% of dogs. What you get back is a certificate stating, in order of genetic influence, what your dog’s primary breed, secondary, and “in the mix” breeds are. Your dog will only have a primary breed listed if one of his parents is purebred. It’s important to note that the Canine Heritage test may not be accurate for mixed breed dogs outside of North America.

The Canine Heritage Breed Test currently costs $65 plus a small amount for shipping the test kit out to you.

The Mars Wisdom Panel Test

Another similar test that will be available shortly is the Mars Wisdom Panel (www.whatsmydog.com). The Wisdom Panel test requires a visit to your veterinarian and a blood sample. This test detects 130 AKC-recognized breeds and thus is more precise than the Canine Heritage test. But it is a much more expensive test and is harder to administer.

Pricing is determined by the individual veterinarian but is expected to be around $130. The Mars Wisdom Panel is slated for release July 2007, ask your veterinarian for more information.

Alex Krooglik is the co-founder of Embrace Pet Insurance (our blog) based in Cleveland, Ohio. Embrace Pet Insurance was founded in 2004 and its mission is to convince responsible pet parents that pet insurance can and should be an integral part of maintaining every pet’s good health. Alex is pet parent to a cheeky black kitten rescued from the Geauga Humane Society.

DNA testing for dogs?

I have puppies and unsure what they are mixed with. I know for sure they are Saint Bernard but unsure of what the other breed is. I was looking up DNA testing kits for dogs and seen this one called BioPet. Is this my only Option for the testing kit? Has any one ever used one?

I’m going to be looking for new forever homes for the puppies soon and would like to know as much about them so I can place them in the best possible setting.

This was a rescue case so please no stuff about not breeding and getting the mom spayed. Already in the plans.

Please, any info you have about these kits or your experiences would be much appreciated. I really don’t want to waste money on a kit that doesn’t work. Thank you =)

The clinic I manage just started to offer the service. We use a company called Wisdom Panel. I have mixed feelings/ experiences with it. I think their breed base is narrow, not encompassing all breeds. We had to test a client’s dog who was 1/2 Dogue de Bordeaux, and 1/2 something else. He knew for certain the Dogue de Bordeaux part because he got the dog from a breeder, and saw the dam on site. (She was impregnated by a neighbor’s dog instead of the stud he had in mind) Anyway, animal control thought she looked like a giant pit bull, and seized her. He needed the DNA test to prove that she wasn’t a pit. Wisdom Panel came back with 7 seemingly random breeds… including toy breeds. None was Dogue the Bordeaux. Fortunately, none was pit bull, and he was allowed to keep his dog.

We also used Wisdom Panel for a litter of what looked like shepherd mix puppies we took on, and eventually adopted out. The test results were a bit baffling again, with Dalmation, Akita, SharPei, and Maltese listed. We ended up just telling adopters they were shepherd mixes anyway, rather than confuse them with that mess.

So, I just don’t have a lot of confidence in these tests. One of our vets is very enthusiastic about it, and says their science is sound, but the rest of us just have reservations. We’ll run the test if a client requests it, but it certainly isn’t a test we would suggest or strongly recommend. It can be pricey, too. We charge $160, which is a lot of money to me just to satisfy a curiosity.

Dog DNA Test: Review of BioPet’s Dog Breed Identification Kit

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