What’s in a Mutt? DNA Testing for Dogs

The problem is separating the good companies from the "fly-by-nighters". It is still a relatively new industry, and even the ones that are legitimate still might not be up to par.

Since I have a mutt that is having some issues right now, I did the test (awaiting results) on him, and had my other dog tested as well. The other dog is a Border Collie mix, and I know at least the primary and secondary breeds, so he is my control to determine whether they are legit.

Good idea! Please update us when the results come in - and add photos, too!

I was wondering what you thought about the dog dna results.

One could imagine that a DNA test could one day replace "papers" as a qualification for show dogs, as it would be more accurate and harder to forge. I've often wondered if my Siberian Husky, resued from a local shelter, could have been show quality - she appears to have all the AKC breed standard traits and specifications, but obviously no papers. (Of course, we had her "fixed", so that would have taken her out of the running anyway). DNA testing would be good for breeders as well to limit inbreeding as much as possible.

Good point - one of my beagles is papered, but the other (the one sitting in my icon) is not. We're not sure if she's a purebred beagle or a beagle/basset mix due to the conformation of her front limbs. She doesn't have the barking, into everything temperament of a beagle, but she doesn't have the extremely laid back temperament of a basset either - she's somewhere in between.

I have a Labrador Retriever (yellow) whose parents(black female, yellow male) were genetically tested for their coat color genes. Apparently it's quite complicated and just because parents have a certain coat color does not mean that their offspring will have those colors. You can read more about it here. According to the breeder we purchased our dog from it is common for breeders of Labradors to test for this so they can make predictions about what the litters will be like and plan ahead.

This is an interesting concept - especially if certain colors are more in demand than others. My dad's Llewellyn (English) setter's parents were tested for genetic evidence of hip dysplasia but I've never heard of testing for coat color. It makes sense though!

problem with pedigrees is that undesirable traits become more prevalent in these so called pure breeds for lack of genetic diversification. Traits that did not come naturally. such as Hip Dysplasia in German Shepperd's and certain nasal issues in Bulldogs, ect...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_dysplasia_%28canine%29

This is true - two of my three beagles have had heart murmurs and one has had cervical disc issues (which I wrote a four-part blog series on). My dad's Llewellyn setter, which I previously commented on, does not have the hip dysplasia that's common to the breed. He does have cancer though, which after researching I found shows up a lot in setters.

yes each breed seems to have issues. When I was on the farm we rarely had a full blooded dog, mostly collies. Sometimes "Heinz 57" not quite sure what. they were the healthy and more Verile it seems

phoenix911