DNA Testing

[TAVS]

Has anyone tried one of these DNA Testing Services? Any you would recommend? Any you would steer clear of? We're real curious as to the breeds represented in our two mutts. There are several to chose from, and its hard to know what the better ones are.

I think Mason is a Kelpie (not on most the breed lists on testing sites).
And our newest friend Marlin is likely a Shepherd/Heeler Mix of some sort.

 

[PoodleMommy]

I don't think they are very accurate, I have seen results that ranged from questionable to downright hilarious.

If you have the money to spend and really want to see, go ahead and do that.... but take any results with a grain of salt.

 

[lizzybeth727]

IMO they are a complete waste of money. There is so little difference between the DNA of one breed of dog versus another, it's virtually impossible to get an accurate result.

I think there is a lot of misunderstanding about mixed breeds. Many people talk about them as if all dogs start off from purebreds and then get mixed. In reality, though, almost all the purebreds started out as mutts, people just bred the two muts together that gave them the results they wanted; eventually the dogs started looking and acting similar, and then breeds were born. So there are a large percentage of "mixed breed" dogs that actually never had purebreds in their lineage. A DNA test on these dogs would never really be accurate, it would just tell similarities - your dog has DNA that is similar to *this breed's* DNA, but that doesn't necessarily mean that your dog is actually a mix of *this breed.*

 

[CaliTerp07]

I did it for Lucy. In my opinion, the entertainment value was well worth the $100 for the test. It came back with a breed we strongly suspected (chow), a couple we didn't (akita, pointer), and was lacking ones we really thought she had (border collie or spaniel).

So yeah--at the end of the day, we still aren't sure what the little goober is, but it was fun to do it. If you have the money to spend, go for it!

 

[Dekka]

DNA testing for health issues is very reliable. Its either yes the dog has the gene or not. DNA testing for breed is NOT reliable on any level. There are no genes that say 'Great Dane' or 'maltese'

If you want to spend the money for a lark go for it. But realize that it is as reliable as asking people on the internet what your dog is.

 

[lizzybeth727]

But realize that it is as reliable as asking people on the internet what your dog is.

I like to think that we're more reliable.