# DNA Testing for dogs...



## Apdfranklin (Jun 23, 2008)

Has anyone heard of this. A friend of mine took her dog to the vet and had a DNA test done to identify what breed(s) she was. Anyone know how accurate this information is?


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## Beowulf08 (Sep 24, 2008)

As far as i've heard it's pretty accurate.


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## Rexandbaby (Aug 4, 2008)

Dog Channel.com said that they still have work to do on this but that most times that they are right.


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## BoxerMommie (Jun 26, 2008)

Most of the time it's accurate. Every now and then it comes back flawed. I'm sure there are bugs still to work out, and personally I wouldn't spend the money to get it done (who cares??) but more than likely if it's something someone wants to do it'll be correct.


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## StellaLucyDesi (Oct 29, 2008)

Well, I'm one of those few who has had it done. Lucy was adopted from a no-kill shelter. She is a beautiful black and white medium-haired 24 lb. dog.
She does have some dappling. She frankly looks like a mini border collie or aussie, except for her tail which curls over her back. I've always wondered what mix she is. She has some herding tendencies. She is shy, and can be stubborn. She is the sweetest dog, too, and wants to please. We have tried agility. She is too shy and timid to compete, but sure does have talent.
We are doing rally obedience now, which is much lower key and she is excelling. But, I'm digressing LOL...my trainer swore she is part sheltie because she raised them for years and Lucy was "just like them". I thought maybe she was border collie and papillon or pom because she is also a dainty girl. So, I finally decided to buy the DNA kit and send it in. Well...was I really suprised when I got the results! Altho' after thinking about it and comparing the breeds to Lucy (her body type and personality), I do see the breeds they discovered in her.
Here are the breeds Lucy's DNA showed:
(They are determined by levels 1-5, with 1 being the highest amount of the determined breed in the dog and 5 the least)

Level 3 - Poodle (up to 40%)
Level 4 - Brittany (up to 20%)
Level 4 - Newfoundland (up to 20%)
Level 4 - Chow (up to 20%)
Level 4 - Parson Russell Terrier (up to 20%)
Level 4 - Rhodesian Ridge Back (up to 20%)
Level 5 - Chihuahua (up to 10%)

Well, Lucy's face and eyes do look like a Poodle's. She is very smart, too. And her fur is kinda like a Brittany or Newfie or Chow. Her coloring can come from the Newfie or poodle (the parti type). Her legs kinda look like a Parson Russell's and she is kinda small and dainty like a Chihuahua. And, the most telling of all...I have always wondered why she had such a "cowlick" all down the fur of her back! I guess that's the Rhodesian. I don't know if any of these dogs herd, so I'm not sure where that comes from. I didn't really "need" to know what breeds make up Lucy Mae, but it does explain some things and it was kinda fun. Now, when someone says "Oh, what a pretty little border collie", I can say "No, she's a poodle-mix! LOL". :biggrin:


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## domari (Jun 17, 2008)

That's interesting. I wanted to have it done on a couple of my dogs but wasn't sure how accurate it was. Most of my dogs I know what they are, I have a Chow/GSD mix that we know for sure the mom was a purebred black chow and the dad was a purebred GSD that jumped the fence. My vet knows who the mother dog is, so we know the entire background. 
I saw the parents of another one of my dogs, so I know what she is and two are obvious mixes.

But we have one "black dog" which I would love to know her real breed mix. We're guessing part lab, part pit bull, part terrier of some sort maybe JRT? She has no particular personality traits of any breed, except digging to get under the fence and being an escape artist hints to terrier. She's family oriented, so sweet, gentle and loving with us, but very protective and barks at strangers aggressively. Not the brightest dog, but easily trained. She's just a basic short hair black mutt. 

Another dog I'd like to have tested is our yellow lab/? mix. He look mostly like a badly bred purebred yellow lab. The shelter said the litter was lab/GSD mix but I can't see any hint of GSD in him. I think he's part Husky, sometimes I swear he's part wolf. He has a lot of "wild" dog traits none of my other dogs have. And he howls, a lot! I'd love to know what he's mixed with. 

I don't know if I'd spend the money to have the testing done, maybe if the price drops a bit more.


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