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DNA Tests for dogs.

5 replies

FiveHoursSleep · 19/12/2012 11:44

Has anyone else done one of these on their mixed breed dog?
Did they give the expected result?
We've just had the results back from our rescue puppy.
We thought he was GSD x border collie but it turns out he is GSD x (collie (think Lassie type) x a mixed breed that was mainly St Bernard)
He's not huge but he is going to be GSD size. I can see the collie in him- eyes and ears and coat but not sure about St Bernard!
i wondered if anyone else had any experience of doing one?

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ClaimedByMe · 19/12/2012 12:47

We done one recently, got it on amazon black Friday! We thought we had a staffy x lab but according to the test she is a staffy x American staff, when we googled pictures she does look like that! She was also part "mixed" which included welsh corgi.

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FiveHoursSleep · 19/12/2012 13:31

I got mine on black Friday too. They aren't cheap but not bad considering it's a one off experience.
We have a lurcher that I might do one for at some point.

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Lonecatwithkitten · 19/12/2012 16:26

I have to say from a science point of view I don't really think it is worth the money as over 90% of DNA is common to all dogs and even Grey Wolves they are making widesweeping judgements based on a single gene change which could occur in a wide variety of conditions.
I would save my money.

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AdoraJingleBells · 19/12/2012 16:42

I don't think I'd bother, I don't have any reason to need to know IYSWIM. There's no one telling me dogs are respsonible for x number of puppies, no dispute over ownership. They're my pets and their DNA isn't going to change the way I view or treat them so for me it would be a waste of money.

For those who are interested though, I'm glad you have the option to find out.

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FiveHoursSleep · 19/12/2012 17:35

I don't know lone cat, I think it is quite a good idea to know from a veterinary POV.
I never would have thought our pup was part St Bernard but I will now keep an eye out for stuff like DCM and epilepsy as the parents would be unlikely to be screened and not all of these things are inherited recessively. I also now know that he's likely to be a larger breed rather than a medium breed, so will feed him appropriately.
I found the process by which they extract and examine the DNA interesting too.
I would not go so far as recommend that people have it done, but I can't see any harm in it if they can afford it.