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If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Should I have my dog DNA tested

48 replies

Asskicker · 21/08/2016 08:33

Hi

Just wondering if you can help.

I have 20 week show type English cocker spaniel. Lovely dog, no problems at all. She is fab.

We got her from a breeder, who we visited 3 times, she grilled us as much as we did her. Puppy is kc registered. We know the breed, fairly well, as we have had several. But we aren't experts at all. Just dog owners.

We picked one that was not show quality. She was lovely. Her ears were sat a little higher than the others and she had a great temperament.

Anyway, every time we walk her we hear 'oh what a lovely springer' , as she has grown she does look like a springer. We had her at the groomers for her feet doing and got 'oh I love springers'. At the vets, the vet apologised and said they registered her as a cocker when she is clearly a springer.

I told the vet she was a cocker. She looked doubtful. The vet wouldn't give a definitive answer as we had seen the mother and spoke to the fathers owners. But said they had heard of people adding dogs into litters. Perhaps from another breeder who only had one puppy in the litter. But it was very unusual with kc registered pups.

She said we need to wait until she was full grown. The vet did a complete health check and confirmed she is a healthy puppy.

Yesterday we were approached by a man who bred springers for 25 years. He just wanted to stroke her. We spoke with him for a while and he said he thought she was definitely a springer. He also told us that some breeders will add puppies from other breeders litters to make them easy to sell.

Now it doesn't matter what she is to us. We know both breeds need lots of walking and both springers and cockers need lots of exercise, so she will fit into our lives either way.

But I am really concerned I don't have what I thought I bought an that the breeder is clearly not as great as we thought.

Should I get a DNA test? Dh is wary of going back the breeder and thinks we should complain to trading standards instead, but need to confirm we are right first. We have heard they an be DNA tested.

I am so confused, I did loads of research and thought getting a kc registered dog would help ensure we weren't being ripped off or getting the dog from someone unscrupulous.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

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pigsDOfly · 21/08/2016 11:34

Typed a message and it disappeared so will try again.

I can fully understand you annoyance as, although I'm sure you love you dog regardless, you probably, understandably, feel as if you've been cheated somehow and want to get to the bottom of it.

In your shoes I would definitely be getting back to the breeder, you've no doubt paid them a lot of money for something you don't actually seem to have.

Never done a DNA test on my dog but having read about them in the past - albeit a while ago, and they may have improved - I get the impression they're not actually that reliable. You might be spending more money on something that gives you no more of an answer than you already have.