KC registered purebred golden retriever is 1/3 poodle mix, according to wisdom panel???

[colachive]

Any experience with DNA testing purebreed dogs? we have what we thought was a working golden - he looks like a perfect example of the breed - and he's KC registered with lineage going back decades on the KC website. Yet according to wisdom panel's premium test, he is 51% golden retriever, 29% poodle and 20% irish setter. Have we been had? I have the KC papers.

GRs historically descend from red setters, Irish water spaniels & bloodhounds - I suspect this is what the test is picking up. I think genetic testing in dogs in general is a bit of a scam, very OTT.

Doggy DNA tests aren’t remotely accurate. I wouldn’t worry.

Agree with PPs.

I’m just surprised it didn’t try and claim he was an otter or a lizard or some other nonsense.

Can someone explain why these tests are a scam please?

We were told a cross between to breeds initially, the rescue changed it when we visited and when we picked her up the papers said another. DNA said all 4 stated.

I don't think Wisdom is a scam. My dog's results were spot on I think. She's a rescue lurcher who looks a bit like a staffie. One parent was greyhound/whippet, other staffie/boxer. She is definitely all of these, wonderful combination.

Doggy DNA tests are just for fun really. There's no way to be accurate about breed in that way. You have a golden retriever, you know that. I'm a bit puzzled as to why you paid for the test really.

These tests aren't a scam AFAIK. I was listening to a programme on the radio last week and a journalist (I think he works for The Times) was talking about how he got his dog DNA tested and discovered that it wasn't the mix of breeds that he'd been sold - at very considerable cost. As a result of the DNA test results he was able to go back to the breeder and get some of his money back. DNA doesn't lie and as long as you go to a reputable testing company I don't think you have any reason to disbelieve the results. 51% golden retriever is not a purebreed dog! It's a mix/mutt/mongrel.

I’ve known people do these tests (using two different companies) and getting completely different results.

They struggle to differentiate between a breed that’s historically been part of that breed and an actual cross, if that makes sense.

DNA doesn't lie

This is a meaningless statement. An adenine or guanine either is or isn't in a specific place, sure. But none of that means anything without context. All dogs have ultimately been bred from the same source, sometimes long ago and sometimes fairly recently. To distinguish accurately we'd need hundreds of years' worth of DNA records we don't have. People have just drawn some fairly arbitrary lines and dubbed them "poodle", "retriever", blah blah blah. It may be helpful in working out the elements of a mutt, but that's all.

I wouldn't call it a scam exactly, but it's not science. It's a bit of fun semi-guesswork.

Do you love your dog or are you more bothered about getting your money back?

TBH it was just for the health screening as goldens can come with a host of ailments, high risks for cancer etc. But the poodle thing threw me!

Goldens are originally descended from water spaniels and setters - I do wonder whether these DNA tests can differentiate between a direct (for example) golden/poodle cross and a golden that’s just descended from a setter/water spaniel.

I love my dog very much - just confused as to how a registered purebreed with traceable lineage via the KC could possibly have 30% poodle. Now I know these things aren't accurate, my mind is at rest! Picture of the dog now nicknamed Poodle attached! He's 3 months old, already looks a picture of a working golden!

just confused as to how a registered purebreed with traceable lineage via the KC could possibly have 30% poodle

That would rather depend on what kind of breeder you bought him from …

I spoke to the company (Wisdom Panel) and they're doing a review. I suspect what may have happened is they base their algorithm on US data, and US goldens are quite different. As someone said upthread, if British working lines have more water spaniel and setter, then that may look like poodle dna to an algo working with a small data set. But who knows, maybe one day he's going to sprout curly hair!

Yep. Definitely a poodle. Never seen a dog who looks more like a poodle 😁

Handsome little bugger, isn’t he?

Yes apparently this may be it, it's a glitch because they don't have a lot of dna from these british working lines

Ooh he is very handsome and loves a bit of fuss😂always carrying my slippers into the garden, refuses to walk without a toy in his mouth... you know, classic poodle

The inference you may have been sold a "dodgy" registered GR is incorrect - there are many breeds which if you DNA test will find certain breeds. There are variables to do with how the DNA test is undertaken, how many cycles it goes through, all of which may produce differing results and pick up DNA of other breeds.

There are many gundogs which may have poodle in them or Pudelpointers which are a breed created by crossing a standard poodle with an English pointer - the poodle produced a more tighter, waterproof coat.

If there are 5 generation pedigrees and you purchased from a reputable breeder then I would not be too concerned by the results, is your pup just 3 months old or am I mistaken? If so why are you doing these tests?

My Goldie has a very curly bum
Never had him DNA tested and his lineage is questionable so who knows maybee he has some poodle in there?

He is beautiful OP, despite his lineage! 😉

Most modern breeds were established by crossing cretin types of dogs that were specific to an area and traits needed.
The idea of a pure breed dog is relatively new.
So not really surprising to find different breeds in a pure berd dog.
Also remember, the Kennel Club is just over 150 years old which is no time at all in the creation of domestic animals.