# Would you DNA test your pup?



## Claire's Friend (Feb 26, 2007)

I have used the Wisdom panel twice and was very happy with the results (felt they were accurate )They do not have one for cats as of now, but are working on it. The test I used ,I bought at Petsmart. If the results were really important to me, I would pay the extra money and do the one Wisdom offers through the Vets.


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## dborgers (Dec 7, 2011)

We've also done two Wisdom Panel - Insight tests. Spot on. Well worth the $69.99

Dog DNA Test, Dog Breed Test - Wisdom Panel Canine DNA Testing | Wisdom Panel


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

I've used a DNA test twice on the same dog! The first was one of the very first DNA panels that tested for only 36 breeds. I submitted my Barkley's cheek swab, without any hints as to what he was, a curly dark red Golden, and the results came back and only had one breed on it-- Golden Retriever. We decided to do the Wisdom Panel when it became available because it tested for over 100 breeds and was done through a veterinarian with a blood draw. Those also came back only Golden Retriever. At that point we were satisfied. Many thought he was part poodle, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever or some other breed. We did this so we could shut some of these "experts" up, because they were insistent, and just in case he had another breed in him, we wanted to know what diseases he might be predisposed to later in life.


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## Rainheart (Nov 28, 2010)

I have seen a few people do the wisdom panel and I would never do it if I had a mixed breed dog. I found the results were way off.


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## Sterling Archer (Feb 8, 2011)

Yes. I've toyed with the idea of doing it for Butter.


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## dborgers (Dec 7, 2011)

Rainheart said:


> I have seen a few people do the wisdom panel and I would never do it if I had a mixed breed dog. I found the results were way off.


Hm. We did it on Buddy, a mix Laura here adopted. Spot on.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

dborgers said:


> Hm. We did it on Buddy, a mix Laura here adopted. Spot on.


I think sometimes the test may reach back so far that it surprises some people when they see the results. One of the employees at the vet clinic we patronize had one done on her dog and the breeds listed seemed pretty unlikely based on how the dog looked physically. I thought she was going to have them run it again, but I didn't remember to ask her. If I were in her shoes I'd probably do a third one just to see what turns up, assuming she has the money to spend on it.


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

My niece had a DNA test done on her boxer/American Bulldog mix and it came back with something totally off the wall. I don't think she repeated the test.
I don't think I would bother doing a test. If it is a pure golden, what is the point and in a mix, why? Does not change the fact that you love him and take him as he is.


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## Sterling Archer (Feb 8, 2011)

cgriffin said:


> My niece had a DNA test done on her boxer/American Bulldog mix and it came back with something totally off the wall. I don't think she repeated the test.
> I don't think I would bother doing a test. If it is a pure golden, *what is the point and in a mix, why*? Does not change the fact that you love him and take him as he is.


$h1t$ and giggles. They have a refund policy, if you aren't satisfied.


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

Yeah, so? I thought it was okay to have different opinions, well, silly me.


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

cgriffin said:


> My niece had a DNA test done on her boxer/American Bulldog mix and it came back with something totally off the wall. I don't think she repeated the test.
> I don't think I would bother doing a test. If it is a pure golden, what is the point and in a mix, why? Does not change the fact that you love him and take him as he is.


I would think knowing a mixes DNA would give the owner a better idea of the dogs possible behaviors, drives, and reactions. Hope this makes sense.

My next door neighbor has a terrier-hound mix. The dog looks nothing like a hound. It looks like a shitzu-poodle mix but is hard headed when she gets her nose into something and howls.


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## Sterling Archer (Feb 8, 2011)

cgriffin said:


> Yeah, so? I thought it was okay to have different opinions, well, silly me.


You asked "what is the point and in a mix, why?" I said just for "$h1ts and giggles." Don't ask a question if you don't want a response.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

cgriffin said:


> My niece had a DNA test done on her boxer/American Bulldog mix and it came back with something totally off the wall. I don't think she repeated the test.
> I don't think I would bother doing a test. If it is a pure golden, what is the point and in a mix, why? Does not change the fact that you love him and take him as he is.


We did it because knowing the mixes helps to educate/inform and prepare you for possible genetically inherited diseases that pop up. Plus we wanted to get people to stop calling our guy a Doodle when he obviously looked nothing like one!


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

Thank you Dallas Gold! You did not owe me an explanation. I understand.
I was asking more the question why for my own personal use. I would not do it. 
Sterling Archer, there is no reason to be rude or being a smart ass. 
That said, I am not judging anyone, it is everybody's decision and that was my point. I love my dogs, regardless what they are, or what other people think they are, all I am saying. If I offended anybody, so sorry, that was not my intention at all!


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## Rainheart (Nov 28, 2010)

Here were two that I have seen.

One looked like a lab puppy (chocolate). This one came back Mastiff and Saluki. 

Another one we did was obviously a hound mix (maybe beagle). Howled like one, too. It came back miniature poodle and chihuahua and something else (though I do know it was no where near hound). This dog is a good sized 40lb dog now.

I just don't have faith in the tests... I don't think the technology is 100% there yet.


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## Deber (Aug 23, 2011)

I have DNA on file on all my dogs with Davis Univ. in Cal, but did the Wisdom panel for by personal German yorkies and some of the fosters that I have cared for too. Truly believe it is evolving to be a better test with the more dogs being added, but I consider it a good marker if a rescue comes in and I want to know some of the behavior traits he/she might have for finding the right family.


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

Bumping up


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## Selli-Belle (Jan 28, 2009)

I have seen many results that just don't seem possible.

I have no desire to have Duffy tested. Everything about him can be accounted for by a Golden and Sheltie mix. No need to spend the money.


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## dborgers (Dec 7, 2011)

The only reason any dogs have gotten DNA tests was because they were Christmas gifts. We weren't dying to know what breed/breeds they were, but it was nice to find out.

We thought Katie, our little white "self rescue" who came limping up to my wife in our yard lost (we couldn't find her owners) was a Maltese. My sister-in-law sent a DNA test kit Christmas 2010 when we'd had Katie for 8 years already. 

There's a back story to why her results were so funny:

My wife spent a summer during college in France and got dumped all over by a French guy who broke her heart, so she hasn't been a fan of things French. Well, God wanted her to let that go LOL

The DNA results come back 3 weeks after we mailed in the swabs:

Jane opens the envelope with the results and exclaims, "OH. My. GOD!! She's FRENCH!! 75% Bichon-Frise/25% Papillion. We can see the papillion in her. She's quite a clown as we've read Bichon's tend to be. 

Buddy - who Laura and her husband adopted in December because of this board ... THANK YOU! - looked like a lab, but with a longer coat, feathers, and narrow rings around his eyes. Sure enough, the results came back 75% lab. The rings around his eyes from the 11% American Water Spaniel. It was very obvious when I Googled a picture of that breed. The feathers too.


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

I think it would be fun to know the breeds involved with a mixed breed of unknown origin. We had a nice mixed breed back when we first got married. Her mother was suppose to be Husky and father unknown. I didn't see any Husky in her. I would have liked to have known what different breeds made up my Nikki, she was a great companion and moved all over the US & Europe with us.


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## Trollhole (Feb 10, 2012)

Never even thought about it. I would think I would get a DNA test before I gave my dog one.


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