Dog DNA Testing, How Does It Work?

Dog DNA testing and how does it work? You might have thought that DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) testing was mainly for people, but it is now a growing field for animals, and many are now seeking dog DNA testing. There are many types of animal DNA tests available, perhaps to your surprise, including tests for cats, horses and even bird- after all most living things have some form of DNA.

You can use dog DNA testing to; verify the breed of dog for purebreds, identify the breeds of the father and mother of a litter, and identify the breeds in your mixed breed dog. Tests cost around $70 to $125, and take a few weeks for the lab to process the results. Cheaper tests may not test for as many as American Kennel Club (AKC) breeds than more expensive tests do.

Is Dog DNA Testing Accurate?

Dog DNA testing is accurate, but there are a few limitations; at best, dog DNA tests can prove a dog is 75% from one specific breed. The tests cannot determine 100% breed purity. So, dog DNA test results cannot be used to register a dog as a purebred.

Dog DNA testing does not identify all breeds of the dog. Depending on the test, tests claim to identify between 38 and 62 unique American Kennel Club (AKC) identified breeds. Dog DNA testing gives you the percentages (or levels) of specific breeds in your dog. A dog may be primarily a breed that's not on this list, but that breed won't show up in the testing. So, you may learn your dog's 1/16 Pug, but the test won't tell you the dog's 50% Australian Cattle Dog, because the DNA test doesn't test for Australian Cattle Dog.

Because Dog DNA testing is fairly new, DNA kits continually add to the number of breeds they test for. (source: www.happyhealthypuppy.com)

What can canine DNA Tests to tell us?

Probably, the most important use for this test is for determining the breed of your dog. If you do not have a pure breed, then you may want to know; however, even pure breeds have ancestors who are not of their same breed. Moreover, knowing the ancestry and breeds of your dog can help you know more about its temperament and tendencies as well as also helping you tailoring a diet which is best suited to your dog.

How is the test done?

These are essentially at home DNA dog tests; this means you as the dog’s owner can actually collect the DNA samples. The company doing your test will send you some mind of home DNA testing kit. The standard method for DNA sample collection is the oral mouth swab. The mouth swab is sterile and very much like a cotton bud; you rub it in your dog’s mouth to collect DNA.

A canine DNA test can tell you just how pure your pure breed is. Moreover, you may also have issues of paternity if you are a dog breeder; it may happen that sometimes you may not be sure which male has sired a breed of puppies. In much the same way as a paternity test, there is a dog DNA test which can tell you “who the daddy is”.

Being able to confirm the breed of your dog genetically means also being able to provide buyers with a genetically guaranteed pedigree. For just dog lovers, this DNA test can be done to tell you of the illnesses your dog may be predisposed to

We can take their health into our hands making informed decision based on scientific evidence. Dog DNA testing is great to help provide a better quality of life for our beloved pets. (source: www.homednadirect.com.au)

What is Dog DNA Test Kit?

A dog DNA test kit comes with completely the tools that you need to present a cheek swab on your dog. Cheek cells are made up of the same genetic information as blood. Your kit comes with a soft-bristled nylon cheek swab brush and it is definitely safe and non-invasive. Your dog will not even notice that anything is going on, and you do not have to waste time and money going to the vet to get blood drawn.

So this is all about Dog DNA Testing, you may also read about how Dog DNA and genes influence of body size.