Dog DNA tests, do they really tell you much? 58


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Look at this face! We rescued our dog Molly almost two years ago.  We know that she came from a kill shelter in SC but we know nothing else about her.  Who were her parents, or even her grandparents? What breeds is she made up of? We were always very curious about Molly’s lineage.  Many times we meet other dog owners who ask us, “What kind of dog is Molly?” They always offer their wisdom to us on what breed they think Molly is. The Wisdom Panel 3.0 is here to answer all of our questions about Molly.  Molly easily tolerated two simple cheek cell swabs (15 seconds worth) and then got a treat. It was a very painless procedure for her and for us.  We put the swabs into a self-addressed box and then sent them off to be analyzed.  The analysis takes 2-3 weeks from the time the test reaches the lab. The website is easy to use. You can see that your Dog DNA test swabs arrived safely, that they are working on the analysis, and then eventually you can see your results clearly documented.

Millions of pet owners have mixed-breed dogs with no knowledge of what heritage their dog comes from.  Understanding the breeds that make up your dog helps you, as the owner, target their care.  The Wisdom Panel 3.0 is a new evolution of the canine DNA test.  The Wisdom Panel 3.0 covers over 250 breeds, types and varieties of dogs.  Your results will provide ancestry information back to the great-grandparent level (how cool is that!) MDR1 Genetic Mutation screening results and also a predicted weight profile (great for the puppy owners).

I am sure you are asking yourself, “Do I really need to know my dog’s DNA?” Finding out the results of the Wisdom Panel 3.0 can save your dog’s life.  The MDR1 (also known as Multi-Drug Resistance) mutation is found in many herding and sighthound breeds, as well as many mixed breed dogs.  The MDR1 gene is responsible for the production of a protein called P-Glycoprotein that plays an important role in limiting drug absorption and elimination of many drugs used in dogs.  You can read more about what the MDR1 disease screening will do and why it is important to know if your dog carries this gene here.  If you have any questions about your dog, or about the results you receive from the Wisdom Panel 3.0 PLEASE discuss it with your veterinarian.

What are the benefits to DNA testing on your dog?

  1. Understand what breeds your dog is made up of, so you can look out for any breed specific health concerns or issues.
  2. Know if your dog carries the MDR1 gene.
  3. Be able to tell all the people who ask you all the time, exactly what breeds your dog is made up of (everyone always thinks they know best on this one).
  4. Develop a training program that will work with their breed’s natural instincts and develop an understanding of their behavioral characteristics.
  5. Assist in determining what the adult size of your dog will be (great for puppy owners).

You can buy a Wisdom Panel dog DNA test here. And if you are interested in our results, Molly is a mix of Chow Chow and Staffordshire Terrier and does not carry the MDR1 gene. Get your dog DNA test today so you can stay informed about your pet.

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58 thoughts on “Dog DNA tests, do they really tell you much?

  • Kate

    I can’t wait for the results and Molly’s not even mine. We have 2 shelter pups we adopted 8 years ago. I would love to find out what’s really going on there. Haha!

    • Sara Post author

      We check the website every day and we also cant wait to see what breeds make up our sweet Molly. Being able to find out your dogs DNA is just so cool! I will update my post as soon as we find out, so please come back and see our results.

    • Sara Post author

      Awesome Eileen!! It is so cool to find out so much information on our rescue dogs. It will help us be better owners for sure! Come back and tell me what you find out about your rescue.

  • Monica Bruno

    Hi Sara, this is amazing! I had no idea they could do this for dogs. I wish I had known about it (or maybe it wasn’t available yet) when I had a mixed breed dog named Mimi. I found her at my Grandmother’s house one day. We think she was a mix of pit bull and dachshund, believe it or not. But, she only lived to be ten yrs old (she was small, so we thought she would live longer). She got diabetes and died shortly after that. Anyway, I bet this test would have helped us feed her a better diet. Thanks so much for sharing!

    • Sara Post author

      Right? There is so much info we do not know as adoptive parents. I am checking the website every day (we still have at least a week until our results should be ready) but we are on the edge of our seats in anticipation of finding out the lineage of our sweet Molly. Thanks for visiting today.

    • Sara Post author

      I think you should do a DNA test on your pup too. She is so beautiful. It is good to know for her health, what breeds she is as well.

  • Brooklyn Jolley

    That’s really neat! Both our dogs are mixed breeds from the shelter. The shelter told us their breeds but then we took them to the vet and they said it was something else. Then we took them to dog training classes and the trainer said we had mis marked their breeds and they were something else entirely LOL. We love our little mutts but this is definitely a cool idea!

    • Sara Post author

      Isn’t this so true? Everyone we meet seems to know exactly what breed Molly is. We are looking forward to being the experts on the actual breeds.

    • Sara Post author

      Everyone who sees your dog probably has an opinion on what breeds he is. Now we will know for sure. I love new technology that will help us be better dog owners!

  • Elizabeth O.

    I’ve never had a dog so this has never been a concern to me. Although, if I had one it would be nice to know his origin! It’s really awesome, what technology can do these days.

    • Sara Post author

      Isn’t technology amazing sometimes? I love that soon we will know more about Molly’s parents, grandparents and even great grandparents. We are so excited!!

  • Michelle

    We rescued a pup two years ago. The neighbors found him in the back yard, someone left him behind when they moved. He is a corgi/lab mix and is so super lived in our family. This would be great to find out more about his heritage.

    • Sara Post author

      It is actually good for your dog’s health to know what breeds he is made up of. Our dog is so loved by each person in our family. She really is the glue to our family.

  • Cole

    This is actually really interesting. We have a chihuahua, but a lot of people try to argue that she isn’t pure because her ears are still floppy. Although I’m pretty sure, I mean, she could have other breeds in her somewhere down the line.

    • Sara Post author

      It is so annoying when everyone else thinks they know what breed YOUR dog is. I want to be the expert with all the information, and now thanks to Wisdom Panel I will be!

    • Sara Post author

      Hahaha! Our molly is not cat like at all. Your dog sounds very funny! You could always do the test and your husband would never know! Results are sent to your email 🙂

    • Sara Post author

      Emma would love for you to find out exactly what breeds she is made up of! Give it a try, it will help you be a better dog parent.

  • Jessica Harlow

    We have a St Bernard with “papers” and he has all of the tell-tale signs of being a full-fledged St Bernard, I promise. lol But, I’d love to get this testing done to have a better idea of any health concerns we should be watching out for!

    • Sara Post author

      I agree with you!! Doing the testing will give you a lot of healthy information for your dog. All dogs should come with the info you need to take the best care of them. Wisdom Panel 3.0 actually does provide this for us!

  • Tawni

    This is great!! We adopted a puppy years ago [she’s since gone:( ] and we never knew her actual lineage or breed, either. We knew for sure she was part pomeranian, but the rest we weren’t sure of. She was a sweetie pie, but did have some health issues. I wish we’d had something like this available to us when we had her!

    Thank you for sharing!
    xotawni
    #authenticbloggers

  • Natalie Heather

    That’s incredible! There’s a shelter near us that offers this sort of DNA testing as well and I’ve been really interested in doing it as well. It’s not too expensive, luckily. I adopted my dog in the summer, and we have no idea what she is. She was found as a stray so we really have no idea of her history! I think I will follow up and do this. Thanks for sharing your story, and I can’t wait to see what the results tell you!

    • Sara Post author

      Thank you so much, we are really excited for our results. I hope you can get your dog tested so you can have as much info as possible for your dog.

  • Andele

    This was a very interesting read! I never really thought about it before. Now that you mention it, I definitely see why getting a DNA test on your dog would be important:-) What a sweet puppy you have there!

    • Sara Post author

      Too bad you cannot go back in time and see what breeds made up your basset hound! It really is such a cool piece of technology and we cant wait to see our results.

    • Sara Post author

      I have never heard of a Catahoula Leopard, that sounds very exotic!! Wisdom Panel has really developed an incredible way for everyone to understand their dog better.

    • Sara Post author

      We also think Molly is a terrier mix! I hope you can send away for a Wisdom Panel kit so you can also learn more about your rescue dog!

  • Kim M

    There are so many breed specific problems that need to be looked out for. I have a great danes and a chihuahua. Im 100% on the danes but the little one might be part Gremlin! LOL

    • Sara Post author

      I agree with you! Most people do not know that Doggy DNA can be tested. I hope that I can help spread the word and get more dogs tested.

    • Sara Post author

      Thank you so much for your kind words. We hope Molly feels lucky to have been loved by our family. We feel loved by her. Our results should be ready in about a week! Can’t wait!

    • Sara Post author

      If you have a puppy this test will tell you how big your puppy will get when he is full grown! I wish we had Molly as a puppy. Good luck with your new dog!

    • Sara Post author

      Hahaha! Wouldn’t it be awesome to know exactly what breed make up your toy poodle. I hope you get a chance to use the Wisdom Panel and get the full picture on your dog.