DNA Dog Testing: An Overview
Helping people discover their genetic background has grown into a booming industry and the success of companies like 23andme and Ancestry.com attests to the increasing demand. As the world of genetic testing becomes a more common-place and publicly available practice, it’s only natural to extend this curiosity about lineage and ancestry to our furry four legged friends. Owners of mutts and rescues have always wondered about their pup’s mixed backgrounds but until recently, the only “solution” involved a lot of guessing. Now, with new companies offering genetic testing for dogs, there’s a definitive scientific way to uncover the truth! The benefits of genetic testing are simple yet significant in what they illuminate about your pup.
First off, every dog owner has had to answer the question, “What breed is your dog?” If you’re the proud parent of a purebred, you’ve never had trouble answering this question. However, if you’ve got a mixed breed, the answer is a bit different. It can range anywhere from “I don’t know,” to something more rambling and convoluted like, “The shelter said that he’s part Greyhound, part Labrador but I think he’s got to be at least a quarter Norwegian Elkhound because he could chew through antler treats all day and my aunt swears he’s got the spicy attitude of a Dandie Dinmont Terrier.”
These little origin tails can become quite elaborate and are enjoyable to construct. Perhaps your pooch’s story even involves a famous lineage that portrays your dog as the great-great-great-great-grandpup of Toto from the Wizard of Oz, or maybe Old Yeller was your dog’s third cousin five times removed!
While it can be tremendous fun playing the guessing game and spinning yarns about your best friend’s ancestry, discovering your dog’s breed is informative, illuminating and can help you provide better care for your pup! With genetic testing services now readily available there’s finally a way of finding a definitive answer to this intriguing question.
A lot of companies offering this service will include a results section that breaks down all the breeds that make up your mutt! This information is often displayed in a pie charts or graph with the individual breeds listed as percentages that add up to a complete genetic portrait of your pup.
This information can help you better understand who your best furiend is. Certain breeds have behavioral tendencies unique to them. If you’ve always been confused why your pup has an overactive instinct to chase or a tendency to nip at heels, finding out they’re a pointer or a herder can help explain their behavior. Getting to know your dog’s DNA can help you understand how to work with them optimally. Dog trainer David Baron, the brain behind Superdog.com states that certain breeds react differently to training. “Some dogs are very sensitive, for example Great Danes. Wheres as German Shepherds can be more stubborn and you have to say things with more force.” Certain breeds can get “easily discouraged if they are afraid of failure,” states Baron.
These tests don’t only uncover the background of your best bud, but some tests analyze the genetic health of your pooch. Your dog’s health can benefit from the information gained from a DNA test.
Some companies offering DNA tests for dogs also test for genetic mutations in your dog’s genome. Not only can the results of these tests surprise you, but they can help you take care of your pup to the best of your ability. Information gained via genetic testing can provide insights into your dog’s future health and well being. These genetic factors illuminate information that ranges from behavioral tendencies to recessive gene traits, and even genetic predispositions to certain diseases. If you care about your pet’s health, genetic testing can help you know who your dog is and how to help them stick around as long as pawsible.
The benefits of discovering genetic information about your dog are multifaceted and extensive in reach. These main reasons should be more than enough to pique the interest of any dog owner in exploring the possibility of finding out more about their furry best friend. DNA testing is a fun journey of discovery that can bring you and your dog closer together.
