Dog DNA Testing

Ever wondered what breeds are in your dog? Want to know which male dog sired the last litter of puppies? Want to verify your purebred's bloodline?

You can use dog DNA testing to:

• verify the breed of dog for purebreds
• identify the breeds in your mixed breed dog
• identify the breeds of the father and mother of a litter

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 American Kennel Club (AKC) breeds than more expensive tests.

How is Dog DNA Testing Done?
Dog DNA testing kits come in two types: ones that require a blood sample (and a veterinarian to take the sample), and tests that only need a cheek swab (which you can do at home). A DNA sample taken from a swab on the inside of the cheek is as accurate as a blood test, since the DNA in the cheek and blood is the same.

Dog DNA testing can be done done at home, using a cheek swab, so you don't need a veterinarian to do a DNA test for your dog.

The process is simple. Basically, you order a kit, take a swab from your dog's cheek, put the swab in a test tube, and mail the kit to the lab. A few weeks later, the lab sends you your results in the mail. There's no need for a blood sample, since all of the DNA is taken from the swab of the inside of the dog's cheek.

Is Dog DNA Testing Accurate?
Dog DNA testing is accurate, but there are a few limitations:

• Dog DNA testing does not identify all breeds of 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.
• 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 results are broken down into several categories:
Primary: Where the results say your dog is 50% or more from one of the recognized breeds.
Secondary Where results say your dog is less than 50% from one of the recognized breeds. However, there's still enough of one of the recognized breeds to make a significant impact.
Mixed: Where recognized breeds can be identified in your dog, but they have little impact on your dog's looks or health concerns.

Some newer tests break down the dog DNA testing results into more categories. In these tests, Level 1 indicates your dog is 75% a specific breed.

Behavior and Health
Knowing the specific breeds in your dog can give you some important clues about your dog's behavior and health.

Some breeds are more likely to develop health issues. So knowing your dog is made of up one of those breeds can help you and your vet watch out for specific health problems.
Knowing your dog's breed can help you adjust your dog's diet and exercise, since breeds vary in their nutritional and exercise needs.

Your dog's temperament is partly determined by their genetics. Knowing your dog's breed can help you predict and identify behaviors related to their breeds. Knowing your dog is part terrier can help you nip the terrier's dominance-related behaviors in the bud. Finding out that your dog is part Basenji, a notoriously independent breed, can help you understand why your dog has always seemed so aloof.

Dog DNA offers mixed breed dog DNA testing. Full disclosure: I get a small percentage of any sale Dog DNA makes from the link. That said, I think that their DNA testing for mixed breeds is a great product.

What Breeds can Dog DNA Testing Identify?
Depending on the lab, dog DNA testing can identify as many as 62 breeds, including:

• Afghan Hound
• Airedale Terrier
• Akita
• American Eskimo Dog
• Australian Shepherd
• Basenji
• Basset Hound
• Beagle
• Belgian Tervuren
• Bernese Mountain Dog
• Bichon Frise
• Border Collie
• Borzoi
• Boston Terrier
• Boxer
• Brittany
• Bulldog
• Bull Terrier
• Chihuahua
• Chinese Shar-Pei
• Chow Chow
• Cocker Spaniel
• Collie
• Dachshund
• Dalmatian
• Doberman Pinscher
• English Setter
• English Springer Spaniel
• German Shepherd Dog
• German Shorthaired Pointer
• Golden Retriever
• Great Dane
• Great Pyrenees
• Greyhound
• Irish Setter
• Italian Greyhound
• Keeshond
• Labrador Retriever
• Lhasa Apso
• Maltese
• Mastiff
• Miniature Pinscher
• Newfoundland
• Norwegian Elkhound
• Papillon
• Parson Russell Terrier
• Pekingese
• Pembroke Welsh Corgi
• Pomeranian
• Poodle
• Pug
• Rhodesian Ridgeback
• Rottweiler
• Saint Bernard
• Saluki
• Schnauzer
• Scottish Terrier
• Shetland Sheepdog
• ShihTzu
• Siberian Husky
• Weimaraner
• West Highland White Terrier
• Yorkshire Terrier

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