By Arden Moore
Love your mutt, but perplexed when it comes to pinpointing his breed blend? Sure, you make your best guess — and maybe solicit the suggestions of others. Now, thanks to a new DNA test, there’s a scientific way to sniff out your canine’s family tree.
Just be prepared to be surprised. I was. Two years ago, I adopted Cleo, my sweet 12-pound mystery mutt. At the time, she was a scared stray, dodging cars in my neighborhood in quest of a home. Looking at her, my dog-loving friends pegged her as a Bichon-Maltese- poodle-met-a-terrier mix.
Wrong. A DNA test, specifically called the Wisdom Panel MX Mixed Breed Analysis by Mars Veterinary, revealed Cleo’s true — and surprising — ancestry. She is a lot of miniature poodle with a dash of basset hound and a sprinkling of other breeds too diluted to identify.
In other words, Cleo is truly an all-American mutt. Or as Dr. Angela Hughes, DVM, a veterinary geneticist, describes: “Cleo’s ancestry has certainly been around the block — and then some.” Based on the results of Cleo’s blood test, her parents were mutts, but at least one grandparent was a miniature poodle and at least one great-grandparent was mostly basset hound. That probably explains why Cleo sports a wavy, apricot-colored coat, but spends way too much time on walks sniffing trees and lawns.
Why do the test? Because knowledge is power. Gleaning as much as you can about your dog’s breed background — and its past — can be valuable when it comes to bringing out the best in your dog’s health and temperament.
Veterinarians, professional breeders and dog trainers know a lot about the 158 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club. There’s a definite association between certain breeds and specific diseases, nutritional needs and temperament tendencies.
For example, basset hounds live by the motto “Have nose, will travel” and can be challenging when it comes to training them off-leash to heed the “come” command. Health-wise, the doe-eyed Cavalier King Charles spaniel has a genetic propensity for developing a heart condition known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Large breeds like German shepherds are at greater risk for hip dysplasia and fare better when kept at healthy weights and engaged in low-impact exercises like swimming or taking long walks.
Two methods of collecting canine DNA exist. One involves swabbing inside your dog’s mouth and sending off the cheek-cell sample to a lab. Be aware that this test carries a risk of false results (the sample could mistakenly also contain bacteria or food particles). The second type requires taking your dog to a veterinary clinic for a quick blood draw and then mailing off the vial to a lab.
“The blood draw is the far more accurate test because the best possible source of a dog’s DNA is in the blood (white blood cells) and it is least likely to be contaminated,” Hughes explained.
It can take a few weeks for the results to come back to reveal just who your dog really is. The day the results arrive can be one of surprise (as in my case with Cleo) or affirmation. But knowing the principle breeds that make up your marvelous mutt takes away some of the guesswork when it comes to providing the best type of veterinary care — and selecting the right training approach — to suit your dog. Cleo’s “mystery mutt” moniker has now been replaced by a more accurate nickname: “your royal hound-ness.”
Arden Moore, an animal behavior consultant, editor, author and professional speaker, happily shares her Oceanside, Calif., home with two cats, two dogs and one overworked vacuum cleaner. Tune in to her “Oh Behave!” show on Pet Life Radio.com and contact her at arden@ardenmoore.com.
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