Solve the Mystery of Your Mutt with a Dog DNA Test

04/28/2009

From the very moment I adopted my mystery mutt Lulu Schmoo from Baja Animal Sanctuary in 2003, I’ve wondered what on God’s green earth she is and what genetically gifted creature spawned what appears to be a character from the Muppet Show. If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me, "What kind of dog is that and where can I find one?" I would certainly have enough money to buy myself a Venti Latte at Starbucks.

Any pet parent with a mixed breed dog possessing vague ancestry understands the burning desire to find out what the heck their dog is and how exactly they managed to acquire those strange ears, curly tail or odd behavioral traits. In addition to satisfying pure curiosity, identifying the breed ancestry of a mutt can also apparently open new windows for owners to better understand their pets and what kind of training and activities best suit an individual dog.

The Wisdom Panel Mixed Breed DNA Test

When I learned that the Wisdom Panel MX mixed breed test for dogs was available on the market, I jumped at the opportunity to solve the Lulu Schmoo muppet mystery once and for all. A different DNA test that requires merely a cheek swab had launched earlier in the year, but anecdotal feedback I’d received on that particular test indicated that it wasn’t as accurate as the Wisdom Panel test. The Wisdom Panel test uses a blood-based DNA sample, which is apparently known as the “gold standard” for obtaining genetic material for analysis. The Wisdom Panel test can detect 153 breeds of the 161 American Kennel Club-recognized breeds.

Ma'am, You Are the Mother of a Petite American Cu-Clumber

The results of Lulu’s DNA test arrived three weeks after I submitted her tiny blood sample and I received a customized, comprehensive report that included her breed analysis and detailed information on the appearance and potential behavioral characteristics of her detected breeds.  Surprisingly, moping and general ennui were not on the list of potential behavioral characteristics I should expect from Lulu.

I was more than a bit surprised at the results, as it indicated she was a Pekingese with traces of Weimeraner. O RLY? I then received a call from one of the Mars Veterinary Scientists, Dr. Neale Fretwell, who sent and reviewed with me some additional helpful information which further clarified her genetic composition and solved the mystery once and for all.

Contrary to my beliefs, Lulu is not a Tibetan Terrier, a Havanese, a miniaturized Sheepdog nor a relative of 'Dawg' from the Muppet show. According to her results, she is a combo of the following breeds (as well as some others):

1. Cocker Spaniel
2. Petite Basset Griffon Vendeen
3. American Staffordshire Terrier (Shocking, but it explains her bowed legs)
4. Clumber Spaniel
5. Pekingese

The Wisdom Panel MX breed test is around $125 and is available at Muttropolis.com. For more information on the test visit WisdomPanel.com.

Comments

[Jennifer]

A recent article I read advised that, while the AKC lists 160 registered breeds at this time, so far none of the companies offering canine DNA testing have DNA from each and every breed in their database. Two companies becoming well-known in this industry, Happy Dog DNA, and Canine Heritage, for example, only have the DNA of 63, and 108 breeds, respectively, on file.

If the company used to test for your dog's DNA doesn't have any DNA on file matching your dog's results, you still won't know what your dog is made up of, and will have wasted a lot of money.

The up side to this is that the "Science cannot determine what this dog is" argument will still hold up in court cases for some time to come. Dogs won't be wrongly euthanized because someone suspects them of being a "pit bull", because, as of yet, DNA testing isn't reliable enough to thwart the "you can't prove what it is" defense.

[Janet McCulley]

Jennifer - You raise some good points here. Thanks for sharing your poignant comments!

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You make some really good points.

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i saw a show about this on the discovery channel. i recommend looking for the video online... it's worth watching!

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very interesting reading. thankfully, i saw the headline in one of my RSS feeds and had to come here to read the full story!

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i read about this, but. i could use some help finding the online video... it looks very entertaining.

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hi, i'm in high school and this topic was brought up in class and i was just researching it some more. i will mention your blog in class tomorrow.

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This article was very informing. Now I know.

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I didn't know this. Well now I do.

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Wow, I never even knew that. That's amazing.

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Wonderful, I'm glad I found this post.

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Now I have been informed.

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I was looking for a post on this topic and I finally found it. Thanks.

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i love my dog just the way he is. maybe for some people this is important, but not for me. i don't need to know about his DNA unless it's something that could hurt him or me.

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that is cool. Im gonna try that.

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i have heard of this, but i dont know if it really works.

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i heard this was a scam. Does it really work?

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I heard that this doesnt work. I wouldnt mind giving it a try though.

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I love how you call yourself a pet parent...very cute :)

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I had a hard time reading the results. But i figured it out.

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That's a cool idea. I want to try that.

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This works! I tried it at home.