Have you ever wondered about your dog’s long line of ancestry?
Is he a pure Jack Russel or his great-great grandmother half Irish Terrier? Why are his eyes so blue and mouth so long? Did he inherit any disease from his parents?
Our dogs have particular traits that make them undoubtedly unique from everyone else. If you want to know more about them, you might consider a dog DNA test! This procedure can tell an awful lot about your dog’s family history, risks of diseases, and overall genetic makeup.
The surge in the popularity of dog DNA testing has encouraged other dog guardians to do the same for their pooches.
If you’re thinking about doing a DNA test on your dog, let’s look at how dog DNA tests work and run you through their perks and downsides.
How Does Dog DNA Test Work?
The whole procedure works like human DNA kits. The labs can trace your dog’s maternal and paternal line all the way back to their grandparents.
They monitor all these through your dog’s DNA, which has two copies of every gene, one from their mom and the other from the dad.
Amazing, right?
These tests usually just entail a swab of the cheek, and the whole process can give an explanation for the 20-25 thousand genes of your furry dog located in 78 chromosomes.
That’s not even the best feature yet.
Almost all dog DNA tests offer health screenings! This means you can take precautions against tendencies toward a disease lurking in your dog’s DNA.
Pros of Getting Your Dog Tested
Here is a more detailed list of benefits that might convince you to get your doggo tested.
Confirming Parentage
If you already know that your dog is a Labradoodle, you might want to dig deeper and have an idea of which parent is the Labrador and which one is the Poodle. Genetic fingerprinting will let you know about the positive identification of a dog and their pedigree tracking.
Determining the Mix in Mixed-Bred Dogs
If you haven’t found out yet what breeds went into creating your dog, this will be helpful! DNA testing will allow you to make intelligent choices about the healthcare and training of your pet.
For instance, rescue parents must let their adopted dog undergo the test to solve their fur baby’s identity issues and find out the best ways you can take care of them.
Detecting Inherited Diseases
Now that you know about your dog’s parentage and breed, you’ll see if they’re predisposed to certain disorders or allergies.
For example, Labradors are known to be susceptible to arthritis, so you need to plan meals that will keep their bones healthy and medications for injuries.
According to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, Inc., knowledge of a pet’s genotypic status is the breeders’ most potent tool for eliminating genetic disease!
Cons of Dog DNA Testing
Are Dog DNA kits always accurate? What should you worry about when purchasing one?
Overinterpretation
Dog DNA tests are meant for the parents to know more about their dogs. However, there have been cases where people use it as a basis for everything.
These tests cannot necessarily tell owners whether a dog should or should not reproduce. They also cannot formally diagnose your dog with any disease.
One concern is that these DNA tests can show mutations linked to diseases but have incomplete information. A breeder’s decision to stop reproducing may just hinder the dog from passing otherwise good genes because of a “possibility” of disease.
A popular story in Boston reported a pug being euthanized because her owners interpreted the DNA results to mean she had a neurological disease when the ailment was completely curable.
Unnecessary
Half of the dogs in the United States are mixed breeds, and almost 75% do not fully know their dog’s ancestry. Why the sudden need to know? Would you love your dog any less if you found out that they are not pure-bred?
Additionally, the thirst for knowledge about dogs’ ancestry has led dog parents to spend millions on DNA tests collectively. Maybe it is safe to say that it’s all a campaign to increase profit.
The Verdict
The science behind DNA tests for dogs is very intriguing and exciting.
But is it really worth a try?
It might be helpful for those who have no idea about their mix-breed rescue dog’s identity. Knowing your dog’s primary breed will be beneficial to keeping you informed about potential diseases and other needs.
DNA tests are functional (but expensive!), yet you don’t have to over-analyze the results! Your dog is remarkable the way they are, and they can’t simply be defined by a swab on the cheek.
