Can DNA Testing Determine Dog Breeds

Issue: Can DNA Testing Determine Dog Breeds?

People have been trying to guess which breeds might be behind their lovable "mutts" for just about as long as there have been mixed breed pets. There's an insatiable curiosity to know Fluffy's ancestry, especially when she's been rescued from the local pound. However, this curiosity isn't limited to cross-bred dogs. Even people with purebred canines sometimes wish they could confirm if their pet is really 100% purebred, and if the canine parents identified are the correct pair.

In some respects, the wait for this type of information is over. Human DNA testing techniques are now being used to analyze dog genetics in order to identify specific breed heritage, as well as check for specific genetic markers related to certain common diseases. The upshot of this is that not only will you be able to figure out which breeds are behind your pet, you may even be able to find out which diseases your dog is most likely to develop.

How Is Testing Performed?

Taking a DNA sample is as easy as swabbing your dog's mouth with a Q-tip and sealing the swab in a test tube provided with the DNA test kit. Back at the lab, the sample is placed in a thermo-cycler and fluorescent primers are added to help sort out and identify individual DNA fragments throughout various cycles. This procedure is commonly known as "polymerase chain reaction testing", and the results will be used to generate a personal breed profile for your pet.

In cases where parentage is in question, it's most useful to provide a sample from both supposed parents, as well as from the offspring in question.

Breeds the Dog DNA Test Can Identify

There are several companies marketing dog DNA tests. Animal DNA Services has developed a test that narrows down your dog's ancestry to four major canine groups, as well as screens for four inherited diseases and certain physical/personality traits. While this testing is certainly worth while, most dog owners are more interested in determining which breed(s) their pets might be. For this purpose, the dog DNA test from Metamorphix, Inc. delivers a practical analysis that is able to identify markers for 38 specific breeds at the present time. See the table below.

What If A Suspected Breed Is Not on the List?

Unfortunately, not every breed can be sorted and identified at this time. If you don't see the breed you're looking for on the list, you're not alone. What this means to the testing procedure is that any breeds not listed will report back as unidentifiable, and this will have an affect on the final analysis. However, the report may still be useful even if every dog in your pet's ancestry cannot be identified. Identification of ancestors further back at least gives an idea of which breeds are involved in your dog's genetic make up, as well as whether or not your pet could be purebred.

Is there a possibility that the test won't be able to identify a single recognized breed from your pet's genetic code? Yes, so paying for the test is a bit of a gamble. It might be better to forgo testing unless you strongly suspect your dog is at least part of one of the 38 breeds mentioned in the table above. If you want to be notified as the identifiable breeds list is increased, you can register for Metamorphix update emails.

Can DNA testing determine dog breeds? Yes, on a limited basis. However, scientists are working to map out the genetic markers for even more breeds, so hopefully one day we'll have a dog DNA test that will identify every recognizable breed in a dog's ancestry.