Genetic testing kits

A

Arby0617

Forums Regular
Hi,

I think I read a post a month or so ago about home testing kits to determine the breed of your dog. Has anyone done this, and can you point me to a product? Hopefully, the cost doesn't outweigh the benefit.

We've had Cosmo for about two months now, and love him to death. I've wondered all along if he's a mix, although the shelter said they think they know the breeder and the dogs are simply solid and stocky in build. Still, now that we're in classes everyone wants to know, "What mix is he?" When I get beyond the general annoyance -- what does it matter any way? -- I want to proudly say, "He's a Sheltie/Border Collie!" or "He's all Sheltie, all 50 pounds and white curly fur of him!"

He has the basic angles of our late purebred Shelties, but he's oversized and lack a guard-hair coat. I like to think we got the best of both world, Sheltie intelligence and personality but only half the shedding!
 
I've seen those tests, too.

Honestly - they're very expensive, and they don't tell you anything that you need to know. Sure, they might help people determine if there might be a "tendency" towards certain diseases, but there are very accurate, disease-specific tests that will tell you that, if you're concerned. The only benefit (as I see it) is the satisfaction of curiosity (and $$$ for the company that made the test!).

Here's an easier test - post some pictures here and see what folks think! :smile2: There can be a lot of variation within the breed, and even a purebred, paper'ed Sheltie can look like it might be a mix.
 
I LOVE the idea of genetic testing for dogs.

I have a friend who just did it. It isn't that expensive (relatively speaking). Her test cost around $100. They thought her dog was a cavalier mix. It ended up he was 75% beagle and 25% cocker spaniel. So cool!

If I had a mix breed, I would totally do it. Not knowing what the dogs are drives me crazy. I would think it would be fun( to take a guess and they find out how close you are)...as well as useful...to find out what your dog really is. Especially with training....since the instincts on the dogs are so different, it could really help you understand your dog more if you knew what breed it actually was. This would help with the approach to training that you decide to do.
 
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Here we are:
http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts-VCPL/test.aspx

For the OP... if you have the money, the MDR-1 test is far more valuable to your dog than an ancestry test ever could be. The MDR-1 gene mutation tested for by this kit is associated with sensitivity to certain drugs in Shelties (and some other breeds). If you know your dog's MDR-1 status, you and your vet can make better-informed decisions when choosing medications.
 
tofu pup said:
Here we are:
http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts-VCPL/test.aspx

For the OP... if you have the money, the MDR-1 test is far more valuable to your dog than an ancestry test ever could be. The MDR-1 gene mutation tested for by this kit is associated with sensitivity to certain drugs in Shelties (and some other breeds). If you know your dog's MDR-1 status, you and your vet can make better-informed decisions when choosing medications.
Click to expand...

thanks I'm going to order a kit!
 
danisgoat said:
If I had a mix breed, I would totally do it. Not knowing what the dogs are drives me crazy. I would think it would be fun( to take a guess and they find out how close you are)...as well as useful...to find out what your dog really is. Especially with training....since the instincts on the dogs are so different, it could really help you understand your dog more if you knew what breed it actually was. This would help with the approach to training that you decide to do.
Click to expand...

Yeah, me too! I'd love to find out all of that info for the same reasons.
 
Thank you for all the interesting perspectives

Thanks, I think I'm going to take in every suggestion and check with local clubs first.

Ironically pictures of other collie breeds is what started to sway my opinion that testing might be the only way to know for sure. There was a picture of a border collie on the site that looked so much like one of the purebreed shelties we put down last year! Another picture got me thinking, yeah, that could be Cosmo . . . so did a picture of an Australian sheepdog.

Our vet thinks "all Sheltie." Our trainer thinks "more Collie than Sheltie."

The MDR-1 sounds like an important test . . . and, now that I know about it, breed testing in general seems medically important too. If he's a mix, I'd want to know what other conditions he might be prone to.
 
P.S. on that

I should add that when we were going through the adoption process with Cosmo, a local sheltie club/breeder official took a look at his pictures and thought, "full Sheltie, tri-color-headed white."
 
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