The procedure was simple enough; its app provides step-by-step instructions on swabbing, storing and organising the delivery of samples. The process was smooth and I got my in-app results in a few weeks.
They were a big surprise: Sootie was not part terrier at all.
These trained dogs rescue tourists from Sydney’s worst food thieves
These trained dogs rescue tourists from Sydney’s worst food thieves
“One of these came back for a puppy that was a mix of six different breeds. The results said she was 55 per cent poodle and 19 per cent Thai ridgeback and, somewhere in there, she was five per cent Tibetan mastiff.
“So far, she’s a small little thing, no sign of the mastiff lineage anywhere,” she says.
Asked if the ability to know a rescue dog’s breed is a good or bad thing, Lumsden believes it is a double-edged sword.
For people looking to adopt a dog from a rescue organisation, knowing the mix of breeds may provide insights into the types of health problems the dog might experience.
Lumsden says she has seen a small percentage of DNA tests return results that show a dog has a mix from a breed that may be considered dangerous or that potential adopters see as less desirable.
“This can mean a beautiful mixed-breed dog doesn’t get a home.”
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Shelter dogs and cats bring calm to beginner yoga classes – and find homes
Hong Kong veterinary surgeon Pauline Taylor wonders about the accuracy of such DNA tests. “The only way to really know would be to buy a few of these tests to cross- reference, but that would be quite expensive.” CirclePaw’s pet test starts at HK$1,690 (US$220) and a DNA kit from Hong Kong company Lucky Pets will set you back HK$2,968.
Registered veterinary professional Edmund Wong says pet DNA tests can cause anxiety for pet owners.
“A lot of pet owners want to test their dog or cat to see if it’s prone to certain cancers. This leads to making decisions about buying insurance for, or even deciding if they can carry the financial burden of treating, their pet before anything has happened.”
Wong sees a wider application for DNA tests for a pet – they could be used after a cat or dog has been diagnosed with a disease.
“There are services like Fido Cure which are genome-testing dogs that have been diagnosed with cancer to help determine which therapy is best for treating them. It’s like targeted therapy for your dog. That’s pretty cutting-edge stuff.”
While it may be interesting to learn what breeds your rescue puppy is made up of, the results might not provide much useful information.
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Is having a pet good for your health? Studies show heart and brain benefits
While it was good to know that Sootie is 40 per cent Lhasa apso and 30 per cent shar pei with some German shepherd and bichon frisé thrown into the mix, the rest of the findings given were less accurate.
The results stated that Sootie is a dog that rarely barks; she barks quite a lot. They also suggested that she had a high chance of developing cutaneous histiocytomas, or benign tumours.
Finding out that Sootie is almost half Lhasa apso has helped me figure out in what style to tell the groomers to cut her hair. As for the health problems, I will deal with whatever may come along as they arise.