Dog DNA Tests

You don't just throw the dog a bone anymore!  Nowadays they can eat their freshly-baked treats while wearing their custom-made sweater.  And mutts no longer have to suffer from an identity crisis, either.  You can now give your dog a DNA test to find out more about their bloodline.

But is it accurate?   And does it really even matter?

Self-proclaimed dog-lover Kelli Boniecki added 'Casey' to her house of rescue dogs a few years back.  Out of curiosity, she wanted to know what Casey would classify as if she gave a dog DNA test a shot.

"The breed they believe she was closely related to was the Belgian Sheppard dog,” Boniecki said.  “When we went back and did some research on it we found out it very closely related to her personality, her temperament. The Belgian Sheppard dog is one that's very close to its owners, very standoffish with others and she certainly portrays that,” she said.

There are different types of tests out there.  You can find them at some veterinarian's offices, pet stores, and of course, online.  Prices range from 30 to 100 dollars. 

At Happy Dog DNA (www.happydogdna.com), they claim their test will not only answer that common question about your mutt, “what is that?” - but they say the results will give you a better understanding of your dog's behavior, potential health risks, and breed traits.

"The majority of our customers buy it because they have an adopted dog and are curious about what it is so they do it largely for entertainment value,” Happy Dog DNA’s Brett Burdick said.  “But we have heard a lot of stories from customers where their dog had a medical condition that they couldn't figure out what it was and once they got the results they made a lot more sense and they were able to share that with their vet and take care of the problem so it has medical benefits, too,” Burdick added.

But Riverwalk Animal Hospital's Dr. Stacy O'Quinn isn't buying it, though she is selling it!

"For us, mostly, it's been entertainment value,” O’Quinn said.

She says knowing a dog's breed hardly makes a difference when it comes to treatment.

"I actually go more by appearance than what the owner knows to be the breed,” O’Quinn said. “So many of our parents don't know who the parents are and they don't know what the breed is.  And many of our diseases are common for toy breeds, medium breeds or large breed dogs- more than they are for a specific breed like a Yorkshire or a Poodle, they frequently have very similar diseases."

O'Quinn says it's merely a fun game one Kelli Bonecki says she'd recommend dog owners play.

"I would, I certainly would,” Bonecki said.  “It kind of gives you a peace of mind.  For some people they could probably care less but for us it was something that we were glad that we did just so we could get some background history.  It's just like us as people. We like to know where we came from, our ancestors, and it's the same for Casey,” she said.