A while back, I wrote a post about DNA testing after taking the Ancestry.com DNA test. I loved finding out what my roots were. But, I was also curious about what breeds my dogs were because they were mutts. A neighbor mentioned she had used the Wisdom Panel™ dog DNA test for her dogs and recommended it.
As soon as I got home I went online and searched until I found the Mars Veterinary site. Unlike the Ancestry DNA test, which requires you to collect a good amount of spit into a bottle, the dog DNA test was a simple brush against their inner cheek.
You can order a Wisdom Panel™ DNA kit for dogs here
My dogs were a little annoyed when I stuck the brushes in their mouths but didn’t give me too hard of a time.
I collected 3 samples per dog on separate brushes, popped them into the mailer that came with each kit, and sent it off to be analyzed.
About my two darling rescue mutts
Minnie Mae
A nice man found Minnie Mae wandering along with her brother on Melrose Ave, in West Hollywood when she was an 8-week-old puppy. My daughter met him when he came into a restaurant she was working at. They got into a conversation and he told her about the puppies.
He wanted to keep the male and give away the female. My daughter said she was looking for a dog to give me as a birthday present and that she might be interested. She met Minnie Mae, who was a dirty 2 lb mess from wandering around, took her home, bathed her, and brought her to my house. I immediately fell in love. The vet thought she was a MinPin mix, but I swore she was part Gremlin.
Louie Valentino
Louie showed up one day when my SO was taking Minnie Mae on a walk. He didn’t have a collar and wasn’t fixed. Afraid he’d get run over in the street, he called me in a panic, not knowing what to do. We brought Louie home, put signs up in the neighborhood, and waited a week until someone called to claim him. A week later he showed up again. We took him back to the woman’s house and 2 days later, she showed up with Louie and all his things. She asked if we could keep him because she worked all day and neighbors taunted him with fireworks in the yard.
The thought of him being tortured like that was heartbreaking so we said okay. We planned to find him a good home, but Doug fell in love with him. Our vet estimated he was 4 years old at the time and we had him fixed so he wouldn’t roam. He tried a couple of times and once ran across a busy street, practically giving me a heart attack, but by some miracle survived. The vet guessed he was a chihuahua mix, but later another vet insisted he was a rat terrier. After looking at dog photos online, we were convinced the 2nd vet was right.
Dog DNA surprises
We were eager to get the test results. Louie’s came in via email 3-weeks after I sent in the tests and it was a shocker. Louie wasn’t a rat terrier at all. He was 75% chihuahua and was mixed with 3 non-specific breeds that included terrier, hound, and companion dog. A chihuahua is technically a terrier but there wasn’t specific “rat terrier” DNA in the mix.
Minnie Mae turned out to be 50% chihuahua, 12.5% Lhasa Apso, 12.5 % Pekingese, and 25% non-specific breeds of herding, hound, terrier, and sporting dogs. The Chihuahua, Lhasa Apso and Pekingese are all ancient dogs. I always knew she was divine! She even had a show dog in her ancestry.
The Dog DNA website
The test results are all online on the Wisdom Panel™ site. You can print out a certificate for your dog with their ancestry tree. You can even post your dog and their results on the site in their online “Dog Park.” It was all very easy and you can come back to the site whenever you like.
Why should you do a dog DNA test?
One of the most important reasons is to look out for potential health issues. If you know the breed or mixes of breeds you may be able to prevent problems in the future. With your results, you’ll receive:
- Identification of purebred ancestors present in the first three generations (to the great-grandparent level)
- A predicted weight profile
- Information about the physical traits your dog may exhibit
- Testing for the MDR1 genetic mutation Testing for Exercise-induced Collapse (EIC)
Dog Trivia
Eddie the Dog from Frazier was a Jack Russell Terrier. His real name was Moose. He wrote a book called, “My Life as a Dog.”
Order a test for your dog or cat on Amazon by clicking here.
Minnie and Louie both went over the Rainbow Bridge. Louie in 2020 at 16 years old and Minnie in 2021 at 13 years old. They are deeply missed.
Do you have dogs and want to know what their dog DNA is? Have you already had your dog tested? Please leave a comment below.
We had our silver shepherd, Jules tested. He has webbed toes and swims suspicously like a lab. The seller had said he was a purebred, so we had him tested. (By *we* I mean my husband.) Turns out he is “legally” a German Shepherd. There is a 6% something else in the grandparent level-I’m sure it is a lab.
That’s awesome! I hope the seller didn’t charge full price for a purebred if he has 6% something else. I bet he’s a great dog, though.
I’ve shared this on Facebook for all the dog lovers in my life. I never would have thought about DNA testing but I immediately saw its value as far as the various inherited conditions some dog breeds carry. Such a great idea!
Thanks so much for sharing this Alana. I appreciate it. It’s good to know to prevent illness if possible.
Thanks for doing this post, Rebecca! I loved your stories about Minnie and Louie. Like me, you have a big heart when it comes to dogs! Annie and Lulu were eight weeks old when I adopted them from the shelter earlier this year. I thought about doing a DNA test but hadn’t looked into it. Now I know where to go! xoxox, Brenda
I hope you give it a try Brenda. It was fun finding out what breeds they were. And yes, I love my doggies like you do.
I had a little Louie and a Lance. They were silk haired terriers. (More like terrors) I miss them so much.
I would have loved to check their dna.
I call Minnie Mae my neighborhood terriorist. She feels it’s her duty to growl at any new dog she meets because she wants to protect me. Louie, on the other hand, loves to meet any new dog.
This is so interesting, and it’s amazing what you can find out through these DNA tests. My daughter is actually having her dog – a rescue from Houston’s Harvey — tested and we’re so curious to see what she finds out.
That’s wonderful that your daughter got a rescue dog. There are so many out there who need good homes. It will be interesting finding out what breeds her dog is.