Your dog has an adorable kink in her tail; she loves chasing squirrels, excels at fetch and has endless amounts of long, thick fur that floats across the floor and covers the sofa. The shelter listed her as an Australian Shepherd mix but you'd love to know more about the breeds in her background and whether she's at risk for any genetic health conditions. DNA testing might be able to help.
Understanding dog breeds
In 2004, the National Human Genome Research Institute launched a $30 million project to sequence the dog genome to better understand the genes associated with dog breeds and various canine traits and health conditions. Their work led to a flood of take home DNA tests that promise to provide information on everything from breed and ancestry to the risk of health conditions.1
Before you hand over your credit card information to find out if your Australian Shepherd might actually be a Border Collie mix and whether she has a higher risk of certain health conditions, you might be wondering, “How do dog DNA tests work?" and, “How accurate are dog DNA tests?"
Keep reading to find out.
What is DNA testing for dogs?
To understand how a dog DNA test works, think back to your high school science classes: DNA refers to deoxyribonucleic acid, a blueprint unique to each living organism. Dogs have 20,000 to 25,000 genes as part of their DNA that are responsible for characteristics like breed, appearance, behavior and genetic diseases.2
Dog DNA tests range from inexpensive and basic, to costly and comprehensive. Choose the one that best fits your goals for DNA testing. Do you want to find out the breeds that make up your adorable, adopted mutt or do you need detailed genetic testing information to decide whether to breed your dog, or whether to prepare for the potential emergence of diseases down the road?3
How much do dog DNA tests cost?
The cost of DNA kits can vary widely. Tests ordered by veterinarians can be quite costly, in the hundreds of dollars, especially if the sample needed is tissue or blood. Others, like ones that help determine the combination of breeds your sweet mutt is made of, can be ordered online, performed at home and are relatively affordable.
How do you perform a dog DNA test?
DNA testing dogs can be very straightforward. For at home kits, dog owners collect a DNA sample by gently swabbing the inside of a dog's cheek and sending the sample to the lab for analysis. Some DNA tests require blood or tissue samples that you'll need your veterinarian to collect.4
What will a dog DNA test tell you?
Different DNA tests provide different kinds of information, depending on what is tested for. A DNA test gives information about the genetic sequence of an individual dog at an exact position in the genome that is known to influence a particular inherited trait.
When your veterinarian orders a DNA test, they are likely looking for a specific genetic mutation that might help explain if an inherited disease is the cause for your dog's illness. Other DNA tests can be done to help better determine the combination of breeds that make up your pup. DNA tests can also be used to rule out diseases, or to look for cosmetic traits, like coat color.
Confirming the parents
Breeders might use DNA testing to create records and genetic identification for their dogs to provide scientific proof of parentage and lineage.4
Tracing ancestry/Determining breeds
It can be difficult to tell which breeds might be represented in mixed breed dogs. In fact, experienced vet staff and shelter workers misidentified breeds up to 75 percent of the time when guessing based on their appearances.6 DNA tests can be used to trace ancestry.Owners of mixed breed dogs might use this information to determine which purebred dogs their dog descended from.5 In general this type of DNA test is 'just for fun' and has no real use other than helping to understand why your dog looks the way it does.
Doing a dog DNA breed tests to determine a dog's breed (or combination of breeds) can provide important information from the size of the dog and its training and exercise needs and the risk of certain health conditions based on their breed.
Disease risk
Genetic testing for dogs can assess whether a dog's DNA shows a higher risk for inherited health conditions. These DNA tests are quite useful to better understand and prepare for eventual health disorders your dog may have. A great example is Great Danes and bloat. Research has shown that a variant of a bloat-related gene is three times more prevalent in Great Danes than a control group of dogs.7
Consider it a canine health check—but remember, genetic risk tests are not meant to diagnose disease, just to provide information about risk.8 Currently, most DNA tests are for mutations that cause 'Mendelian' or genetically simple inherited disorders. Genetic testing for dogs can provide several different results for a dog including:
- Two normal copies of the gene and are “clear" for inherited health conditions
- One normal copy and one mutated form of the gene, making them carriers or at risk of developing specific genetic conditions
- Two copies of the mutated genes or affected with the condition9
Increasingly DNA tests will become available for identifying genetic risk factors. Genetic risk factors increase the pet's individual risk of developing a disorder or disease, but are not a certainty they will develop the linked condition.
How accurate are dog DNA tests?
Dog DNA testing isn't regulated so it's difficult to determine the accuracy of DNA results for dogs, especially the ones aimed at providing information about breed lineage. Some companies list accuracy percentages on their testing—and, in general, the more breeds in their database, the more accurate the DNA test results.3
Detecting genetic disorders
In cases where there is a simple genetic mechanism for a disease, DNA tests can be very accurate. For example, in the Doberman Pinscher, there is a single genetic defect responsible for Von Willebrandt disease, a potentially life threatening blood clotting disorder.10
Assessing surgical risk
A DNA test can be done to determine if the patient is a risky candidate for surgery. In the case of Dobermans, this is crucial information to have before any surgical procedure, since this disease causes them to bleed dangerous amounts.
On the other hand, many disorders are complex and caused by multiple mutations or the interaction between genes and the environment. In these cases, DNA can be useful, but are only part of the puzzle that leads to some dogs developing a certain disease.
Understanding cosmetic traits
In the case of cosmetic traits, often more than one gene is responsible for the trait, making it difficult to provide results that are 100 percent accurate.8 Additionally, there are many instances where the gene or mutation that influences certain genetic traits hasn't been identified yet.
What are the benefits of DNA testing?
You might order a dog genetic testing kit for fun: It can be interesting to know which breeds were responsible for creating your perfect doggo or whether your adopted Corgi has some ties to the royals. There are also more concrete reasons to DNA test your dog. Your veterinarian may want to run a DNA test that might help shed light on a particular disease or illness your pet is having.
1. Health
Learning more about potential health risks is one way that DNA testing can be very useful. If test results show that your dog is predisposed to a hereditary condition, you can be on the lookout for signs that could help with early diagnosis and treatment. Your veterinarian might order a DNA test to better understand if there is a possible inherited disorder responsible for a set of clinical signs. For example, a dog that is having serious fatigue after exercise could be DNA tested for Exercise Induced Collapse, a rare, but inherited disorder.11
2. Behavior
Does your dog fear strangers, bark a lot or chase small animals? Their genes could play a role in these behaviors and help you solve dog behavior problems. DNA testing showed that working dog breeds had higher rates of separation anxiety and Pit Bulls were more apt to pull on the leash.12 A DNA test could help explain their behaviors and help you (and your veterinarian) develop possible solutions.
3. Breeding
Reputable breeders depend on DNA testing to decide which dogs in their lineage to breed. Since inherited disorders are more common in purebred dogs, trying to choose dams and and sires without those diseases will help make the breed more healthy.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) and breed clubs recommend specific genetic testing based on the breed-specific health risks of particular breeds. This allows breeders to make educated decisions in their breeding programs.5 By choosing a reputable breeder that performs DNA testing on their dogs, you can be assured the puppy you choose will be less likely to develop breed specific issues.
4. Purpose
It's no surprise that different breeds were designed for different roles like the Great Pyrenees that were used as herding and guardian dogs and Alaskan Malamutes that were bred to haul heavy loads.13 You might not need a sled dog or livestock guardian dog but having DNA results that offer insights into your dog's heritage can help you understand their behavior and meet their needs—like putting your thick-coated Mal to work pulling the kids through the snow!
Pets Best for all dog breeds
No matter your dog's breed, Pets Best can help you keep them healthy and happy by helping cover eligible veterinary expenses for everything from annual check ups to emergency care.
Even with the most prepared pet parents, accidents do happen, which is why a good pet insurance policy is worth having. Pets Best policyholders also have access to a 24/7 pet helpline, in case they need immediate answers to questions about their puppies. Click here to get a quote.
Sources
1Cathryn Mellersh. “DNA testing and domestic dogs." Mammalian Genome. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3275738/. Published November 10 2011. Accessed October 31, 2022.
2AKC Staff. “What You Need to Know About Dog DNA Tests." American Kennel Club. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeding/dog-dna-tests-descriptions-and-uses/. Published December 21, 2015. Accessed October 31, 2022.
3Heather M. “How Dog and Cat DNA Tests Work." ASPCA Pet Health Insurance. https://www.aspcapetinsurance.com/resources/pet-dna-tests/. Accessed October 31, 2022.
4Mary Robbins. “What Can Dog DNA Tests Tell You About Your Dog's Health?" American Kennel Club. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/dog-dna-testing-genetic-screenings/. Published September 19, 2021. Accessed October 31, 2022.
5Claire Wilem VMD, DACVIM. “Genetic Testing—An Overview." American Kennel Club. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeding/genetic-testing-dogs-overview/. Published August 23, 2022. Accessed November 1, 2022.
6“DNA studies reveal that shelter workers often mislabel dogs as 'pit bulls.'" University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. https://www.vetmed.ufl.edu/2016/02/17/dna-studies-reveal-that-shelter-workers-often-mislabel-dogs-as-pit-bulls/. Published February 17, 2016. Accessed October 31, 2022.
7Harkey MA. Update on the canine bloat study 7/31/15. Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center
8Liza Gershony, DVM, PhD and Anita Oberbauer, PhD. “Review of the Current State of Genetic Testing - A Living Resource." AKC Canine Health Foundation. https://www.akcchf.org/educational-resources/library/articles/CANINE_GENETIC_TESTING_07-28-2020_FINAL_with-links.pdf. Published July 2020. Accessed October 31, 2022.
9“Guide to Genetic Tests." Portuguese Water Dog Foundation. https://www.pwdfoundation.org/research/guide-genetic-tests/. Accessed October 31, 2022.
10Moser J, Meyers KM, Russon RH: Inheritance of von Willebrand factor deficiency in Doberman pinschers. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1996 Vol 209 (6) pp. 1103-06.
11Patterson E E, Minor K M, Tchernatynskaia A V, et al: A canine DNM1 mutation is highly associated with the syndrome of exercise-induced collapse . Nat Genet 2008 Vol 40 (10) pp. 1235-9.
12Isain Zapata, M. Leanne Lilly, Meghan E. Herron et al. “Genetic testing of dogs predicts problem behaviors in clinical and nonclinical samples." BMC Genomics. https://bmcgenomics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12864-022-08351-9. Published February 7, 2022. Accessed October 31, 2022.
13AKC Staff. “Working Dogs: Met 31 Purposely-Bred Dogs." https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/working-group-dogs/. Published August 1, 2020. Accessed November 1, 2022.