DNA testing for dogs (to discover what breeds make up a mongrel)

[{97702}]

I’m toying with the idea of having this done for Millie lurcher, because I am really curious to know what breeds are in her ancestry to make her so sharp and intelligent!

At the same time I am a born sceptic so I am doubtful about the accuracy of any results.

Has anyone had any experience of this? Any vets who are willing to give their thoughts? It seems to be a bit of an inexact process to me, whereby the results might say she ‘could’ have any number of breeds in her.....

But then again I may be totally wrong and it might be really accurate ?

 

[ester]

I think they've improved the more dogs they have tested.

 

[CorvusCorax]

I've only heard about results which are way off lol.
IMO you need a database to compare against in the first place.

 

[Parrotperson]

I know the problem with human DNA tests is that each company offering the service does slightly different tests. Some concentrate on the mitochondria DNA (mothers) others the Y Chromosome (fathers). The problem is the databases that result cannot be compared to each other so if you took two tests one with each type of DNA being tested you'd most likely get two different results as I understand it, whereas the truth lies somewhere in the middle. I know geneticists aren't very fond of these tests saying they prove very little. Guess it's the same in dogs?

 

[satinbaze]

I remember Joe Lycett sent off his own DNA sample to one of these companies and he came back as a Shih Tzu cross.

 

[whirlwind]

I bought one for a Christmas present for my partner for his sheepdog. Went with the wisdom panel as was the only one that didn’t want a picture of the dog! Got the result back of 75% Collie 25% kelpie which was pretty much what we were expecting although did wonder if there was some hunterway in there. So in my experience pretty accurate, I didn’t give them any breeds that I thought/ knew she had in her (there is an option) so the result was purely off the cheek swab.

She’s the Black and Tan on the left

 

[ester]

I've only heard about results which are way off lol.
IMO you need a database to compare against in the first place.

hence my comment about those that have now tested a lot of dogs. Wisdom database is 15k dogs I think

 

[shortstuff99]

The problem with these sorts of tests is that dogs are all the same species so the genetic variation is not that large and I'm not sure how many scientists have bothered to do a proper phylogeographic study on dog breeds which is what you would need really.

 

[{97702}]

I remember Joe Lycett sent off his own DNA sample to one of these companies and he came back as a Shih Tzu cross.

That’s brilliant ???

 

[Bellasophia]

I wouldn’t waste your money on this...spend it on dog food.

you won’t breed from Millie..you love her as she is..as Marie Antoinette once said “ let them eat kibble”..or something similar.

 

[Roxylola]

I did a wisdom one on mini hound years ago. Came up 50% beagle, 25% fox hound, 25% mixed breed.
My money is on the mixed being Jack Russel tbh, at that time they weren't a recognised breed anyway.
Shes Irish bred so there could be a bit of Kerry beagle in there maybe. Shes certainly hound, and probably a bit more wayward than the average beagle. I'd say it's pretty accurate generally though.

 

[{97702}]

I did a wisdom one on mini hound years ago. Came up 50% beagle, 25% fox hound, 25% mixed breed.
My money is on the mixed being Jack Russel tbh, at that time they weren't a recognised breed anyway.
Shes Irish bred so there could be a bit of Kerry beagle in there maybe. Shes certainly hound, and probably a bit more wayward than the average beagle. I'd say it's pretty accurate generally though. View attachment 52917View attachment 52918View attachment 52916

She is gorgeous You need to post pics of her more often ??

 

[Roxylola]

She is gorgeous You need to post pics of her more often ??

Awww thanks, she is so naughty - I've honestly considered writing a book about her but nobody would believe 1 dog could be so bad and look so beautiful. Shes still a terror now and shes 10, she'll never have a reliable recall 100% so the boy reason she gets up to less mischief is that I've learned it's not always appropriate to be off lead just because she can ?

 

[Bellasophia]

Roxyola. Could she be a harrier hound?
https://dogtime.com/dog-breeds/harrier

 

[splashgirl45]

it would be interesting to send off for my terriers breeding as i know exactly what it is...he is a real heinz 57, lhasa apso, chihuahua, patterdale, jack russell, yorkshire terrier, border terrier.......bet they wouldnt get it right. his dad was jrxchi and mum was a mixture of the other breeds..

 

[Roxylola]

Roxyola. Could she be a harrier hound?
https://dogtime.com/dog-breeds/harrier

Shes dinky - bout 11kg! Shes very like a mini version of a trail hound - height and proportions of a bigger hound, but in a beagle sized package. Shes leggier than any decently bred beagle and leaner but tiny next to harriers etc

 

[splashgirl45]

could she be beagle/whippet?

 

[{97702}]

Any guesses for this? ? She is 18kg and about 22” at the shoulder - I suppose theoretically she could be a large whippet, but she was rehomed to me as a lurcher and I’ve always assumed there is something else in there ?

She is sharp, reactive, prey driven, incredibly fast, very protective of her toys/food/space, she has reactions like lightning, she can jump, catch a ball, find anything, she is aggressive, dominant, oh and did I say she was very sharp? ???? she chases deer like nothing in this world, and if let off the lead is usually found 3 miles away in about 5 minutes flat ?

ETA - that’s a stone she is eating in the second pic ? because mummy is too mean to leave toys out, as Millie tries to kill any other dog who comes near her toys.... it isn’t worth the risk!

 

[meggymoo]

I always chuckle at all the adverts from Ancestry and the like, for DNA tests for Fathers day Presents. If I were a dad (or even a man) I'm sure if I were given one, I would ask what they were trying to say. "Here you are dad, happy Father's Day, now let's see if I'm really yours"?

 

[Roxylola]

could she be beagle/whippet?

Crossed my mind, shes ace whatever she is ?

 

[Roxylola]

Lev, I think it's always hard with lurchers they're almost a breed themselves now really. Sighthound obviously. Could she be grey x smooth collie? Collie fits for the character traits at least

 

[{97702}]

Lev, I think it's always hard with lurchers they're almost a breed themselves now really. Sighthound obviously. Could she be grey x smooth collie? Collie fits for the character traits at least

I’ve always wondered about a collie, her reactions are so quick and she is so intelligent! I would love to find out but I don’t really think the tests are worth it having read everyone’s comments.

(Well, I didn’t fully understand Shortstuff’s reply but I DO know she is a right proper scientist so whatever she says must be right ?)

 

[Errin Paddywack]

From your description of her I would guess collie x of some sort although she doesn't show visible signs of collie. Whatever cross she is I would think it has to be one of the working breeds to have the sort of traits she has. My sister's lurcher is collie x greyhound (we think). Classic collie marking, black and white but more greyhound shape. More brains than a greyhound and has a faint clue about working sheep. Loves agility and fast whereas a lot of greyhounds can't really be bothered. She is a rescue from Ireland at about a year. She was shown to my sister and her husband as an 'Irish collie'. Her husband wanted a collie, doesn't like lurchers. My sister knew what she was as soon as she saw her but fell in love instantly. Took her husband quite a while to twig on to what she actually was but by then he was besotted. Suits them perfectly.
Millie is gorgeous whatever cross she is. A good friend of mine had a kelpie lurcher, fabulous dog, very trainable but very strong hunting instinct. Looked rather like Millie but tan.

 

[Honey08]

Quite a lot of people that got Romanian rescues from the same place as mine sent their dog’s DNA off. The results always came back as types of dogs common as British pets, there were never any Romanian breeds, which I always thought was a little suspicious!

 

[ester]

I don't imagine they've had many romanian breeds to database.

 

[Unicorn]

I got one done on Ellie, just out of nosiness.

She's clearly part shepherd, but quite dinky (21kg, and about 20" at the shoulder)
The rescue she came from said she was gsd x border collie, the dna test reckons she's gsd x rottweiler. I have no idea!

 

[tda]

Some years ago our farmer neighbour did a DNA test on a new litter of his Border terriers, not pure bred even tho the bitch had been mated with another border terrier, turned out our Parsons Terrier was the father ??

 

[Parrotperson]

Some years ago our farmer neighbour did a DNA test on a new litter of his Border terriers, not pure bred even tho the bitch had been mated with another border terrier, turned out our Parsons Terrier was the father ??

oops. ?

 

[Max123]

I got a DNA test on 2 terrier sibling pups we got from a rescue. Came back 80-90% parson Jack Russell and 10-20% chihuahua. I'm happy it is accurate. We didn't supply a photo so no guess work.They are the shape and hair type of parson but 1 is black and the other black and tan so looks like the colouring came from black and tan chihuahua. I'm glad I got it done. Was surprised that the % of any breed was so high however. If you can afford it why not. It is interesting. The company I used was DNA Ireland Cork and they also do forensic testing for prosecutions.