DNA Test Determines Breed-Mix
Mar 29th, 2007 by Beate
If you’ve adopted a mixed breed dog, how many times have you been asked, “What breed is she/he?” How many times have you wondered yourself? Every year, millions of prospective pet parents visit shelters and rescue groups, looking for the perfect pup to adopt. In nearly every case, these folks are curious about the breed heritage of the dogs. As there is often very little information available to the agencies helping to place these canines, workers can only make educated guesses.Recently, at the Global Pet Expo in Orlando, researchers introduced the Canine Heritage™ test, the first DNA-based diagnostic test to identify canine breeds. The test requires only a swab of the inner cheek, and in one to two months, pet parents can know exactly the breed mix of their family dog.
Developers of the technology hope not only to satisfy the natural curiosity of pet parents, but also to help inform vets when planning a health program.
The kit was created by MMI Genomics, which has provided DNA-based canine lineage verification for the AKC, the UKC, and other breed clubs and registries.