Dog DNA Tests, Testing to Learn the Breed of Your Canine

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It’s widely believed that dogs originated over 17,000 years ago; recent DNA testing and closer fossil examination is suggesting that dogs originated as far as 150,000 years ago. However the dating in relation to the Bible seems a little far fetched. We know they were around in Bible days because it is mention in several passages.

Scientists and researchers have come up with several possible paths that the development of modern dogs has followed.
Dogs have lived and worked with humans in many different roles throughout the ages. Even today people are continually finding new ways in which dogs can enhance their lives, or perform useful services to people.

In order to understand dogs and their complex relationship to humans we need to look back to the origins of the species; and take a closer look at the habits of wolves.

Wolves are very social animals; they live in packs and derive not only assured survival but also enjoy relationships within the pack. We can clearly see evidence of wolves’ social structure systems if we look at our own dogs today.
In a healthy relationship the human is the alpha member of the pack. A less socialized dog is widely believed to think that he is the leader of your pack, instead of you – the owner.

Today it is widely believed that domestication is occurring at a much greater speed than was previously thought. It seems dogs are now born with highly prized traits.

Not only their temperaments but also the way they look is greatly changing. Scientists have had a tough time telling some skull and bone fragments apart. It’s mainly differences in the skull and teeth that scientists can sue to determine if the specimens are wolf or dog remains.

At a farm in Siberia researchers have been experimenting with foxes and how quickly they can be tamed. They believe that this might lead to an understanding of how our own dogs have evolved.

Researchers around the world are also becoming interested in the cognitions of our dogs and how our dogs have become accepted into our human social structures. History cannot trace the exact routes of wolf to dog.

Wolves are now on endangered lists around the world. Many valiant efforts are being made to curb the steady decline in wolf numbers.

Is it all part of evolution?

Dogs have evolved slowly from wolves and found a home with humans. They’ve become an essential part of human life. If all wolves had formed such relationships with humans they too might be assured of life without extinction.

It is far easier to envision a world without wolves than it is to imagine a world without Boston Terriers, Maltese, Yorkshire Terriers, Pomeranians, Shih Tzu’s or Pugs.

DNA Testing for Mixed Breed Dogs: How to Find Out Which Breeds
Knowing what breeds are in your dog’s genetic makeup, might help you better care for and understand your pet.

Healthy Basset Hounds
I also believe it is sensible to educate would-be dog breeders. I personally took a course on dog breeding run by the kennel club in Stockholm. I also studied dog genetics as part of a course.

Crossbreed DNA Test Now Available
What is my dog? Wisdom Panel, the gold standard in mixed-breed genetic identification for dogs and the most veterinarian- recognized name in canine genetics.

On Dogs and Research
We know that’s just an overview of dog genetics and the basics of breeds.

What do dogs have in common with fruit flies?
Some will try to argue that dog genetics is no different from genetically manipulated fruit fly studies.
By: Steve Allison

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Steve Allison is a third generation of professional dog breeders along with his brother Gary. It all started with his grandparents in 1970 with the Boston Terriers and has expanded to Maltese, Yorkshire Terriers, Pugs, Shih Tzu’s and Pomeranians. He is also actively involved with dog rescue and has a website that showcases the puppies they occasionally has for sale at All My Puppies Online Steve is also the co-author of two consumer guides, Carpet Secrets and Moving Secrets Guide

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Purebreds, you can find them in movies, in forums, web sites and even exclusively in dog shows. They are popular and are well-liked by many people and dog owners. Cross breeds also known as mutts are not so fortunate. They get little attention and are widely found in animal shelters. Why is there such a huge disparity? This article seeks to discuss that and help you learn more about pure and mixed breeds.

Pure Breeds are dogs that are well-documented and acknowledged by the public as a group with similar lineage. They are selectively bred dogs that produce a particular body type and specific behaviors that are relatively similar throughout the particular breed. In order for a dog to be recognized as a true breed, it must be proven that its parents are of the same ancestry such that they will pass on their exact temperament, characteristic and appearance – this is known as breeding true.

For people involved with professional breeding, there is a huge difference between purebreds and mutts. Some cross breeds might well be purebred, they only lack the proper paper to prove that they are so. If you are looking for a pet and have no interest in entering competitions with your dog, this might be a viable option for you and the cost is considerably lower too.

The selection process of purebreds is done very carefully. The pair is tested for every possible disease which includes having all the information regarding the pair’s ancestors and health records on file. Should there be no problem in the history of the pair, then the breeding can begin. During testing, should the pair is not compatible due to diseases that are common in a specific breed, another dog will be selected as a match instead.

There are many places to get a dog such as a kennel or the pet store but if you want to get a purebred, it is advisable to seek a reputable breeder to get the best results.

Cross breeds in contrast are likely to have been bred out of experimentation to produce a better, stronger and healthier breed than its parents. It is also very likely that they are the results of accidents. On the whole, cross breeds are so different it is almost impossible for anyone to list down their various characteristics in details.

When it comes to the dog’s health, purebreds could encounter lesser problems because the breeder has done a good job in screening and getting the best and healthy dogs to breed. On the other hand, a relatively common issue with purebreds is that they face higher chances to inherit health problems from their parents; eye diseases that cause blindness, bone and joint disorders that cause lameness, sudden heart disease that causes early death, epilepsy, seizures, or immune system diseases, just to name a few of the over 300 genetic health defects documented in dogs.

The chances of a purebred being infected with inherited health issues is much higher due to 2 primary reasons:

1. The AKC makes it compulsory for all purebreds involve in the breeding process to be dogs that are registered with them, only then will their offspring be recognized as purebreds. This rule take off the large majority of other dogs that could have been available to breed. Because of this reason, most purebreds are bred on a close gene pool with similar ancestry. Without the introduction of new and unrelated genes in to the breed in the long run, purebred dogs suffer from "loss of genetic diversity," which inevitably leads to dogs with inherited health problems.

2. There are instances where certain breeders are more concerned about financial gain rather than the welfare of the animal. This is especially true of those breeders who do not practice the strict guidelines of proper breeding thereby producing inferior dogs.

To avoid getting a dog with inherited health problems, you should always look for responsible breeders who make their dogs go through medical tests as proof of good health. Some of the health tests are – Cardiac test to detect certain heart diseases, Ophthalmic test to determine the presence of PRA and cataracts, X-rays to detect hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia. Bear in mind that not all tests are required as certain inherited health problems are present in certain breeds only.

Mixed bred dogs on the other hand are surprising generally healthier than purebreds. Cross breeds tend to enjoy better health and vigor because of their wide range of genes diversity. The main reason is because the parents’ genes are by and large not related, it is highly unlikely for the puppy to inherit bad genes that are not presented in both parents. It is usually the pairing up of the same defective genes that cause inherited health problems to occur.

Some dog owners has a tendency to like purebreds more than cross breeds. The primary reason is that it carries a certain prestige with it, often glamorized by television, movies and breeders. They are also constantly featured at dog shows where mixed dogs are not allowed to compete in without a compelling reason.

These incidents led the public to believe that the cross breeds are inferior dogs when compare to the purebreds, therefore they create lesser interests and awareness from the public. It is a shame to see most of them being round up frequently and left to die in animal shelters.

To conclude, purebreds will give you predictable characteristics that you are looking for in a dog, but suffer from higher potential for genetic defects and inherited health problems.

Cross breeds are more likely to be healthier on the whole, nevertheless, you have to accept the fact that your dog has the chance to grow up into something that is not predictable, including his appearance and temperament. The only option is to make smart educated guesses by observing its parents closely. Nevertheless, you also know that your dog is truly unique and one of its kind.

To bring a dog into your life is a long commitment and possibly a life changing decision. You should avoid making a decision to get a puppy solely on the fact if it is pure breed or not. In fact, the more important aspect is to consider getting a dog breed that suits your lifestyle and family.

 
Seven Reasons to Adopt a Mixed Breed Dog
Are you looking for a new dog? Here are seven reasons why you should adopt a mixed breed dog.

Wisdom Panel(TM) MX Helps Mixed Breed Dogs Tell Their Tale
Roughly half of all dogs in the United States are mixed breed

CrossbreedDNA Test Now Available
Wisdom Panel MX realizes that every dog has an important tale to tell, offers mixed breed dog owners the unique opportunity.

How Can I Tell If A Mixed Breed Dog Will Have Floppy Ears
Knowing what breeds are in your dog’s genetic makeup, might help you better care for and understand your pet.

Celebrate Mixed Breeds!
Good news for all of us who have mixed breed dogs.

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Volunteering for the Chihuahua and Small Dog Rescue has made it clear that sometimes it’s very difficult to determine what breeds have combined to make some dogs. Until recently, a guess was all that could be done.

Dog Breed Testing kits are now readily available and are more affordable than ever before.

Why is it so important to know the breeds present in a dog? Dog Breed Testing can tell you how big or small your dog might be. It might help you determine grooming for your dog. It can even determine what illnesses and diseases your dog might be prone to, due to genetics.

The most important reason is to help you determine your dog’s potential temperament. Temperament is like the character of your dog. It’s what has been handed down from generation to generation to make a breed what it is.

Temperament is why Border Collies like to herd. Temperament is why Labradors like to retrieve. Temperament helps determine if a dog is going to be good with children, or if they are going to like to running with you. It can help you understand your dog and its behavior.

We have a little 5 pound dog named Leon. He is black and tan, similar to a Doberman. We were told when we got him at 7 weeks, that he was a Chihuahua and we had no reason to think otherwise.

As he grew, we noticed that his head wasn’t as round as a Chi’s and he was rather lanky to be a pure Chihuahua.

Temperament wise, he was mostly Chihuahua, although he seemed to tolerate strangers better and he learned things very quickly. It took him only five minutes to learn the command "sit" when he was only 9 weeks old.

We thought that this was due to the fact that we took him everywhere and that we used positive training methods. As an adult, he is a very well adjusted dog and he is even registered as a therapy animal.

Everywhere we went, people would always ask what he was, even though Chihuahua owners always knew he was a Chi. Most people focused on his coloring and guessed he was a Miniature Pinscher.

When we noticed an advertisement for a Dog Breed Testing Kit, just had to see for ourselves what genetics had made this wonderful dog.

The kit came in the mail and was self explanatory. There are levels to each breed present that make up Leon and they will be indicated in descending order. For instance, Level One is any breed that is 75% or more present in Leon, Level Two is any breed or breeds that is 37%-74% present in Leon all the way down to Level Four.

We were sure that he is mostly Chihuahua, but very curious to see what other breed or breeds could be in his ancestry.

We took the cotton swab and ran it inside his mouth for the determined amount of time and were careful not to contaminate the evidence as we shipped it back to the laboratory.

Two weeks later, we got a letter in the mail stating that there weren’t enough cells to test and they asked for another sample.

We thought that this was due to his small size and did another sample, but using his gums to get the sample, instead of the inside of his cheek.

Two weeks later, the packet came in the mail and it was proven that there were only two breeds present in his little lineage. He was Chihuahua in Level Two and he was poodle in Level Three.

We decided that this meant that one of Leon’s grandparents was a poodle and that one of his parents was half poodle, half Chihuahua.

After knowing what dog breeds make up little Leon, there are a few things about him that now make sense.

His large ears that stand straight up are clearly the end result of a poodle that has large ears that lay down and a Chihuahua that has smaller ears that stand up.

His small frame and skinny body are clearly that of a Poodle, while his coloring is obviously from the Chihuahua breed.

Understanding his temperament is the most valuable information stemming from the results of the Dog Breed Test.

Taking after his Chihuahua side, Leon is very entertaining and lively. He is very playful and has lots of energy. He has bonded closely with one of his owners and cries if she leaves. He very tough and is an excellent watch dog.

On the other hand, he loves to play with dogs of all different sized and shapes and he meets most strangers with a friendly wag of his tail. He is extremely intelligent and he is really easy to train. These are the traits of the Poodle Breed.

Having the Dog Breed Test done on Leon has helped us to understand is behavior better and helps us to keep him happy.

If you ever have a chance to use the Dog Breed Testing Kit, we don’t think you should hesitate one bit. It was an interesting and informative test that has brought us closer to our Leon.

 
DOG BLOG
Breed identification is a major problem when it comes to breed bans.

Breed recognition 
A study on breed identification: Given that breed bans are based on, well, breed identification, she and others are gathering breed identifications.

Breed ban info; MARS Wisdom Panel.
If we thought it was a mix, we were asked to identify the primary and (if relevant) secondary breeds contributing to the dog breed identification

Author: Jennifer Andrade

Written by Jennifer Andrade of A Dog for Life, LLC , dedicated to helping you choose and find the best dog for your family. We also feature many other resources that help you have a more positive and closer relationship with your canine companion. You can find us at http://www.adogforlife.com/dog-blog

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