Jul 8, 2008 7:35 am US/Mountain
Test Can Help Determine Dog's Breed Mix
DENVER (CBS4) ―
More pet owners have been turning to DNA testing to find out from where their dogs' traits are coming. It is an easy way to test a canine's bloodline to learn which breeds make up its genetic material.
Many veterinarians started offering blood tests to determine a dog's bloodline. The charge was anywhere from $150 to $200.
Then Canine Heritage came out with a simple at-home breed test kit that allows owners to take a swab of their dog's mouth and send it away for results. Four weeks and $120 later, the results come back in the mail.
The XL Breed Test can identify more than 100 different types of dogs, according to the company.
CBS4 located the families of two dogs from the same litter.
Ten-month-old Blue and Peanut are the mix of mutts.
"We were told that his mom was an Australian cattle dog and Lab mix," said Lucy Roper, Blue's owner. "But they don't know what the dad was and they think he has Catahoula leopard dog and Australian shepherd. He's just everything."
"He's extremely fast compared to other dogs I've seen. He definitely has herding dog instincts. He herds our dogs when they're outside and he herds us. He never gets tired. That's one thing I know about him. He's so smart. He knows how to open our front door. So we have to keep that locked."
Blue's litter-mate Peanut looks totally different but shows some of the same characteristics.
"I think he's a racing dog or something like that because he can jump and he can run really fast," said Adam Jaster, Peanut's owner. "But I thought it might be a sheltie. When we brought it to our vet, he thought it might be sheltie because the ears stick up a bit."
The Jasters were also told Australian Shepherd and Lab mix for the mother. They also joked Peanut could be part cat and part coyote.
"Cat because he licks a lot," said Teri Jaster. "Coyote because he leaps and jumps and runs so fast. So we have little inside jokes about what Peanut really is."
The results showed Blue and Peanut had some of the same backgrounds, but also some differences.
Blue had Collie, Shetland Sheep dog along with Australian shepherd, and Sheba Inu.
"We knew Australian shepherd. Never thought the sheep dog," said Roper.
Peanut came back with Border Collie, which their vet thought might be the case. There was also Staffordshire Bull Terrier and Sheba Inu.
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