Monday, April 27, 2009

Balto

We recently adopted Balto from a rescue society. We told them we wanted a medium-sized poodle mix. They recommended Balto, saying he wasn't a poodle, but a schnauzer-terrier mix that would fit our family well. We adopted him and he did fit us perfectly, but we were still curious to see exactly what kind of mutt he was. He had been a stray, so he had no known family history at all. We were sure he was about 50% schnauzer, but couldn't figure out the rest. Imagine our surprise when we got his results!

  • Poodle: Level 2
  • Boston Terrier: Level 4
  • Papillon: Level 4
  • Shih Tzu: Level 4

So we got our poodle mutt after all! And what a surprising mix for a medium-sized 26-pound dog! This will start many interesting conversations.

--Leigh

Thank you, Leigh!

Friday, April 17, 2009

BioPet Vet Lab DNA Test

Happy Dog DNA occasionally gets asked if the dog DNA breed test really works. We try to give concrete examples whenever possible so here's a great story from a satisfied BioPet customer. One dog was exactly what the customer guessed and the other was a control test using a dog with known heritage. Yes, it really, really does work!

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/articles/dnacaninebreedidentifcation.htm

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Jewel

Jewel is quite the fighter!


Hi guys!

We adopted Jewel from a local shelter and they had her labeled as a Lab mix. Our vet felt she was a lab mix who was going to max out at 50lbs. Before I get to her results, let me tell you about Jewel. Three days after we brought her home she was diagnosed with Parvo. After an exhausting week of Subq fluids, antibiotics, and nausea meds, Jewel started getting better. A week later she was diagnosed with Pneumonia and possibly Distemper. She is our baby and we refused to give up on her and I am happy to report that she isn't giving up either. She is once again acting like a puppy, eating, and drinking well. So, let that be a lesson to not give up on your furkids!

OK, so on to the stuff you really want to know. Jewel has no Lab in her whatsoever!
  • Boston Terrier: Level 2
  • Saluki: Level 3
  • Italian Greyhound: Level 5
I am attaching two different pictures [only one image shown - Ed]. The first one is the day we adopted her [shown] and the second is today. She has lost a bit of weight but we are on the right track and looking forward to spoiling her rotten for the rest of her life.

Thank you for your product! We are thrilled to know where she came from, even if we were quite surprised!

Lillian, Tammy, Carrie, Connor, & Niklas

Thank you Carrie and Family!

Monday, April 13, 2009

Sammi

Wow! Look at those eyes!

Hi,

Just wanted to let you know how our DNA test turned out. We were very surprised at our results. Our dog was determined to be the following:
  • Golden Retriever: Level 3
  • Border Collie: Level 4
  • German Shorthair Pointer: Level 4
  • Poodle: Level 4
  • American Eskimo Dog: Level 5
  • Belgian Tervuren: Level 5
  • Brittany: Level 5
  • Papillon: Level 5

Here is what she looks like (she weighs 17 lbs):

We got a good laugh that she could look so different from her parentage. We expected to find terrier, chihuahua or even dachshund.....but never would have guessed Golden Retriever!!!

Thanks again for a fun experience. I once had another mixed breed dog that I would have loved to have known what she was (she's been gone 4 years now). This is a cool product.

Thanks!
Cindy

Thank you, Cindy! Sammi's DNA test detected the most breeds I believe we've seen at Happy Dog DNA (althought BioPet Vet Lab has reported more). As we've noted before, when there are more than two or three breeds present in the mix, the dominant characteristics of the breeds are not always evident. And when you've got eight, you're not likely to recognize any of the breeds. Sammi is one unique girl!