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So, you aren’t a breeder just an owner of a loveable, cute mixed breed dog, but you are curious just what the breed or breeds of your dog are. There are a couple reasons you should be curious.
First, if you just adopted a puppy, it will give you some insight to just how big your pet will grow. Obviously it can’t tell you exactly, but it should give you a pretty good clue if you will be able to carry it around or if you will only be walking your pup when it’s an adult.
It also gives you insight as to what possible genetic medical problems your pet could have down the road. This isn’t to make you scared, it’s to just make you aware. If your pets DNA exposes a specific gene, you can notify your veterinarian so they can keep a watchful eye out. You can also discuss this with your vet and they can give you great information on what to look for. Many breeds do have specific genetic disorders and the testing can help with this information. Some pets can have a mutated gene which makes them more susceptible to certain medications, again, the DNA testing can be very important in showing this.
Aside from medical information, knowing their DNA can give you a plethora of information about their behavior. For instance, is your pet a working class breed? This type of breed needs a job, they are highly energetic and trying to make them live in small quarters could be difficult. Perhaps they are nipping at your children’s feet, this isn’t them being aggressive, it’s a herding instinct.
Just as in humans, genetic testing has come a long way for canines.
If you are interested in doing a DNA test, you can save up to $40.00 with code BESTDOG at Embark until the end of December 2023.
