Testing Doggy DNA Kits: Maple’s Story

At the end of 2017 those behind Lowell’s First Look decided to do a heritage project. The three of us at that time each took DNA tests from two different companies. We first wrote a prediction article and followed those up with a reveal of our results. You can read my prediction article here and see what Maryalene thought she’d see in her results here.

There is now technology available to do a DNA test on a dog. This is significant for those who adopt a dog and are unsure of its genetic makeup but are curious. In June of this year, my family adopted a dog from the Capital Area Humane Society who we named Maple. We know what other puppies from her litter looked like, although there can be more than one father. We also know an approximate birth date. This is often more information than most have when adopting a dog. Otherwise, we have to make an educated guess at what mix of breeds we think she consists of.

All of the puppies that have names related to oral hygiene or appliances are from Maple’s (formerly Mouthwash) litter.
Maple’s adoption story is told through the eyes of an 8 year old.

There are some obvious clues when we look at her. She has webbed feet. She has a double coat and her fur is similar to that of a labrador retriever. She has pink skin with dark blotches on it and in a couple of areas, her skin is all dark. She’s pretty flexible. There’s also her personality. She’s smart and likes to figure things out and be challenged mentally. She has an easy-going disposition. 

I wondered what it would be like trying to get a DNA sample from a dog. The process is the same as when doing DNA testing for a human. There’s a cotton swab you have to keep in your cheek for about a minute. At only eight months of age, Maple is still a puppy and we wondered how she would tolerate having something *weird* in her mouth. But she did a good job being still without our having to force the issue too much. We did have to hold her mouth closed but she didn’t protest. She appreciated the treats she got afterward.

Before we had kids, my husband and I fostered dogs for a local rescue. Having had over 50 dogs pass through our home and our experience with our own labrador retrievers we’ve seen a variety of dogs up close and personal. We’ve also done some online research on breeds we think Maple has in her to come up with some educated guesses on what we think she has in her. 

Here are our top predictions:

Labrador Retriever – her fur, webbed feet, and personality lead us to this conclusion
Great Pyrenees – her white fur, long legs, and looking at photos of this breed lead us to this conclusion
Akbash – her long legs, somewhat curled tail, and flexibility lead us to this conclusion

Overall we suspect some sort of lab and shepherd mix (maybe a bit of Aussie?) but we’re eager to find out what specific breeds she is mixed with. In the end the results won’t matter to us because she’s part of the family no matter what. But it’s fun to guess and ultimately see if we were on the right track. Regardless of what we find out about her genetic makeup our two kids will love and have fun with her.

We should have our results in a few weeks. I plan to write a follow-up to reveal what was discovered. We used the Embark Breed Identification DNA Test. There’s also an Embark Breed Identification & Health Condition Identification DNA Test where health traits can also be uncovered. (Links to these tests are affiliate links.)

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