Q&A for How to Determine Your Dog's Breed

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Question

Does a dog DNA test tell you the breed?

Russell Hartstein, CDBC, CPDT
Certified Dog & Cat Trainer
Russell Hartstein is a Certified Dog & Cat Trainer and CEO of Fun Paw Care in Los Angeles, California. With over 25 years of training, nutrition, boarding, and daycare experience, Russell and the Fun Paw Care team provide the most current, humane, and science-based methods utilizing force-free positive reinforcement to train and care for pets. Russell is an author for PetMD, Chewy, and Dogster. He is also regularly cited in publications from various organizations, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). He is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and a Certified Pet Dog Trainer. He received his bachelor’s degree in History and Economics from Binghamton University.

Russell Hartstein, CDBC, CPDT

Certified Dog & Cat Trainer

Expert Answer

It can, but take the results of a dog DNA test with a grain of salt, as they're not incredibly accurate. They can give you a general ballpark for what your dog is, though.

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Question

What is the Doge dog?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

The Doge dog is a Shiba Inu. The Shiba Inu is a dog breed that is native to Japan.

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Question

How do you tell the age of a dog?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

This is difficult to do in adult dogs. Factors such as the dog's diet and whether they chew stones or sticks can influence signs of wear on the teeth. Also, unlike horses, dog's don't have characteristic marks that appear on the teeth with age. Vets use their experience to gauge the dog's teeth, body condition, and demeanor in order to give an approximate age.

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Question

How do dog DNA tests work?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

The home DNA test kits you buy over the internet work by harvesting a sample of DNA from the lining of the dog's cheek. The swab is sent away in a special transport medium. The company then analyzes the DNA sequence and compares it to a computer register of DNA from known dog breeds. Where the DNA is the same, this identifies the parent breed.

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