# What is DNA Testing used for?



## slefferd (Jan 11, 2011)

My trainer had mentioned that his dog had been tested for DNA. what does this mean? What is is used for? Ive seen some registered dogs with a DNA number


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

They have DNA tests you can buy if you're unsure which breed your dog is. From my understanding they aren't very accurate.

Dog DNA Test Doggie DNA Testing and Mixed Breed Canine DNA Testing For Dogs - Dog-DNA.com

With regards to the AKC:

http://www.akc.org/dna/


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## slefferd (Jan 11, 2011)

Lucy Dog said:


> They have DNA tests you can buy if you're unsure which breed your dog is. From my understanding they aren't very accurate.
> 
> Dog DNA Test Doggie DNA Testing and Mixed Breed Canine DNA Testing For Dogs - Dog-DNA.com
> 
> ...


Hmm, are there any other uses for it? they way he talked about it was like this "if I breed my good looking dog with a chicken, the chicken will have good looking chickens" I took that to mean that his dog was "certified to always, or almost always have consistant offspring very similar to his own.
Maybe I mis understood


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## RebelGSD (Mar 20, 2008)

I guess the best way to know it, especially considering the flood of other threads by the op, is to breed the GSD to the chicken when he is mature enough to mate and send the dna of the babies for testing. I certainly am very curious about the outcome. Please keep us posted about the GSD chicken cross DNA test.


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## slefferd (Jan 11, 2011)

RebelGSD said:


> I guess the best way to know it, especially considering the flood of other threads by the op, is to breed the GSD to the chicken when he is mature enough to mate and send the dna of the babies for testing. I certainly am very curious about the outcome. Please keep us posted about the GSD chicken cross DNA test.


Thanks, ill keep you posted.


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## WarrantsWifey (Dec 18, 2010)

RebelGSD said:


> I guess the best way to know it, especially considering the flood of other threads by the op, is to breed the GSD to the chicken when he is mature enough to mate and send the dna of the babies for testing. I certainly am very curious about the outcome. Please keep us posted about the GSD chicken cross DNA test.


:thumbup:


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

slefferd said:


> Hmm, are there any other uses for it? they way he talked about it was like this "if I breed my good looking dog with a chicken, the chicken will have good looking chickens" I took that to mean that his dog was "certified to always, or almost always have consistant offspring very similar to his own.
> Maybe I mis understood


Nope... you misunderstood. Playing with genetics (breeding) is like gambling... there are never guarantees when it comes to consistency.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

slefferd said:


> Hmm, are there any other uses for it? they way he talked about it was like this "if I breed my good looking dog with a chicken, the chicken will have good looking chickens" I took that to mean that his dog was "certified to always, or almost always have consistant offspring very similar to his own.
> Maybe I mis understood


You must have misunderstood. This is not the case. DNA testing is done to show a dog's heritage or show that puppy A was sired by dog X.


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## Cara Fusinato (May 29, 2011)

> You must have misunderstood. This is not the case. DNA testing is done to show a dog's heritage or show that puppy A was sired by dog X.


Dog paternity test then?


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## slefferd (Jan 11, 2011)

Cara Fusinato said:


> Dog paternity test then?


 Thats more of what it sounds like to me. I looked it up and read a little about it, its mainly for breeders who want or need to provide scientific evidence that their dogs come from a specific line or from certian sires.dams


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## jaggirl47 (Jul 18, 2009)

slefferd said:


> Thats more of what it sounds like to me. I looked it up and read a little about it, its mainly for breeders who want or need to provide scientific evidence that their dogs come from a specific line or from certian sires.dams


All dogs that are imported and registered into the AKC are required to have a DNA profile done as well.


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## vomlittlehaus (Aug 24, 2010)

And males that sire over a certain number of litters are required by AKC to have their DNA on file too.


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## Dogaroo (Mar 4, 2003)

DNA is sometimes tested for reasons other than verification of parentage. My Gunner's DNA was tested to see if he has the MDR1 gene that causes sensitivity to Ivermectin & a few other drugs. His results were normal/normal (two normal copies of the gene) so he doesn't have the drug sensitivity & he isn't a carrier.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I can tell you what it is NOT. It is NOT any guarantee that the puppy will be a good representative of the breed. And it is NOT an indicator that the breeder is good or bad.


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## Dogaroo (Mar 4, 2003)

selzer said:


> I can tell you what it is NOT. It is NOT any guarantee that the puppy will be a good representative of the breed. And it is NOT an indicator that the breeder is good or bad.


Even if the dog tests positive for DNA?


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

:spittingcoffee:


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

Dogaroo said:


> DNA is sometimes tested for reasons other than verification of parentage. My Gunner's DNA was tested to see if he has the MDR1 gene that causes sensitivity to Ivermectin & a few other drugs. His results were normal/normal (two normal copies of the gene) so he doesn't have the drug sensitivity & he isn't a carrier.


This is what I also thought the OP was asking about.

Orthopedic Foundation for Animals


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## Catu (Sep 6, 2007)

slefferd said:


> Thats more of what it sounds like to me. I looked it up and read a little about it, its mainly for breeders who want or need to provide scientific evidence that their dogs come from a specific line or from certian sires.dams


And even more than that. Lets put a ridiculous example: Imagine I value color very much and that the "best" dogs are sables. I can DNA test a dog to prove that he is sable homozigous. Knowing that I know all his progeny, no matter who the dam is, will be sable.

It is used a lot for sires of productive animals, specially when you buy semen for IA.


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## boeselager (Feb 26, 2008)

It is also tested to see if your dog is a DM carrier or not. There are a lot of DNA tests that your dog can test for, and I'm sure there will be more to come.


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