What's Your Dog's Breed? New DNA testing available October 12 2007

If you have a mutt you probably have your own guess...your vet's guess...and everyone you meet's guess, on what breed your dog is. If you're like me you have the consensus and a couple of die-hard naysayers who swear your dog looks just a Tasmanian whos-a-whats-a. You can now put those guessing games to rest. Who knows, maybe your pup is a Tasmanian whos-a-whats-a! Oh, wait - that's not on the breed list - well read on anyway. The Canine Heritage (TM) Test only screens for about 38 breeds at the moment but they are going to be adding to that list soon. This test is a simple (non-invasive) swab that is rubbed around the inside of the dog's cheek and it does not require a vet visit. They send you the test, just follow the instructions for swabbing, send it back and they'll send you your results. http://www.metamorphixinc.com http://www.metamorphixinc.com/products2abreeds.html (for their breed list) Benefits Identify and Record the Breed Composition of Your Pet Learn More About Your Pet’s Heritage Infer Potential Health Risks Associated with Breeds Better Health and Wellness Management Through Breed Knowledge Understand Behavior and Personality There is a new expanded DNA test to find out your dog's breed. It's a blood test so if you're interested, we recommend doing it as part of your pup's yearly checkup and lab work, so there are no extra needle sticks. The new test is called the Mars Wisdom Panel™ MX Mixed Breed Analysis test and can be found at http://www.whatsmydog.com/. The results will include a Breed Key reflecting the certainty of breed detection at high, medium, low and trace levels, a Breed History for all breeds detected, Behavioral and Physical Checklists and the Average height and weight ranges. http://www.whatsmydog.com/mixed_breed_analysis/breeds_detected.aspx (breed list) All curiosity aside, knowing your dog's breed makeup can be helpful in recognizing any predispositions to health issues so you can keep on top of what to look out for and be proactive. Often finding a health problem early can make all the difference in a positive outcome. We will be testing our pup at her yearly checkup in late October and we will host a contest to "Guess My Breed??" for her. More on that in a minute. We would love to hold a monthly contest, so if you are interested in having your dog tested and would like to be involved in the montly contest please contact us at info@biscuitsbylambchop.com. The person whose guess is closest to the results will win a pound of Biscuits by Lambchop!