How to Determine Your Dogs Breed If Its a Mutt

If youre the proud owner of a mixed breed dog or "mutt", you probably repeatedly hear the question, "What kind of dog is that?" Although you probably have a few ideas, you may be a bit perplexed yourself when it comes to identifying your dogs heritage. Unfortunately, theres no ancestry.com website you can use to research your dogs lineage. Luckily, finding out your dogs breed may be easier than you think thanks to several new companies that do genetic testing on mixed breed dogs looking for an identity.

One company that offers to determine a dogs breed is MetaMorphix, located in Beltsville, Maryland. If your dog is a mixture of one of forty breeds, it can be detected by using their Canine Heritage Breed Test. To test a dogs breed using this service, its as simple as taking a swab of your dogs saliva using a check swab collection brush. The sample is packaged and sent to the company for genetic testing. In four to six weeks, youll receive a certificate proudly indicating your dogs breed analysis. They also ask that you send in a digital photo which will be placed on your dogs breed certificate once its completed. How much does this testing cost? At the present time, the price is listed as $119, a seemingly reasonable price for such a unique service.

Other companies are now starting to offer a similar dog breed identification service.With dogs being such an important member of the family, it seems likely this type of service will remain in demand. Its an easy and relatively inexpensive way to settle the ongoing demand of what kind of dog Fido really is. Plus, when people ask at the dog park, youll have a definitive answer. You can also frame and proudly display your dogs breed certificate complete with digital photo in a prominent place in your home.

If you dont want to spend the money to have your dogs breed determined by genetic testing, a little reading and research on your own can give you clues as to what kind of mix your mutt really is. Its not only important to look at face and body features but also the personality characteristics of your dog and compare those traits to typical breeds. Another option is to get the opinion of your veterinarian who has the advantage of seeing hundreds of mixed breed dogs on a monthly basis.

It can be interesting to use genetic testing to determine your dogs breed, but no matter what the results, hell still be the special, one-of-kind dog youve grown to love.