Earlier than I dig into this publish, a notice: I purchased Penny’s DNA check myself. Years in the past, I used to be offered DNA exams for Lucas and Cooper totally free, so I selected the identical firm to buy this one. This publish is just not sponsored. As an Amazon affiliate, I do earn a teeny-tiny fee from qualifying purchases.
Are DNA exams well worth the price ticket?
That’s the query, isn’t it? They’re expensive, positive, however do they provide good info?
In right this moment’s publish, I’m going to share our experiences, which began MANY years in the past after I tried an early-generation DNA check with Lucas, then one other a couple of years later with Cooper, and now, after greater than a decade, one other check with Penny.
That is Penny:
And right here’s one from a photoshoot we did (I feel this one may be my bio pic?) so you may see her relative dimension and her physique form:
And right here’s yet another for a special perspective that higher reveals the speckling on her hind finish:
Okay, so hopefully these three pics offer you a way of Penny’s physique form. Just a few different key factors about her bodily and behavioral traits:
- Penny was born with out a totally shaped proper eye (known as “microphthalmia”).
- She was additionally born deaf.
- Penny got here to us via a rescue after having been pulled from an animal hoarding state of affairs.
- She is nice, mild, and pleasant. She is genuinely absolutely the most valuable ever.
- Penny LOVES to dig. She digs holes across the yard, and he or she digs holes in our sheets (sigh), specifically when she tries to bury a chew.
- She’s 4 years previous and weighs about 45 kilos.
Do you might have any guesses of Penny’s DNA? I’ll share the outcomes under, in fact, however I’d LOVE to know within the feedback if you happen to had been shut or not!
Following these outcomes, I’m going to share my ideas on the DNA check, the worth for the cash, and some issues to think about earlier than you put money into a DNA check on your canine.
Had been you shut?!? She is actually a hound x bully combine, which is actually my favourite breed combine on the planet. 🙂 Not that it issues, nevertheless it was enjoyable to be taught. Now, the nitty-gritty:
How a lot does a canine DNA check value?
Actual speak: These exams are expensive. I think it’s a combo of paying for the superior expertise and the reporting, however there’s no query that it’s a steep price ticket for one thing that’s really pointless. If you’re wanting to purchase one for enjoyable OR if you happen to do have a medical / genetic query you’re making an attempt to reply, it may be worthwhile.
The costs I’m recognizing now vary from $100 for essentially the most fundamental check immediately from Knowledge Panel and as much as $160 for essentially the most superior. On the time of this writing (March 2026), Amazon has essentially the most superior choice for 20 p.c much less.
What sort of outcomes do you get from a DNA check on your canine?
First, a notice that I realized throughout our earlier exams: solely 50 genes out of round 20,000 genes end in a canine’s look. So when individuals get their DNA check outcomes and flip out as a result of their canine appears to be like nothing just like the breeds included, keep in mind that is barely a tiny portion of your canine’s genetic make-up. In Penny’s case, although, she appears to be like the half.
Along with the snapshot above–which is, I feel, what most individuals are searching for–with the upper “tiers” of exams, you may get breed traits, habits insights, and any well being markers. I selected the Premium Canine DNA Equipment for Penny, and listed here are a handful of particulars we realized:
The outcomes included 58 completely different genetic trait exams. The well being exams are fascinating. What I realized: Penny is a service of the degenerative myelopathy gene, however since she has just one it’s unlikely to ever have an effect on her. PHEW.
Different enjoyable information: She has a replica of the floppy ears gene.
And her coat coloration and kind is all screwy as a result of she has particular coat coloration genes (like brown) however they’re overridden by the two copies of the merle gene, which resulted in her white coat, deafness, and imaginative and prescient points.
Additionally, she has the genetic variant for “lowered shedding,” in order that’s cool!
Professionals and Cons of the Widom Panel DNA check for canines
The place it fell aside for Penny was within the habits insights.
Once I was in faculty, one in every of my organic anthropology professors drew this analogy: Nature is like an empty painter’s palette. Nurture is the paint that fills the slots.
So, I take Penny’s outcomes with a large lump of salt as a result of her first two years of life had been spent as one canine of greater than 100 in a hoarding state of affairs, not a typical upbringing for a pet canine.
Based on her outcomes, it mentioned she’s extra prone to cross her paws. Scroll again up and take a look at that first image of her on this publish!
It additionally says she’s extra prone to get movement illness (she doesn’t), that she has a typical concern and nervousness response (she doesn’t), and that she is much less prone to be pleasant towards unfamiliar individuals (couldn’t be farther from the reality).
Apparently, it additionally says she’s much less prone to pant, which is true. She doesn’t pant a lot. In fact, she doesn’t exert herself a lot both, however I suppose if she did…
So, professionals: breed make-up and well being insights
Cons: the price and the habits insights are regardless of your canine’s lived experiences
TL;DR–Is a canine DNA check well worth the hype or the price?
It is dependent upon your objectives. In case you simply wish to see the breed make-up of your pup and also you’re principally doing it out of curiosity or simply for enjoyable, go for the fundamental check.
If you wish to uncover well being insights about your canine’s genetic make-up, get the extra superior check, like we did with Penny.
If you’re hoping to seek out behavioral traits, you’d be higher off making your personal ethogram on your particular person canine, which you are able to do totally free.
Will I check Stola or some other future pups?
If I can discover a whole lot on the premium check, then it’s doubtless. I actually did admire having pages and pages of knowledge about Penny’s genetic well being dangers. Seems, she’s away from all. That doesn’t imply she will’t or gained’t develop one thing down the road, however her genetic predisposition was reassuring–and one more reason why I LOVE blended breed pups for all that genetic range!
Have you ever ever accomplished a canine DNA check on a pup in your care? Had been you shocked by the outcomes? Did you discover them useful? I’d like to know within the feedback!
Click on to get your free information to working with canines of every kind of skills, like deaf and low-vision Penny!
