Nowadays, when many Americans are on the hunt for a new furry
friend, they aren't looking for a purebred. The hot
new trend is to adopt a designer mix like Labradoodles
or Puggles. Near San Francisco, the Peninsula Humane
Society and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(PHS/SPCA) is looking to capitalize on this trend with
the help of science.
Discovering new mixed breeds
The PHS/SPCA is using DNA testing to
figure out which breeds the dogs in the shelter have ties to,
according to CBS San Francisco. The program is called "Who's Your
Daddy" and will allow the organization to add new layers to the
otherwise less desirable breeds that so often languish in
shelters, like Pit Bulls or Chihuahuas.
By conducting the mouth swab DNA test that costs $60 per dog, the
shelter is able to see what other breeds this pooch had as
ancestors. For example, if the PHS/SPCA has a dog that
looks like a Chihuahua and is unlikely to be adopted, the DNA
test may reveal the dog also has some Parson Russell
Terrier. This lets the shelter call the dog a Cherrier,
thereby radically improving his/her chances of being
adopted.Designer mixed breed dogs can be sold for thousands of
dollars, but the shelter is only asking for $135 for puppies and
$75 for dogs older than 7. Not only does this help cover the cost
of the DNA testing, but dogs rescued from the shelter have
all their vaccinations, a microchip, veterinary checkup, and have
been spayed or neutered."We have great dogs as unique as the
so-called designer dogs," PHS/SPCA spokesperson Scott Delucchi
said in a statement quoted by CBS. "Odds are, they were bred
accidentally, but we aim to turn that into something positive for
dogs found stray or surrendered to us by owners unable or
unwilling to keep them."
DNA testing your pooch
While the PHS/SPCA plan is a novel way to find great dogs loving
new homes, DNA testing may be able to help your pooch as well.
Just like Heartgard
Plus, some pet parents use DNA testing as a form of
preventive health care.According to the Canine Journal, DNA
testing can help you discover your mixed breed dog's genetic
makeup. This information can be extremely useful in determining a
genetic predisposition for a diseases or health concern. If the
DNA test shows that your pooch is related to specific breeds, you
can look into which chronic diseases are characteristic of that
breed.For example, if your dog has more golden retriever in them
than you expected, they may be more likely to develop cancerous
tumors. Knowing that, you can increase the number of screenings
your dog has per year to catch an illness early, while
there's still something to be done.Or if it turns out that your
dog is part Border Collie, you might discover that they inherited
their mother's ivermectin sensitivity, meaning drugs like
Heartgard Plus can be extremely dangerous. This is a good thing
to know in advance, because heartworm preventatives like Heartgard
Plus are extremely important, but not if your dog can't
tolerate them.Additionally, the Canine Journal explained that
knowing your dog's breed makeup can also help you know the
exercise level they need. Your dog may have ancestors who were
particularly active and that means that they should be too.Often,
people who adopt or rescue dogs turn to DNA testing because much
of their dogs background remains a mystery. A DNA test can work
to help you understand how your pooch will look when they're
finally grown up, or how their behavior may develop.Most DNA
tests cost between $60 and $70. All you need to do after you buy
one is swab their cheek and mail the sample to be
tested. PetPlus has all of the
medicine, food, and supplements that an adopted dog from the
shelter needs, whether they're a Chihuahua, a Cherrier, or
anything else.
The same is available at other places too. Scroll down to know
more.
DNA Testing Helps California Shelter Dogs Find Homes
In California, one-fourth of dogs that end up in
animal shelters appear to be Chihuahuas. These
similar-looking dogs have a tough time getting adopted, since
prospective pet parents are typically underwhelmed by their lack
of distinctive characteristics. According to The Associated
Press, however, shelters are looking to change this through DNA
testing.
Who's your
daddy? 
According to a press release, Scott
Deluchi, senior vice president of the Bay Area's Peninsula
Humane Society, came up with the idea of DNA testing after
noticing the low numbers of Chihuahua-like dogs being adopted.
His slogan, "Who's your daddy?" encourages potential pet owners
to pay $50 for an accurate DNA exam that reveals what mix of
breeds their prospective dogs are. It turns out that many
homeless Chihuahuas are more than meets the eye. Often, this
makes the mixed pooches much more desirable, and even earns them
creative nicknames. Long gone are the days of simply tossing
around the term "mutt." Today's dog owners want their furry
friends to stand out. For example, a golden retriever-miniature
pinscher-Chihuahua mix was marketed as a "golden Chinscher,"
earning it much more attention.The shelter tested 12 dogs in a
preliminary trial run to see how effective DNA examinations would
be in terms of actually placing the dogs in loving homes. After
discovering the unique mixed backgrounds of 11 dogs and
advertising them as such, the animals were all adopted within two
weeks. This process was twice as fast compared to similar-looking
dogs with uncertain backgrounds.
DNA tests reveal important pet
information
Not only do pet owners want to be able to proudly boast their
dogs' breeds, but the source explained that knowing exactly what
types of animals they're acquiring makes people far more
comfortable opening their doors to shelter dogs. Since different
types of dogs have different dispositions and personality traits,
puppy parents can know exactly what to expect as their pooches
mature and develop. The source reported that California resident
Lynn Mazzola was planning to take home a large dog when she
visited Deluchi's shelter, but the term "Chorkie" caught her eye.
She ended up leaving with Lily, her new Chihuahua-Yorkie mix. She
told The Associated Press that the unique combination of
personality traits from the two breeds makes Lily the ideal pet.
If Mazzola hadn't been aware of the dog's Yorkie side, however,
she likely would've overlooked her new furry friend.Keep your
adopted pup healthy and happy with a PetPlus membership,
which allows you to get the best prices on food and medication.
