One of the first things we did after adopting Milo was to swab his cheek for a DNA sample and send it out for processing with Embark. Though we could see that some of what Companion Pets Rescue predicted was true - short legs with the knobbly joints did point to Basset Hound ancestry, red and white ticking in a distinctive pattern indicated Australian Cattle Dog - we were curious about what a detailed analysis would turn up.
We had already tested Ariel's DNA shortly after adopting her - at the time, Wisdom Panel was the go-to company to use - and again, the rescue's analysis proved on target. Ariel had been listed as a Pomeranian Mix; she was definitely that, with more that we could see and agree with (German Spitz) and some that we couldn't see at all (Basset Hound? Really?) What was more frustrating than anything else was the 50% of her DNA that could not be unraveled... "too mixed to tell" or "mixed beyond three generations" was what the paperwork said. Still, we found it comforting to know at least half of her identity... though we know less than nothing about the behavioral traits of the Pom or the Spitz, aside from the fact that they perhaps influence her tendency to roam.
Some folks have no use for DNA testing, and I can't say I blame them. It's still expensive, and not as accurate as many people would like. Sometimes, the results are downright perplexing - genetics are funny things, and it's interesting how traits from generations back can pop up in a puppy. With Ariel, the only thing we can figure about the Basset Hound part of her lineage is her coat, which is shorter than either Pom or Spitz should be, and her coloration and patterning, which matches some of what I've seen in some Bassets. Other than that, the 1/8 of her that is related to some long-gone hound is hidden.
With Milo, we opted for Embark, a newer company that has blazed a reputation for itself in the field of canine DNA analysis. It was more expensive - $150 for the base kit, as opposed to Wisdom Panel's $99 - but it was so highly praised by reviewers online that we wanted to give it a shot. It took almost a month, but the results came in with four distinct breeds identified.
We had definitely expected Cattle Dog - but not quite so much as almost 52%! And with Milo's clear physical traits pointing to Basset, we were surprised to find only 5.3% of that in his genetics. What surprised us was the "invisible" breeds... the Treeing Walker Coonhound, which looks like a much larger, long-legged Beagle, and the ever-popular Lab. We're not sure what to think - nothing in Milo's appearance points back to either breed, though perhaps it's the Lab in his coloration that has faded out the red ticking of the Cattle Dog's distinctive coat pattern.
It's what the test can tell us about Milo's personality and energy level, though, that we're most interested in. I'd been hoping for a higher percentage of laid-back Basset to mellow out the ultra-high energy of the Australian Cattle Dog; that's what we've seen in our past two ACD/Beagle mixes. Now, with the top three contributors to Milo's DNA being high-energy breeds, my hopes for having a relatively low-energy pup are greatly diminished - though Milo has, so far, proven to be remarkably mellow indoors.
My worries about Milo's cat-chasing also seem to be pointing to roots in his DNA; Australian Cattle Dogs are dyed-in-the-wool working herding dogs. Treeing Walker Coonhounds are virtually the gold standard in terms of hunting dogs; online, owners are warned that they can be problematic around cats and small pets if not introduced to them as young puppies. With Milo's past being pretty much a mystery, it seems that he's only just been introduced to cats at the 4-5 month mark. Hopefully, however, he's still young enough to retrain.
I've heard some people comment that DNA tests are useless "because it's not like you're going to stop loving your dog because he isn't what you thought he was." That's a true statement; we wouldn't stop loving either Ariel or Milo because of what a test said about their ancestry. But I do find it a valuable way to predict or assess behavior and size, and even, perhaps, health (though we didn't spring the extra $50 for that part of the Embark test). All of this needs to be taken into account with what behaviors and physical traits the dogs is actually showing, however. As a teacher, I'd never put my entire faith into the written description of a breed identified through a DNA test any more than I put my entire faith into looking at a previous teacher's comments about a student, which are likely more accurate to the individual.
When it comes right down to it, Milo is... Milo. It is impossible to determine if he's got the herding instincts of the ACD or the hunting heart of a coonhound, the biddable, people-pleasing attitude of a Lab or the mellow laziness of a Basset. Ariel certainly doesn't exhibit the behavioral traits of Pom, Spitz, or Basset - though in fairness 50% of her is a complete mystery. All I know is that I adore both of them, regardless of... and because of... what their DNA says about them.
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