My Dog Benny is Getting his DNA Tested!

Thursday, August 6, 2015
This is my dog, Benny. He's a rescue.
If I had to choose one word to describe him, it would be fabulous!
I know that he's loving, smart and generally a good dog.

What I don't about him is his breeds. I've taken a pretty good guess but I wanted to have a better idea. So, I decided to get his DNA tested.

After some research and review, I decided to order a testing kit from DNA My Dog - http://www.dnamydog.ca/

The kit arrived relatively quickly. I ordered it Tuesday night with standard shipping and received it on Thursday. Part of the reason I received it so quickly is because I live an hour away, but it also means the company was able to ship it out Wednesday morning. That's quick service!

In the kit I received:
  • A congratulations letter with easy-to-follow instructions.
  • A set of two sterile polyester tipped applicators (swabs with long sticks).
  • A specimen envelope.
  • A prepaid return envelope.
  • A card to write down my customer ID number
Of course, I did the test Thursday night so I could mail it out Friday morning.

Before I began, I copied my customer ID number from the form/letter to the card.
The test was much easier to perform than I thought is was going to be. Benny couldn't eat or drink (except water) or be around other dogs or other dog toys for an hour before the test, as it could impact the results. That was easy enough since we didn't have another dog. Then, without me touching the tip, I was to swab the inside of his cheek for 20 seconds! I thought this was going to be a problem but it wasn't too bad. Benny just gave me that what-the-heck-are-you-doing look and pulled back a little. I was able to get the two swabs done without any help.  In the event your dog does destroys the swabs, which I imagine happens quite often, the company will replace them.

The swabs were placed in the open specimen envelope to dry for 25 minutes before sealing it. The specimen envelope and the form/letter were places in the return enveloped, sealed and mailed the next morning. The form/letter had my customer ID, a checklist of things to include and asked me what I thought were Benny's breeds.

I also emailed the company a picture of Benny, as suggested by them, for the certificate.

I'm so anxious for the results I've been checking everyday and sometimes several times a day. If the company is recording how many times I use my ID I'm pretty sure they would think I am crazy.

Results will be available online within two weeks after processing begins. They must have received the samples on Monday because the processing began on Tuesday. So far, a very prompt company. About a week later I will receive a certificate and breed information in the mail.

Now the waiting game.

So what breeds do you think Benny is?