Helping you verify information from a breeder

If you bought your pet from a breeder, you should have done your homework by obtaining references and ensuring that the breeder adheres to all rules for safe and healthy breeding. Making ensuring the dog's pedigree is on file with certified associations is the greatest approach to proving that your pet is purebred. A DNA test can provide some additional information if the breeder says that your pet is a purebred or a specific type of "designer mix", but it is not an exact enough technique to validate this with 100 percent accuracy.

Rather than analyzing every bit of DNA, test companies look at certain markers in the pet's genetic composition and compare them to markers in a reference group of registered purebred dogs in their databases. Your dog's profile will be compared to that of other canines on file in order to determine a breed or breed mix. However, due to genetic variances across geographical locales and other variables, a registered purebred dog's genetic signature may differ from that of others in the database.