Curious about the origins of your pet dog? Wish to know exactly what breed it is? If yes, opting for a DNA test of the animal would be an ideal solution, right?
Think again. According to a news report published on the website Moneycontrol.com, WBZ News, a CBS-affiliated local television station in Boston, Massachusetts, sent samples to three pet DNA companies as part of an investigation into just how reliable the tests could be. The catch: the samples were taken from one of the channel’s reporters, Christina Hager.
While two companies were unable to provide any result, the third identified Hager as part-Labrador, part-Alaskan malamute.
DNA companies claim that testing a dog’s cheek swab or saliva can provide insights into its ancestry, breed composition, health risks, and traits. Two of the three companies, Orivet and Wisdom Panel, tested the sample sent to them but could not give any result. Orivet’s report read, “The sample failed to provide the data necessary to perform the breed ID analysis.” Wisdom Panel noted that the “sample did not provide enough DNA to produce a reliable result”.
Toronto-based DNA My Dog, however, gave a “result”. It concluded that the sample from Hager showed she was 40% Alaskan malamute, 35% Shar-Pei, and 25% Labrador. This was the second time the Canadian pet DNA service had identified a human as a dog. In 2023, the same WBZ News had sent a swab sample of a pet owner, Michelle Leininger, and the company’s report analysis had concluded that she was 40% border collie, 32% Cane Corso and 28% bulldog.
At the time, the company said only one of Leininger’s two cheek swabs yielded canine DNA. This time, the company chose not to respond to questions, the report said.
