When you get a new pet dog home, it is obvious that there are hundreds of questions going in your mind.
- You would often wonder, what will he look like when he’s older?
- What will be his personality or typical traits?
- Will he be aggressive or docile and friendly?
- Are there any health concerns one should be worried about?
- And many other such questions. You often even wonder if the breeder is honest about the lineage of your dog?
Earlier, these questions were either answered much later or most always remained a mystery. With the advancement in science, there now is a painless way to check your dog’s DNA that can reveal much more than what you already know.
Following are some of the important reasons why you must test your dog’s DNA.
To keep an eye out for pre-existing medical conditions
Diseases : Different breeds of dogs have a tendency toward various diseases. If you know exactly what is the genetic makeup of your dog, you will be better prepared to keep an eye of diseases that dog’s of a certain genetic makeup are more prone to.
Genetic Engineering : Also, breeds of dogs in today’s times are not natural ones as they used to be. Humans have indulged in various kinds of mating options that have given rise to different new breeds of dogs. However, these genetically engineered dogs tend to face many health concerns. A breeder may not always reveal the exact genetic makeup of a dog, and so getting a DNA test done will reveal exactly the strains that make your pet vulnerable to certain conditions.
Diet Requirements : It also helps to know more about the kind of diet that is best for that breed. As there are many breeds that do well with certain types of meat, fruits, grains while the other breeds can swear by them.
Having this knowledge beforehand helps in gearing up, involving the required precautions as well as watching out for early symptoms of the onset of any conditions.
Training is easier
There are some breeds of dogs that are naturally aggressive while there are many who are known to be docile by nature. No doubt individual traits may vary, but the general personality is inclined towards the traits that are peculiar to that breed.
When you know the DNA and the genetic makeup of the dog, you are in a better position to understand the traits of your dog. This becomes a big help especially while training your dog. You know what traits of the dog you must focus most on, you are also aware how to train them to become social, or train them in a particular way.
The logic is simple, the way a terrier is trained is much different when you compare it to the training that a hound or a retriever needs. Each breed has their own different set of triggers and knowing more about them helps to help achieve your dog’s full potential.
Know more about their individual makeup.
When someone asks you about the traits of your dog, knowing their perfect DNA will help you answer that question. And yes, of course, it is quite exciting to know the exact genetic makeup of your pooch. It defines your dog’s individual makeup and lets you know his family lineage.
It can also help to clear any doubts in case if you suspect some of their features are not as they are said to be. This is especially true for dogs that are mix breeds.
Also, the DNA result comes as a sophisticated printed sheet. You can very well frame this sheet and keep it as a memory to remind you of your dog and their complete makeup forever.
Knowing the DNA of your dog is no more complicated procedure, nor does it incur a lot of expense. The procedure is painless and could answer many questions.
Author Bio
This post was contributed by Pete Decker, the Lead Editor at The Goody Pet. Pete loves to share his passion for pets through snippets of interesting and helpful information. You can find more of Pete at his website, Twitter or Facebook.
