Curiosity is a great motivator, but my curiosity about Rascals breed mix would have come to nothing had I not submitted to a DNA test myself shortly before we adopted him. I wasnt looking for my own genetic ancestry; Im wary of what such tests reveal and warier still of how their results might be used. Commercial DNA testing has revealed family secrets, solved crimes long consigned to the cold-case files, even affected census results.<\/p>\n
From human genetics research particularly studies involving identical twins we know that DNA influences much of what we consider to be our most human traits: our personality, our preferences, our I.Q. Lay people, even many researchers themselves, tend to find such research troubling, hinting at a kind of genetic determination.<\/p>\n
Despite the unresolved ethical and cultural issues raised by DNA testing, its potential medical benefits are remarkable. I have a rare inherited syndrome that almost certainly killed my paternal grandmother at 51 and accounted for my fathers cancer diagnosis in middle age. When I submitted a saliva sample to a medical lab for genetic testing, I was contributing to research that might identify the gene that causes the condition, saving future patients from the expensive and disruptive cancer screenings that I undergo every year.<\/p>\n
All of which primed me to reconsider DNA testing when we adopted Rascal; canine DNA tests can also reveal certain inherited medical conditions. In January, our rescue dog Millie died of complications of epilepsy. If Rascal carries a genetic risk for something terrible but treatable, too, I wanted to know about it.<\/p>\n
Following a recommendation from Wirecutter, which evaluated 17 DNA tests on the commercial market, I ordered one from Embark and sent in a sample of Rascals saliva. A couple of weeks later, I got his results: 35.9 percent Chihuahua, 34.4 percent poodle, 6.9 percent bichon fris and 22.8 percent supermutt, Embarks catchall term for trace amounts of DNA from distant ancestors. Rascals ancestors apparently include a collie, a Pekingese, a Shih Tzu and a Maltese terrier.<\/p>\n
The test also revealed that Rascal carries two copies of a gene variant associated with disk disease. Even before the breed results arrived, I got an email from one of Embarks veterinary geneticists explaining the risks associated with this variant and recommending some mitigation strategies. Some of them, like using a harness on walks, were easy to do. Others, like discouraging jumping, were less so. Keeping this buoyant little dog earthbound is a fools errand, but I was extremely grateful for the detailed advice.<\/p>\n
Breed mix remains a matter of indifference to me. What does it mean that my gentle granddog has a wolf somewhere deep within her lineage? Apparently nothing. Thats the mystery of individuality, even in dogs.<\/p>\n
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\nOpinion | What I Learned Testing My Dogs DNA - The New York Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"