We did an Embark DNA test on starving puppy, Hugo, about a year ago. We knew by looking at him that he had some pit running through him — a breed I said I’d never own.
Doggie DNA tests are fun!
When owners test their dogs through Embark and have DNA in common with Hugo, we’re sent an email along with photos.
I had to look up where Mango was from and found that Hvalsø is a town and a former municipality (Danish) on the island of Zealand in east Denmark. It certainly offers no clue to who might’ve dumped our little guy, but it makes me wonder how his new found relatives were acquired. With a name like Frank Furter, I wish his owner in Tennessee would’ve shared a photo.
Neither of the new relatives’ photos resemble Hugo at all!
While doggie DNA tests are fun, sharing your DNA might not be wise.
While having your own DNA test for ancestry purposes might be interesting and fun — it’s probably not a great idea. DNA testing companies store your genetic data which could be vulnerable to breaches or misuse. Having your data shared with third parties without clear consent, like insurance companies or law enforcement, is also a concern. And if that’s not enough, your genetic data is used in research or by third parties for medical and behavioral studies.
I’ll just stick to doggie DNA. I don’t even want to know if I have some new relative living in some place I’ve never heard of.
Doggie DNA tests are a great gift!
When talking to my friend, Julie, I told her about Hugo’s new relatives and how a DNA test might be a good gift for her daughter, who recently got a shelter dog. She took my advice… but also bought 2 of her own kits for her 2 rescue dogs. Now I’m almost as excited to see her results as I was waiting for Hugo’s to come back.
In the meantime, care to take a guess at the results of her oldest rescue, Opal?
The Embark brand is the only one I have experience with and they’re currently on sale for $89 bucks.
Now you know: The Microraptor had four wings with fully feathered arms and legs for gliding. This flight setup doesn’t exist in any species alive today. It lived during the Early Cretaceous, about 120 million years ago.