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How much does the Canine Heritage® Breed Test cost?

$59.99 per dog which includes all laboratory processing, Breed Analysis Report, and even the postage paid mailer to send the sample back to us!

How many breeds can the Canine Heritage® Breed Test potentially identify?

Currently our test can identify 120 (click here to view the list). We strive to enhance the informativeness of the Canine Heritage® Breed Test by adding more breeds over time. The 120 breed test is the third version of our Canine Heritage® Breed Test, new releases average two years to develop. While there are several hundred breeds of dogs, many are quite rare. We design our test to include the most common breeds across North America and those which are often foundation breeds for newly developed breeds.

Are you still offering the 38 breed version of the Canine Heritage Breed Test?

No, at this time we have discontinued the 38 breed version of the Canine Heritage Breed Test. Any outstanding 38 breed tests will be accepted and processed with the latest version of the Canine Heritage® Breed Test.

If you have performed a Canine Heritage® Breed Test version before our new 120 breed test, we offer an upgrade to the 120 breed test for $25.00.

How do I purchase a Canine Heritage Breed Test kit?

Test kits can be purchased on-line or by contacting Scidera Canine, LLC’s Heritage Customer Support. Our toll-free phone number is 800.DNA.DOGG (800-362-3644).

How long will it take for me to receive my testing kit?

Once ordered, your Canine Heritage testing kit will be sent via USPS from our California fulfillment center. Depending on where you live, you should receive your testing kit in 3-7 business days.

What type of sample is required for testing?

Testing is performed on cheek cells collected with a soft-bristled nylon brush. Our K9CheekSwab DNA Collection method is specifically designed to be non-invasive and painless for your pet. At this time, we do not accept any other type of sample for testing.

Do I need the help of a veterinarian to take the DNA sample?

No, the swabbing procedure is easy and completely non-invasive. No blood, hair, or tissue is collected. Swabbing is done easily and comfortably by the pet owner, avoiding the trauma and expense of other sampling methods. A demonstration of the entire process is available here.

Is a cheek swab as accurate as a blood test?

Yes. DNA in animals is found in almost all cell types: muscles, reproductive cells, hair roots, and skin cells – any cell that has a nucleus.

Today, our preferred format for collecting a DNA sample is a buccal cheek swab. In fact, cheek swabs are so easy and effective that, according to the American Association of Blood Banks, of the reported nearly 1 million DNA samples processed by laboratories in 2006 over 98% were cheek swabs and less than 1% were blood samples.* Here at Scidera Canine, LLC, we have been on the forefront of DNA technology and pioneered using buccal cheek swabs more than fifteen years ago. Why pull hair for roots or draw blood from a perfectly healthy dog?

Some of the benefits to using a cheek swab to collect DNA:

• Fast and easy
• Safe and painless to your pet
• Does not require a trip to the vet
• Does not require an additional fee for collection
• Easy to ship

How long does it take to get my results?

Results are usually available within 2-3 weeks from the lab’s receipt of your sample.

How do I send my K9CheekSwab DNA Collection Brush back to Scidera Canine, LLC for testing?

Once you’ve collected your DNA sample, simply place the K9CheekSwab DNA Collection Brush into the provided pre-paid mailer and drop in a mailbox - No postage is required when shipping within the US.

How do I submit a photo of my pet?

Once you receive your test kit, keep a record of your Test ID number, printed on your Sample Submission Form. Then, go to our photo submission page on our website for detailed instructions on how to submit a photo.

How are my results reported?

Your results are sent to the email address provided on your Sample Submission Form. A .pdf of the Certificate of DNA Breed Analysis will display your pet’s breed composition. If you provide a digital photo of your dog, it will also be added to the certificate to personalize your results at no extra charge. Visit our photo submission page to learn how to submit a photo.

For an additional fee, we can send you a frame-quality Certificate of DNA Analysis.

* We are still in the process of transitioning to sending results electronically. In the meantime, all results will be sent as a hard copy certificate in the mail.

How do I interpret my dog’s results on the Certificate of DNA Breed Analysis?

Primary: This category is intended to help owners recognize when their pet’s DNA contains a majority of a specific breed (i.e. 50% or greater). If your dog has a strong match to one of our validated breeds, then it is categorized as primary. Most mixed breed dogs will not usually have a breed in this category unless one or both of their parents are purebred.

Secondary: This category reports breeds that are easily recognizable within your dog. While these breeds may have a strong influence on your pet, each breed listed makes up less than the majority of your dog’s DNA.

In the Mix: This final category identifies breeds that have the least amount of influence on your pet’s composition; however, they still appear, at a low and measurable amount, in your pet’s DNA. Think of this as breed contributions far back in your dog’s pedigree.

Why did I not see any results in the Primary category?

It should be understood that test results often do not appear in each category. If the dog has been mixed over many generations, it will most likely not show a very strong influence of any one particular breed. Thus its results will show up only In the Mix category. If, on the other hand, a dog has at least one purebred parent, it most likely will have a result in the Primary category.

Why do the results not match the looks of my dog?

We have been taught to base what we think our dog’s breed mix is by what they “look like”. Because up to this point, we have had no other means but to guess. Of any animal species in the world, dogs have the greatest variety, as well as the greatest ability to respond to selection. There are hundreds of breeds in existence today that did not exist 20, 50 or even 100 years ago. We find that basing what we think a mixed breed dog is by what it “looks like” is much like judging a book by its cover!

A dog’s visual appearance may vary from the breeds reported on the DNA certificate due to the inherent randomness of how outward appearance is eventually expressed in every individual, especially if the breed mixing occurred over several generations. It is very difficult to draw conclusions about the genetic origin of mixed breed dogs based on outward appearances only. Please see our What to Expect page.

What happens if my sample fails testing?

Unfortunately, a small percentage of samples do not contain enough cheek cells to complete the test. If this occurs, you will be contacted to resubmit another sample at no charge. Therefore, getting a good sample is important to minimize turn-around time, please carefully review the included K9CheekSwab™ DNA collection instructions.

What happens if my dog is composed of non-validated breed(s)?

If the tested dog is made up of breeds outside of the 120 breeds of the Canine Heritage® Breed Test, the test results may be minimal and will indicate the best fit or closely related breed ancestry. This may cause reporting of unexpected breeds in your pet’s genealogy.

If your dog contains breeds not part of the Canine Heritage® Breed Test, often the test finds the closest fit either foundation breeds crossed to create your dog’s breed ancestry, or of breeds from similar geographic regions.

Does the Canine Heritage Breed Test work on dogs from outside the U.S.?

The Canine Heritage Breed Test was developed using a population of breeds common to North America. Although we expect the test to work on breeds imported to North America, please note genetic selection may cause changes in isolated breed populations, which may cause results to vary. An example of this is we find differences between working and hunting Labrador Retrievers, and Labs selected for conformation showing.

Can the Canine Heritage Breed Test be used to determine if my dog is purebred?

The Canine Heritage Breed Test is not designed for use as a purebred or paternity verification test and is not an established legal tool. A kennel or breed club certifies a dog’s breed based on pedigree documentation. If necessary, kennel and breed clubs use legally recognized DNA paternity testing to verify relationship. These tests use a different type of DNA analysis than the Canine Heritage Breed Test. For a fee, Scidera Canine, LLC offers canine DNA paternity testing that can provide positive identification and even legally defensible verification of both sire and dam of a particular offspring. To learn more about paternity testing, please click here.

Will you be validating more breeds? If so, what breeds?

We believe a very large percentage of the mixed breed population is covered by our current list of validated breeds. We expect to continue to validate more breeds in the future.

How successful is the test in finding unique DNA breed identifiers in a dog?

In a blind study using thousands of dogs that have been verified to be purebred by AKC certification, the Canine Heritage Breed Test is able to successfully assign the correct breed over 99% of the time when testing purebred dogs that are among our identifiable breeds.

*ANNUAL REPORT SUMMARY FOR 2006, American Association of Blood Banks.