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Wisdom Panel Results.....Guess I'm Packing my Bags :(

2K views 14 replies 8 participants last post by  Whiteshepherds 
#1 ·
Just kidding....

25% Australian Shep
25% Am Staff
50% Unknown breeds (Mostly herding)

I know the WP has it's issues, but I thought it would be fun. Definitely did not expect the Aussie!
 

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#2 ·
How accurate is Wisdom, now days? It would be fun to test Shelby. Now you have me scared. lol!

I am surprised too. NAH! You aren't going anywhere. You and I are both staying - and our little 'whatever' dogs too.
 
#5 ·
I did Embark Vet with both of mine. They test for more things than Wisdom I believe.

Love the image you used Dotbat. It looks like your pup is thinking, "drat, all along I thought I waz one ting, but I'm anudder? Am I still your baby?"
 
#7 ·
Yes, Embark does test for all kinds of genetic things. Shelby isn't a PB, so I'm not as interested in genetic health problems with her. Besides, maybe I'm sticking my head in the sand, but I don't really want to know. Just interested in what she is.
 
#8 ·
How interesting and educational. I knew that humans can use a DNA service to look for disease predisposition and ancestry (did it on myself :) ) but wasn't aware such things also exist for our canine friends. I'm considering testing my boy, he is from BYB (appears to "look" full GSD tho), but would be good to know if he carries any nasty mutations. better know in advance.
 
#9 ·
testing for mutations and genetic markers is accurate. testing for breeds? it depends. From my research, if the dog is a mix from 2 purebred parents the test can be fairly accurate. The more generations between the tested dogs and purebred ancestors, the more inaccurate the test.

It simply checks for traits that are common in a breed. That doesn't mean that those genes are found in other breeds and simply not expressed. Therein lies the problem. The more mixed the dog, the more jumble of genetics. So, even though a certain trait is a trademark of a certain breed, it can also be hidden in the DNA of other breeds as well, just not expressed. But can become more prominent in the genetics of mixed offspring. That's why you get dogs whose results are highly improbable.
 
#11 · (Edited)
I have a friend who tested her mixed breed. He's 80 lbs. of lovable goofiness, and looks like a mastiff mix, with a short fawn coat, tipped over ears, and a long, whip-like tail.

Predominate breeds came back as Jack Russell terrier, and whippet. :rolleyes2: Oh, and some Lhasa apso!

They also said there MIGHT be some coonhound and mastiff, which were the only 2 breeds that made any sense!

 
#12 ·
That's too funny. I think the issue is they look for genetic markers, which isn't very cut and dry.

I emailed them and sent a pic...a blog I had read mentioned that they could explore your results more deeply. They emailed me back and said:

Thank you for contacting Mars Veterinary, we have received your inquiry and are happy to help! The photo of Chandler included with your email is very cute, he has the greatest ears! We did not find a strong genetic match to the German Shepherd Dog within the last three generations of Chandler’s family history. However, there was a match to the White Swiss Shepherd (a close relative of the German Shepherd) within the lower confidence breed matches used to generate the Mixed Breed section of Chandler’s report. The White Swiss Shepherd and German Shepherd are both in the Herding genetic group which was the most likely to be present within Chandler’s mixed ancestors. It is certainly possible that Chandler had a purebred German Shepherd ancestor further back in his family tree, beyond the great-grandparent generation.

*shrug* He's a great dog and that's what matters. I guess my interest in his background lies in the fact that he has so many traits that I like and I want to see in future dogs.
 
#13 ·
I'm not sure how they could find markers that differ between the White Swiss and a German Shepherd. While they are recognized as different breeds, They are still only a couple generations removed from pure GSD. That is part of the reason that these tests are so inaccurate.
 
#14 ·
That's something I would be interested in hearing their explanation for. As you said WSS are not so far removed from their gsd ancestors.

According to their FAQ:

"Once your sample is received at our lab it is scanned into our database and assigned to a batch for testing. It then undergoes processing to extract the DNA from your dog’s cells, which is examined for the 1800 markers that are used in the tests. The results of these markers are sent to a computer that evaluates them using an algorithm designed to consider all of the pedigree trees that are possible in the last three generations for your dog. Our computer algorithm uses information from our extensive breed database to analyze these potential pedigrees and determine which one is the best fit.

The computer algorithm gives each of the millions of combinations of ancestry trees built and considered a score representing how well that selected combination of breeds matches your dog’s data. The pedigree with the overall best score is selected and provided to you in your dog’s individualized report. It normally takes 2-3 weeks from the time a sample is received for the genetic testing and analysis to be completed."
 
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