How old does a dog have to be to do a DNA test? The Ultimate Guide

Dog DNA Testing: When and How Can I Test Newborn Puppies?

Dog DNA testing is an invaluable tool for responsible dog breeders who want to ensure healthy litters with ideal traits and for many other reasons too:

You think you might keep a puppy for your breeding program, but need to know they are clear of disease before making that decision

Savvy buyers also want proof of health testing before they choose a puppy

As a dog breeder, would you like a tip to make pet DNA testing your newborn puppies easier? You may think you have to wait until puppies are weaned before obtaining cheek-swab samples, but I have good news for you! You can test litters at any age. No need to wait until right before they go home with their new families.

Concern: Many people worry about cross-contamination from the dam’s milk, or skin cells from her teats.

Solution: Separate dam from the puppies for 30-45 minutes, then check their mouths for milk. If they are milk-free, it’s OK to swab them.

Can Dog DNA Test Tell Age?

Yes, a dog DNA and age test can tell your dog’s age with a high level of accuracy. The dog DNA and age test is very accurate and easy to obtain. They are also cheap compared to other methods used to estimate your dog’s age.

It gives you an idea of the age range of your dog, like a bone density test or radiograph test. The canine DNA test uses microsatellite markers to determine when your pet was born.

These markers are small regions of the DNA that mutate at a predictable rate over time. The more markers tested, the greater the accuracy of the test results.

Identifies your dogs breed and ancestry

Detects possible hereditary diseases

Provides insights to help improve dog care

Accurate and fast results in just 2-4 weeks

Pet DNA Testing: Other Common questions from Dog Breeders about DNA Testing

Easier than you think. If you order test kits from us, each dog receives a separate kit which includes a white sample envelope and 4 polyester/dacron swabs in sterile paper. Label the sample envelope with the dog’s details, use all four swabs to collect cheek cells, and insert them into the sample envelope. You can discard the paper wrappers the swabs were in. If testing several dogs at one time, it’s helpful to label each sample envelope before swabbing the dog. This ensures the swabs are associated with the correct dog

Putting Dog DNA tests to the test

Dog DNA tests are carried out using cells brushed from your dogs cheeks and gums. The preferred cytology brushes are sent to you by mail, or you may provide your own interdental/gum brushes.

Cheek and gum brushing technique for canine DNA sample collectionStep-By-Step: