Recent News
A breed apart
March 24, 2008
From the Albany Times Union: When he was adopted in 1990 from the Blackhawk Humane Society in Waterloo, Iowa, ZZ a nickname for Zeke Zlotsky was 6 months old and housebroken. But his lineage, his early upbringing and why he was given up are all unknown. more >>
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DNA test allows dog owners to find out their mutt's makeup
March 24, 2008
Tracy Dingman of the Albuquerque Journal reports: Sandy Collins suspected the fuzzy little pup she adopted from the Animal Humane Association four months ago was part Rottweiler. "Charlie's got this blocky head and thick muzzle," she said. "I've raised Rotties before, so I thought he might have some in him." As he grew from 4 1/2 pounds to 52 pounds in three months, Collins became more determined to find out what kind of dog she had adopted - and just how big he might get. The Albuquerque nurse went online and learned that there's now a DNA test, available at a handful of local veterinarian offices, that can determine which breeds of dog make up your mutt. more >>
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Dogs and DNA
March 23, 2008
KFYR-TV NBC Bismark, ND - News Video Clip. "Dog has always been known as man's best friend. And it's that best friend that greets you at the door when you come home or snuggles with you when you're feeling down. But, if that best friend happens to be a mixed breed, have you ever wondered which breeds are in your dog's ancestry? When Sherlock was adopted two and half years ago, there was no way to tell what kind of dog he really was. He has the markings of a Shepherd, but do those colors tell the full story? Well, there is a new test that does just that, and all it takes is a blood sample and short trip to your veterinarian." more >>
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Test can tell ancestry of any dog
March 21, 2008
The Coloradoan from Ft. Collins, CO features a story about columnist, Chrisie Long's testing of Pancake, the family dog. "We are often stopped on walks around town by curious folks who want to know what breed she is. I used to say that she was a terrier mix, or at times I even jokingly told people that she was a new Belgium terrier. But now, I know exactly what Pancake is - she's a curly-bed-scotti-hua-hua, or something like that. Thanks to a new test from Mars Veterinary, called the Wisdom Panel, I can discover the ancestry of any dog with a simple blood test." more >>
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Who's your daddy?
March 17, 2008
From the Boston Herald website: "Mystery mutts and their masters can both stop scratching their heads thanks to a breakthrough DNA test unlocking the parentage of those accidental designer dogs that all seem descended from Labrador retrievers." more >>
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DNA dog test reveals parentage
February 27, 2008
The Carver Lake Veterinary Center on Ventura Drive, is at the forefront of a scientific drive to answer that enduring dinner table question: what breed is your dog? Owners can take their pooch to the practice and get a detailed breakdown of the breeds which make up their mutt through a simple blood test. more >>
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Dr. Carol On Pets - Canine : DNA Revealed!
February 13, 2008
Dr. Carol Osborne's popular website newsletter tells dog owners, "The Wisdom Panel™ MX test is the most comprehensive DNA-based mixed breed test for dogs..." more >>
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Figuring out Fido's family tree
February 11, 2008
The doggie euphemism "All-American" was coined as a politer way to say "mutt." It never caught on, and perhaps just as well. After a boxer named Tasha lent her DNA to scientists to map the dog genome in 2005, advances in canine genetics have continued with as much speed as a border collie on an agility course. Today, at least two companies are offering DNA tests to identify the ancestors in a mixed breed's background. And the potential market is huge: Roughly half of all dogs in this country are mixes. The better-known of the two tests is the Mars Wisdom Panel™ MX Mixed Breed Analysis. more >>
Martha Stewart Enlists Wisdom Panel™ MX to Help Her Viewers Answer: "What Breeds are in my Dog"
February 8, 2008
On an episode of her show that aired on February 7, homemaking maven Martha Stewart helped provide some "WISDOM" to the millions of mixed breed dog owners eager to know, "what breeds are in my dog?" With the help of renowned veterinarian and author Dr. Marty Becker and Mars Veterinary's new Wisdom Panel™ MX Mixed Breed Analysis, Martha highlighted the benefits of understanding the breeds that make up a mixed breed dog and the important role veterinarians play in canine genetic testing. more >>
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Mutt DNA tests: better than mixed results
January 24, 2008
Newsday columnist Denise Flaim, a frequent writer on companion animals, discusses the science behind the Wisdom Panel™ MX Mixed Breed Analysis doggie DNA test. Flaim dives into an understanding of the test and concludes by explaining that WISDOM is about "the best you can do" when it comes to determining a dog's breed makeup. more >>
DNA tests are going to the dogs
January 19, 2008
So you know your dog is a mixed breed. But what breeds are in its bloodline? By following some physical details as clues - like if your dog has thick reddish hair like a golden retriever and short legs like a basset hound - you might get a rough idea, but it's hard to tell for sure. You may be able to get more exact answers with a DNA test. more >>
New Doggie DNA Test Answers "What's My Dog?"
October 3, 2007
Since rescuing her mixed breed dog Sol three years ago, Becky Shelton, like millions of other dog owners, often wondered what breeds make up her mystery dog’s background. Beyond satisfying her curiosity, Shelton wanted to find what potential issues may affect Sol throughout his life. But it wasn't until Shelton's veterinarian, Dr. Marty Becker, invited her to be among the first ever to use the science of canine genetic testing through the Wisdom Panel™ MX Mixed Breed Analysis, that she finally learned Sol's real genetic identity. more >>
"Science" article reviews Mars canine genetic research.
Scientists First to Isolate a Single Gene Common to All Small Dogs
April 5, 2007
From the smallest Chihuahua to the largest Great Dane, dogs dramatically vary in size, much more than most other animals. Now scientists have discovered a genetic basis for this diversity. A new study published in tomorrow's edition of the research journal Science reveals a genetic marker that may determine whether dogs are big or small, and helps answer a burning question in genetics – how could dogs as a species have such a tremendous variation in size? more >>