Wisdom Panel dog DNA tests aren’t designed or intended to determine or validate whether a dog is purebred. Rather, they’re meant to demonstrate how closely a dog matches the reference genetic signature for a breed.
The database we use to develop the reference genetic signatures consists of samples from documented purebred dogs and samples from a network of veterinarians. Though we’re constantly updating our database, genetic drift and the impact of breeder preference can prevent small and/or foreign family lines from being well-defined by the dogs in the reference database.
It’s important to keep in mind that not every individual of the breed will meet the breed standard set forth by the Kennel Clubs (both UK and AKC). And variation exists even among puppies from the same litter. If you purchase a dog with registration papers, however, Wisdom panel dog DNA tests are not intended to refute the documentation. Rather, our tests seek to help determine the breeds present in a dog of unknown progeny or one that lacks an authentic certified pedigree from the Kennel Club. We use statistical analysis to compare a dog’s signature against the reference genetic signature established for each breed covered by our test. The statistical modeling process considers 11 different possible family trees, trying to fit the best breed combination to the model to explain the dog’s genetic signature. Hence, it starts with a simple purebred tree and goes all the way up to a highly complex tree with eight different great grandparent breeds coming together. Because there is only one purebred tree model in the 11 considered, the statistical process inherently favors mixed ancestry.
If questions arise about a purebred dog’s pedigree and breed ancestry, parentage testing is the appropriate and recommended course of action. For this evaluation, the documented sire and/or dam are examined to ensure they were the genetic contributors to the dog in question. If they are confirmed as the parents, their pedigree (and breed) is conferred onto the puppy. To find out more about parentage testing please contact the American Kennel Club.