Quote:
Originally Posted by skunkstripe
I guess the novelty is that it is being marketed to the general public.  |
I don't think so, I believe the previous tests were used to verify parentage and required DNA samples of both the parent and child so that they could be compared. I believe this is the first test that will identify different breeds in a dog. This is my understanding...I could be wrong.
I was disappointed when I read the list of breeds they can currently identify with the test. There are only 38. As it happens, the breeds that I consider to be leading candidates for Hawk are not on the list. No Pitbull, no Staffie...There is only one terrier on the list (Yorkshire...not a chance!).
What concerns me as well is that their literature seems to imply that if the dog is primarily something that is not on the list, the results may not identify that. In other words, if your dog is 90% Pitbull, 5% Lab and 5% Doberman, the results may come back to say that your dog is a Lab/Doberman mix, since Pitbull is not on the list of identifiable breeds. This makes the test not just of limited use, but misleading.
In short, while the test is intriguing, I wouldn't consider it a useful tool until they can identify a much more comprehensive list of breeds.