We are excited to announce our Yapper Rewards partnership with MuttMix, a South African based company, experts in the field of DNA testing.
Through DNA which you collect at home, MuttMix can determine which breeds are in your mixed breed dog, your cat’s heritage or even what your dog is allergic to! The easy-to-use DNA collection kits contain everything you need to safely, and painlessly, collect DNA samples from your pets. Those samples are then processed and run through the lab’s extensive database to produce the results unique to your pet. The results are collated into a report, along with additional information about the breeds found, potential health risks, personality traits, exercise levels, or, for the allergy test, where those allergens are hidden. The report is emailed to you so that you can save it, read it as many times as you like, and refer to it whenever you need to.
There are many interesting facts around your dog’s DNA:
#1
Dogs get human diseases
Humans and canines aren’t so different after all, at least regarding what makes us sick. About 6 million dogs are diagnosed with cancer each year, and dogs get canine versions of rare human disorders like the brain-wasting neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis that leads to the inability to walk or control their muscles. While illness is sad for humans and pets alike, sharing diseases benefits both species. Clinical trials are easier to run on pets, giving doctors an animal model of human disease — and Fido a chance for a cure.
#2
Different dogs have different intelligence levels
Dogs can be as smart as two-year-old children, according to research presented in 2009 at a meeting of the American Psychological Association. Border collies are the top dogs in the intelligence category, with some in the breed capable of understanding up to 200 words. Poodles, German shepherds, Golden retrievers and Dobermans round out the top five smartest breeds. (The most popular breed in America, the Labrador retriever, comes in at number seven.)
Older breeds like hound dogs, bulldogs and beagles are among the slow learners of the doggie world, the researchers reported. Unlike newer dog breeds, which are designed for companionship and sociability, old breeds were bred to sniff and hunt, perhaps giving them more brawn than brain. Don’t you want to know your dog’s breed?
#3
Dogs have emotions
Dogs feel envy… but not guilt!
Dogs know when they’re not getting a fair shake. A 2008 study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that when dogs saw other dogs getting treats for a trick they’d been performing unrewarded, the unrewarded dogs became agitated, scratching themselves and avoiding the gaze of the re-warded dogs. They also stopped doing the trick much faster than if they were alone and not getting a reward.
The dogs’ version of jealousy wasn’t as sophisticated as humans: The animals didn’t seem to mind if other dogs got sausage while they just got bread, and they didn’t care if another dog got food for nothing while they had to do tricks for a snack. But, the researchers wrote, the findings were good evidence that being green with envy isn’t just a primate thing.
No guilt is felt. Those puppy-dog eyes Fido gives you when you scold him over knocking over the garbage can for the umpteenth time aren’t a sign of guilt, researchers say. He’s just responding to being scolded. When dog owners thought their dogs had eaten a forbidden treat and reprimanded them, the pooches looked just as “guilty” regardless of whether they had eaten the treat. In fact, dogs who were wrongly accused of snack-snatching often looked guiltier than dogs who had really eaten the treat. Turns out those soulful eyes don’t reflect any soul-searching, after all.
Want to understand your dog’s DNA? The folks at MuttMix are animal loving enthusiasts who strive to bring you information about your animals that will help you to understand them better. Knowing more about your animal assists you to ensure they have a long and healthy life, which in turn brings joy to you and your family. Make sure to check them out online here
Source:
https://www.livescience.com/13305-facts-dog-breeds-genetics-pets.html