Dog DNA Test Could Hold Key to Grayson's Identity

Ever since Grayson was brought to the local rescue, everyone has wondered what kind of dog he is.

Grayson is about 75 pounds, 3 feet tall from floor to head, and has a giant head and paws the size of my palm. His 12-month molars look pristine, which puts his age at 12 to 18 months, so he might still have room to grow. 

I have been asked about his breed so many times that I have decided to do a home DNA test on Grayson.

Years ago, DNA tests were very expensive. The good ones today are still not cheap; however, I came up with the idea of doing a 50/50 raffle for Grayson. People can put in $5 and guess his breed, and the person closest to his DNA results will win 50 percent of the money taken in. The other half will go toward the cost of the DNA test. Anything left over will go to the local rescue that was wonderful enough to take my big guy in so we could find each other. 

After doing some research, I found that not all home DNA tests are the same. Some can identify only 60 breeds of dogs, and others can identify more than 100. The test I bought is from Wisdom Panel and can identify more than 180 breeds of dogs. I think we can find one of Grayson's breeds in there somewhere, don't you?

The Wisdom Panel test is available online and occasionally in pet stores. They start at about $70. This test is not as good as the one the vet does for $275, but Grayson and I are OK with that.