Recently I’ve been intrigued by dog DNA tests. I’ve never actually been suspicious of Chloe’s genetic makeup, but since we started Doodle Doods I’ve really been wanting to be able to recommend to our readers first-hand which tests are the best and which gives more accurate dog DNA test results.
So off I went; for this experiment I spent over $300 to buy 2 of the highest rated DNA test kits: Embark’s Breed and Health test kit and Wisdom Panel’s Premium test kit.
Now this post isn’t going to be a review of these 2 products – that will be in a separate post. But I’m really anxious to show the results we got from both tests and how exactly they indicate that we were scammed by Chloe’s breeder 12 years ago.
But before that, let’s get into the backstory. I remember it vividly…
My now husband and I had been dating for about a year. We were 19 years old, young and a little dumb, and we decided we wanted a puppy…despite being starving college students living in a non-pet friendly apartment…but I digress.
Anyway, we started our search on a local classifieds site and soon enough I came across a listing with some pictures of these super adorable puppies.
As stated in the listing, the puppies were “English Cream Goldendoodles”. It stated that they were non-shedding and would be “mini” in size. I remember the details of the listing vividly because at the time we were specifically looking for a small, non-shedding dog – something that resembled my parents’ Shih Tzu. I have to admit though, that I’d never heard of a Goldendoodle, so that stood out and I remember doing some Google searches on what that was.
We were so smitten with the pictures though, and so one thing led to another and soon enough we had plans to meet the breeder near our apartment. She claimed that she was meeting with multiple people that day to show the puppies and so we could also come.
Now, knowing what I know now about reputable breeders, in hindsight, having met the breeder anywhere but her own home was the first red flag. (Well, actually, a breeder selling through the classifieds was the first red flag.)
But again, we were young and dumb and had no idea what a reputable breeder was or what that process should’ve looked like. All we wanted was the puppy.
So anyway, when we got there, the breeder had a few puppies with her. They were roaming around on a strip of grass next to the parking lot. Again, hindsight is 20/20…it definitely was another red flag that such young puppies were allowed to roam around on public grounds like that due to risk of parvo.
Initially we had our eye on Chloe’s brother, who was a lot more mellow than she was. But something about her just really vibed with me and…the rest is history.
12.5 years later, Chloe is still going strong (and no, she never got parvo). Over the years she has taught us unconditional love, made so many memories with us, and has brought my husband and me and now our daughter so much joy everyday. She’s family and the love we have for her is indescribable.
And to be clear, I couldn’t care less about what kind of dog she is or isn’t, but let’s get back to the topic at hand, which, based off DNA test results from 2 separate companies, is that we were scammed by that breeder 12 years ago.
Guys, my Goldendoodle is not a Goldendoodle…
So what is she? Well, watch the video to see for yourself…
I honestly am still a little shocked about these dog DNA test results. For more than 12 years we believed she was nothing more than the product of a Poodle and a Golden Retriever. Turns out she’s 0% Golden Retriever. 0%…as reported back by 2 separate dog DNA test companies.
This doesn’t affect my love for Chloe in the slightest, but I am really dumbfounded by the fact that the breeder lied about her puppies. Based on the test results, Chloe is half Poodle and somewhere between 14-21% Siberian Husky, which means that one of her parents was a Poodle and the other was a Siberian Husky mix.
Like, there’s no way the breeder saw that parent dog and thought, “that’s definitely a Golden Retriever”.
This is what dumbfounds me. Why not just say you’re breeding Huskydoodles or even just Poodle-mix puppies? People would’ve bought either way. I just don’t get the lie. And to think that she only wanted $250 for each puppy, it’s not like she was losing a lot by lying.
On the flip side, my husband and I definitely should’ve been more informed. We should’ve thought more about the ethics and process that a breeder should have. We should’ve asked her questions, asked to see her home environment, and demanded to see documentation of Chloe’s health and her parents’ health. By the way, we were promised to receive all of that by email after the adoption, but we didn’t and…we never really cared to follow up.
To let bygones be bygones, I have to reiterate that we don’t regret getting Chloe at all. But again, we only paid $250 for her, and there are people out there who pay a lot more than that and don’t actually have the dog that they were promised.
So if this can be a lesson to anyone thinking about paying big money to bring home a Doodle puppy, it’s to make sure that you’re asking the breeder the right questions, that the puppies are being raised in an actual home with personalized, on-demand care, and that you’re able to meet the parent dogs and/or view the health documents of the parents and the puppies.
As for us, well, we went 12 years believing and telling people that Chloe is a Goldendoodle. What now? Is she a Huskydoodle? A Mutt-doodle? I’m not really sure…
What do you think we should call her? Let us know in the comments below!
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I have the greatest dog ever.She does, not shed
She loves everyone,she behaves well.
I love her
. Whatever she is she is mine . Love concurs all.He is my last dog and will outlive me.
1Arthur
July 21, 2021 at 6:09 am