How accurate are the dna tests in determining canine breed type?
The tests are very good at identifying purebred dogs that have been cataloged. When mixes are analyzed it gets complicated, because lots of purebreds have older lineages as their basis. The tests are based only on lines based in North America – so dogs who have parentage from dogs outside North America might not yield reliable results. It is kind of fuzzy science, and I would think that results from tests like this should be used to make any life or death decisions on a dog. For example, I would be suspicious if an organization wanted to use the DNA test to decide if dogs were pit bulls in order to use breed based legislation against them. Using tests to understand a dog’s behavior and heritage seems reasonable though.
