Dog DNA Testing Company Deems Woman 40% Malamute
The DNA testing company is having a ruff time after identifying a woman as 40% Malamute - and this is the second time it’s happened
By Bram Teitelman · March 21, 2024
DNA My Dog is a Toronto-based company that’s not unlike 23 and Me for your four-legged friends. For a price (between $80 and $200), they’ll help determine exactly just what breed(s) of mutt is eating you out of house and home. WBZ/Boston investigative reporter Christina Hager had a cheeky idea, however - specifically, swabbing her own cheek and sending the sample to a handful of pet DNA companies to see how legit they were. While two of the three companies let her know the results were inconclusive, what DNA My Dog found may surprise you - unless you read the headline. Hager was told she was 40% Alaskan Malamute, 35% Shar-Pei, and 25% Labrador.
The newshounds at WBZ were actually following up on a report from last year, when Michelle Leininger, a pet owner from New Hampshire, became wary of the results she’d gotten for her adopted rescue dog Jasmine. The test showed Jasmine was mostly German Shepherd, but had 14 different other breeds, including chihuahua. So in addition to submitting her dog’s sample, she also sent in a sample from her cheek, and DNA My Dog deemed her 28% bulldog.
Last year, a spokesperson for the company responded to the story, stating they only found dog DNA on one of her swabs, but that it was definitely dog DNA and “would not be possible on a human sample.” This time, the company didn’t respond to repeated requests for comment, perhaps because they had the zoomies and were running around the lab. Regardless, after being collared for a second time, DNA My Dog doesn’t deserve any treats. Despite that company’s canine cheek-canery, it doesn’t seem like pet DNA testing is going away any time soon. The WBZ article cites market research showing that it’s a $345 million dollar industry that could jump 85% by 2030, proving that every dog will have its DNA.