Dog owners spend as much as £140 on DNA tests to determine if their pets are the breeds they were told.

These home tests, increasingly popular, are helping anxious pet parents confirm their dog’s breed, with the DNA testing market for dogs expected to grow to £570 million by 2030, according to Zion Market Research.

One owner concerned that her Labrador had an unusually large head and might be an XL bully, purchased a test only to discover that her pet was a Labrador-Retriever mix.

These DNA testing kits, sold online by retailers like Pets at Home and Amazon, allow owners to collect their dog’s saliva using a swab and send it to a lab for analysis.

The US-based Wisdom Panel is one of the leading providers, offering a basic test for £74.99 to determine a dog’s breed and relatives.

For those seeking more in-depth results, a £139.99 premium option includes over 260 health screenings to assess the potential risk of genetic diseases.

Journalist Katie Glass shared in The Times how she tested her dog Bear after strangers mistook him for an unmuzzled XL bully.

“It made me start worrying about who I was sharing a bed with,” she wrote, humorously expressing her concern about potential aggression. The test revealed that the bear was mostly a Labrador Retriever with a small mix of other breeds.

Axel Lagercrantz, CEO of Pets4homes, highlighted the importance of knowing a dog’s breed due to specific health risks.

He explained that many breeds have hereditary health problems, such as heart conditions common in Poodles and Springer Spaniels.

Knowing these risks in advance can help owners monitor symptoms and proactively manage their pet’s health.

He encouraged prospective buyers to ask breeders about DNA and health screenings before purchasing a puppy.

Genealogy company Ancestry has also entered the market, offering a £79 ‘Know Your Pet DNA’ kit, claiming it’s the most advanced test.

Brian Donnelly from Ancestry emphasized the connection dog owners feel with their pets, noting that DNA tests can help owners better understand their dog’s needs.

Even law enforcement is exploring DNA testing to address dog attacks on livestock. Ten police forces in England and Wales are trialing DNA test kits to gather forensic evidence from attack scenes, aiming to track down and prosecute the responsible dogs’ owners.

Dr. Nick Dawnay from Liverpool John Moores University developed the kits as part of the Canine DNA Recovery Project, hoping to provide a solution for rural crime officers who often miss critical evidence due to delays in responding to scenes.

Councils may also use DNA analysis to tackle irresponsible dog owners who don’t clean up after their pets.

The City of Edinburgh Council is considering a “dog DNA register” to identify those leaving messes on city streets.

A similar initiative in Béziers, France, aimed to fine owners for uncollected waste by matching DNA samples to a registry, though it faced legal challenges over privacy concerns.

Despite efforts to curb dog fouling, Edinburgh issued just four fines across the city in 2021.

Conservative councilor Christopher Cowdy proposed the DNA register, arguing that it would provide a clear method for identifying which dog was responsible for waste on the streets.

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