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How can I tell if my dog is a purebred or a mixed breed dog?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 2 years old

Is there a way to tell if my dog is a pure bred or mixed? We believe she is mixed, but would like to know for sure...

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4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Ana M, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on May 23rd, 2018

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Kia. There are at home DNA test kits, such as Wisdom Panel, available for dogs now. You take a cheek swab and then mail the sample into the company. They will provide you with your dog's breed composition as well as information about the breed (or breeds) such as for predispositions certain diseases. I hope this information helps!

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1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 5th, 2017

    Hi there! You can easily order a DNA test kit online that can tell you what breed or breeds your dog is made up of. I have found the most accurate tests are from a company called Wisdom Panel. Here is a link to their site. You can watch a video about their product and buy a kit online. I believe they ship worldwide but you could always contact them to check before ordering. http://www.wisdompanel.com/wisdom-panel-4-0/ I hope this helps! Good luck to you!

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    Answered By Laura Johnson VMD

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 20th, 2017

    Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Unfortunately the shelters don't really know the actual breeds of dogs unless the original owner gives them the Pedigree paperwork. Sometimes we assume they are purebred based on how the dog looks. All the DNA test available, even for known pure bred dogs, will show multiple breeds on the test. Most Vet hospitals stopped offering the test because a lot of the results were unbelievable. You can find tests online and if you want to run it for fun, there is no harm in it. Good luck!

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    Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

    Veterinarian

    Published on March 19th, 2019

    Just so you know, stidies have shown that visual identification is incorrect 75% of the time. If you want a guess, Labrador and German Shepherd may be in his mix but there’s likely some other breeds as well. They make genetic testing for breeds now that will detect the genes of different breeds accurately. I recommend Wisdom Panel. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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