Wisdom Panel DNA Test from Chewy.com

Years ago, I used Wisdom Panel to get an idea of what breeds Pallo had in his history. The results were very interesting, but I often found when I shared them with people, that people were very skeptical about the DNA testing, sharing stories of how supposedly purebred dogs tested as something completely different, or mixed breed dogs came up with totally absurd dogs in their results. I didn't care that much, to be honest, because I just saw it as a fun way to have somewhat more of an idea of Pallo's history and make up.

Spotted something interesting

When Chewy.com contacted me and asked if I was interested in reviewing Wisdom Panel, I thought it would be a lot of fun. I originally wasn't sure if I should test one of my own dogs (and if so, which one) or use it on a friend's dog whose breed makeup was more of a mystery. Ultimately I decided to test Ptera. I met both of Koira's parents, saw the rest of the litter, and even saw pictures of two of her grandparents. I know what breed she is with very little question in my mind.

Ptera, on the other hand, I got at 6 months old, and I only have the word of her previous family that she is a Jack Russell Terrier. I think it is absolutely believable that she is just a small jack from a family or back yard breeder. But I also think it would be fun to get some verification from Wisdom Panel.

Wisdom Panel

The test itself was super easy. The package that the swabs come in have the directions written directly on it, so you can't lose them, and the entire thing turns back into a mailing package to send the swabs back in (return postage included).

Viewing the instructions and swabs

Ptera didn't exactly approve of being swabbed, but she tolerated it well enough. The hard part for me was making sure that she hadn't had any food or treats for a few hours before swabbing her.

A big difference between the test now and the one I did years ago with Pallo is that before you send the test back in, you activate it online and include the activation code on the test when you send it it. And instead of needing a different test for purebred or mixed breed dogs, you just select if your dog is purebred, designer bred (two known breeds), or mixed breed. They still do all the same testing no matter which you select, but if you say your dog is a purebred or designer, they do additional testing within the database for that breed or specific breeds.

Going online for the activation code

Jack Russell Terriers are not the easiest dog to get dna testing done for, because they are a very diverse breed. The JRT is actually an overall name for Jack Russell Terriers (who have their own registry, the JRTCA), Parson Russell Terriers, and Russell Terriers. Because they are different breeds and different registries, I just selected the Russell Terrier when asked if Ptera was purebred, because JRT was not an option. Because she obviously is not a show bred Russell Terrier, I do expect there to possibly be some other breeds represented in her lineage by this test.

Where we're at now

A fun thing with the Wisdom Panel is that you can track the progress online. For impatient people, this is awesome, because you can see when the sample arrives at the lab and what stage of testing it is in. Right now, Ptera's test is in the Data Being Analyzed stage, which is super exciting and means I should be getting her results soon.

Jack Russell