What does parentage testing cost?

The parentage analysis part of the order is free of charge. Therefore, the cost is determined by how many animals in the analysis will need to have a profile generated as well.

For example, for little of 5 puppies, 1 dam and 2 sires, where both sires have previously been profiled and those profiles are available to us to use:

  • 6 dogs (5 puppies and 1 dam) will need to be profiled: 6 x £45 = £270
  • 2 dogs (sires) already have profiles: £0
  • Total cost (before any discounts or discount codes are applied) = £270

Why is your profiling more expensive than some other labs?

Eighteen of the primary (core) markers are available in a testing kit manufactured by Thermo Fisher. However, 3 of the core markers and all 12 of the secondary (extra) markers are not available in any kits. It may be that some service providers only use the commercially available kit or have not added the 12 secondary markers to their tests, which means their tests cost less to run.

Canine Genetic Testing is different because we routinely test all 33 markers currently recommended by ISAG. While this results in higher running costs overall, we feel that it is important to provide the information for all of these markers.

What should I do with my dog’s DNA profile?

Keep your profile certificate in a safe place, in case you may need it in the future.

For example:

  1. If you dog is lost or stolen in the future, and is found, you will need the profile to prove that the found dog is yours.
  2. If your dog produces any puppies in the future, you can use the existing profile in parentages analyses without having to have him/her tested again (as long as the offspring are tested using the same ISAG 2006 markers).

Will DNA Profiling tell be what breed my dog is?

No, a DNA profile can only be used to:

  • Confirm the identity of a dog should it be lost or stolen (if it was profiled previously).
  • Confirm the parentage or offspring of a dog by comparing its profile with that of its parents or offspring, respectively.

A DNA profile cannot determine the breed makeup of a dog or prove that it is a purebred dog, nor does it provide any information about the conformation of a dog. To determine the breed make up of a dog we suggest the Wisdom Panel or Embark.

Which markers does CAGT test for profiling?

We use the ISAG (International Society for Animal Genetics) 2006 microsatellite/short tandem repeat (STR) marker panel with the latest updates recommended by ISAG:

  • 21 core markers – these have been in use for many years.
  • 12 additional markers – The addition of these markers can clear up parentage questions in cases where the individual dogs being tested are very closely related and cannot be separated using the core markers alone.

Canine STR Profile Markers

The full panel of short tandem repeat (STR) markers comprises 33 markers, as listed below. Canine Genetic Testing tests the full panel, which was originally defined by ISAG in 2006 and has undergone a few recent changes/updates, as indicated in the Comments column.
Marker NameMarker TypeComments
AHT121Primary (Core)
AHT137Primary (Core)
AHTh130Primary (Core)Not tested by all service providers
AHTh171Primary (Core)
AHTh260Primary (Core)
AHTk211Primary (Core)
AHTk253Primary (Core)
Amelogenin (X/Y)Primary (Core)
CXX279Primary (Core)
FH2054Primary (Core)Not tested by CAGT: Removed from the ISAG panel in 2017
FH2848Primary (Core)
INRA21Primary (Core)
INU005Primary (Core)
INU030Primary (Core)
INU050Primary (Core)
REN54P11Primary (Core)
REN64E19Primary (Core)Not tested by all service providers
REN105L03Primary (Core)Not tested by all service providers
REN162C04Primary (Core)
REN169D01Primary (Core)
REN169O18Primary (Core)
REN247M23Primary (Core)
0123_RDSecondary (Extra)Added to the ISAG Panel in 2017
0176_RDSecondary (Extra)Added to the ISAG Panel in 2017
0323_RDSecondary (Extra)Added to the ISAG Panel in 2017
0669_RDSecondary (Extra)Added to the ISAG Panel in 2017
0914_RDSecondary (Extra)Added to the ISAG Panel in 2017
0959_RDSecondary (Extra)Added to the ISAG Panel in 2017
1055_RDSecondary (Extra)Added to the ISAG Panel in 2017
1257_RDSecondary (Extra)Added to the ISAG Panel in 2017
1404_RDSecondary (Extra)Added to the ISAG Panel in 2017
1878_RDSecondary (Extra)Added to the ISAG Panel in 2017
2469_RDSecondary (Extra)Added to the ISAG Panel in 2017
2642_RDSecondary (Extra)Added to the ISAG Panel in 2017