“What kind of dog is that?” Asking the wrong question and answering it badly

Posted on August 7, 2019April 4, 2023Categories News, Research & PublicationsTags ,

Our review has revealed no findings of breed based behavioral differences that successfully overcome all the difficulties presented by this question.

Our review has revealed no findings of breed based behavioral differences that successfully overcome all the difficulties presented by this question.

What type of dog is that? Can you tell just by looking?

Posted on August 14, 2017April 4, 2023Categories News, Research & PublicationsTags ,

Take a look at the growing body of evidence on visual breed identification, and commit to shifting the paradigm of how we identify and discuss dogs in our daily lives.  

Take a look at the growing body of evidence on visual breed identification, and commit to shifting the paradigm of how we identify and discuss dogs in our daily lives.  

Florida animal services agency strikes breed labels from kennel cards and website

Posted on February 14, 2014March 18, 2021Categories News

Evidence has mounted in recent years that guesses as to a dog’s breed or breeds usually do not correspond with breed identification using DNA technology. Different observers, even those engaged in dog-related professions, frequently disagree with each other when looking at the same dog. Animal behavior and ethology studies have demonstrated that we cannot reliably predict the future behavior of a purebred dog on the basis of its breed or breed mix, whether or not we have documented the pedigree … Continue reading “Florida animal services agency strikes breed labels from kennel cards and website”

Animal professionals shown to disagree with each other when assigning breed(s) to dogs of unknown parentage.

Posted on May 7, 2013June 6, 2023Categories News, Research & Publications

Summary A survey of more than 900 people in dog-related professions and services showed that they frequently disagreed with each other when making visual breed identifications of the same dog, and that their opinions may or may not have correlated with DNA breed analysis.  More than 70% of the study participants reported that now, or at one time, their breed descriptors were used in record keeping.  The results of this survey call into question the validity of a variety of … Continue reading “Animal professionals shown to disagree with each other when assigning breed(s) to dogs of unknown parentage.”

How long before we discard visual breed identification? A new survey confirms that even dog experts can’t tell just by looking.

Posted on November 7, 2012June 6, 2023Categories Research & PublicationsTags

In the 1960’s, John Paul Scott and John L. Fuller showed that mixed breed dogs may bear little or no resemblance to their purebred ancestors.[i] In 2009, Dr. Victoria Voith and colleagues from Western University published a short report indicating a low agreement between the identification of breeds of dogs by adoption agencies and DNA identification of the same dogs.[ii] The Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine has also been looking systematically into … Continue reading “How long before we discard visual breed identification? A new survey confirms that even dog experts can’t tell just by looking.”