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Penny

Mixed Ancestry

“She was left at a rescue with her siblings shortly after birth. We adopted her at 8 weeks and have loved her every day since. She is very loyal and loving to both her humans and beagle sisters. Penny loves to run and is very vocal with squeaks and sighs. She attempts to be protective by growling if she hears a potential threat, but ends up squeaking and cowering. She likes to chase our cat every once in awhile out of curiosity and wanting to play, but has never attempted to actually harm her.”

Place of Birth

Arizona, USA

Current Location

Arizona, USA

From

Mesa, Arizona, USA

This dog has been viewed and been given 7 wags

Genetic Breed Result

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Poodle (Small)

A highly intelligent and playful dog, Miniature and Toy Poodles make for great lap dogs and companions.

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German Shorthaired Pointer

German Shorthaired Pointers are highly intelligent and energetic hunting dogs, while being a very friendly and willing companion.

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Australian Cattle Dog

A classic cattle dog, Australian Cattle Dogs were developed from a mixture of breeds in Australia in the 19th century, and still maintain their energetic herding instincts today.

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Pug

The Pug is a breed of dog with a wrinkly, short-muzzled face and curled tail. Pugs are known for being sociable and gentle companion dogs.

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Miniature Schnauzer

Miniature Schnauzers are an alert and spirited breed with guard dog tendencies.

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German Shepherd Dog

German Shepherds are confident, courageous dogs with a keen sense of smell and notable intelligence. These are active working dogs who excel at many canine sports and tasks -- they are true utility dogs! Their versatility combined with their loyal companionship has them consistently listed as one of the most popular breeds in the United States.

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Dogs Like Penny

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Discover dogs who share a similar breed mix to Penny. A higher score means the two dogs have more of their breed mix in common. A score of 100% means they share the exact same breed mix!

Click or tap on a pic to learn more about each dog and see an in-depth comparison of their DNA, breeds, and more.

DNA Breed Origins

Breed colors:
Poodle (Small)
German Shorthaired Pointer
Australian Cattle Dog
Pug
Miniature Schnauzer
German Shepherd Dog

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Here’s what Penny’s family tree may have looked like.
Penny
Family Tree From Embark PARENTS GRANDPARENTS GREAT GRANDPARENTS Poodle (Small) mix German Shorthaired Pointer mix Poodle (Small) Australian Cattle Dog / German Shepherd Dog mix German Shorthaired Pointer Pug / Miniature Schnauzer mix Poodle (Small) Poodle (Small) Australian Cattle Dog German Shepherd Dog mix German Shorthaired Pointer German Shorthaired Pointer Pug Miniature Schnauzer
While there may be other possible configurations of her family’s relationships, this is the most likely family tree to explain Penny’s breed mix.
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Health Summary

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Penny is at increased risk for one genetic health condition.

And inherited one variant that you should learn more about.

Intervertebral Disc Disease (Type I)

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Penny inherited one copy of the variant we tested

How to interpret this result

Penny has one copy of an FGF4 retrogene on chromosome 12. In some breeds such as Beagles, Cocker Spaniels, and Dachshunds (among others) this variant is found in nearly all dogs. While those breeds are known to have an elevated risk of IVDD, many dogs in those breeds never develop IVDD. For mixed breed dogs and purebreds of other breeds where this variant is not as common, risk for Type I IVDD is greater for individuals with this variant than for similar dogs.

What is Intervertebral Disc Disease (Type I)?

Type I Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) is a back/spine issue that refers to a health condition affecting the discs that act as cushions between vertebrae. With Type I IVDD, affected dogs can have a disc event where it ruptures or herniates towards the spinal cord. This pressure on the spinal cord causes neurologic signs which can range from a wobbly gait to impairment of movement. Chondrodystrophy (CDDY) refers to the relative proportion between a dog’s legs and body, wherein the legs are shorter and the body longer. There are multiple different variants that can cause a markedly chondrodystrophic appearance as observed in Dachshunds and Corgis. However, this particular variant is the only one known to also increase the risk for IVDD.

ALT Activity

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Penny inherited both copies of the variant we tested

Why is this important to your vet?

Penny has two copies of a variant in the GPT gene and is likely to have a lower than average baseline ALT activity. ALT is a commonly used measure of liver health on routine veterinary blood chemistry panels. As such, your veterinarian may want to watch for changes in Penny's ALT activity above their current, healthy, ALT activity. As an increase above Penny’s baseline ALT activity could be evidence of liver damage, even if it is within normal limits by standard ALT reference ranges.

What is ALT Activity?

Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is a clinical tool that can be used by veterinarians to better monitor liver health. This result is not associated with liver disease. ALT is one of several values veterinarians measure on routine blood work to evaluate the liver. It is a naturally occurring enzyme located in liver cells that helps break down protein. When the liver is damaged or inflamed, ALT is released into the bloodstream.

Breed-Relevant Genetic Conditions

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Multiple Drug Sensitivity

Identified in Australian Cattle Dogs and German Shepherd Dogs

Hemophilia A

Identified in German Shepherd Dogs

Hemophilia A

Identified in German Shepherd Dogs

Von Willebrand Disease Type II, Type II vWD

Identified in German Shorthaired Pointers

Von Willebrand Disease Type I, Type I vWD

Identified in Small Poodles

Canine Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency Type III, CLAD III

Identified in German Shepherd Dogs

May-Hegglin Anomaly

Identified in Pugs

Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency

Identified in Pugs

Progressive Retinal Atrophy, prcd

Identified in Australian Cattle Dogs and Small Poodles

Collie Eye Anomaly

Identified in Australian Cattle Dogs

Day Blindness

Identified in German Shorthaired Pointers

Day Blindness

Identified in German Shepherd Dogs

Primary Lens Luxation

Identified in Australian Cattle Dogs

Cystinuria Type II-A

Identified in Australian Cattle Dogs

Urate Kidney & Bladder Stones

Identified in German Shepherd Dogs

Anhidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia

Identified in German Shepherd Dogs

Renal Cystadenocarcinoma and Nodular Dermatofibrosis

Identified in German Shepherd Dogs

Mucopolysaccharidosis Type VII, Sly Syndrome, MPS VII

Identified in German Shepherd Dogs

Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis 5, NCL 5

Identified in Australian Cattle Dogs

Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis 8, NCL 8

Identified in Australian Cattle Dogs and German Shorthaired Pointers

GM2 Gangliosidosis

Identified in Small Poodles

Persistent Mullerian Duct Syndrome, PMDS

Identified in Miniature Schnauzers

Degenerative Myelopathy, DM

Identified in German Shepherd Dogs and Pugs

Neonatal Encephalopathy with Seizures, NEWS

Identified in Small Poodles

Acral Mutilation Syndrome

Identified in German Shorthaired Pointers

Myotonia Congenita

Identified in Miniature Schnauzers

Myotonia Congenita

Identified in Australian Cattle Dogs

Osteochondrodysplasia

Identified in Small Poodles

Additional Genetic Conditions

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Traits

Explore the genetics behind your dog’s appearance and size.

Base Coat Color

Base Coat Color

Coat Color Modifiers

Coat Color Modifiers

Other Coat Traits

Other Coat Traits

Other Body Features

Other Body Features

Body Size

Body Size

Performance

Performance

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Through Penny’s mitochondrial DNA we can trace her mother’s ancestry back to where dogs and people first became friends. This map helps you visualize the routes that her ancestors took to your home. Their story is described below the map.

Haplogroup

A1a

Haplotype

A16/17/99/100

Map

A1a

Penny’s Haplogroup

A1a is the most common maternal lineage among Western dogs. This lineage traveled from the site of dog domestication in Central Asia to Europe along with an early dog expansion perhaps 10,000 years ago. It hung around in European village dogs for many millennia. Then, about 300 years ago, some of the prized females in the line were chosen as the founding dogs for several dog breeds. That set in motion a huge expansion of this lineage. It's now the maternal lineage of the overwhelming majority of Mastiffs, Labrador Retrievers and Gordon Setters. About half of Boxers and less than half of Shar-Pei dogs descend from the A1a line. It is also common across the world among village dogs, a legacy of European colonialism.

A16/17/99/100

Penny’s Haplotype

Part of the large A1a haplogroup, this common haplotype is found in village dogs across the globe. Among breed dogs, we find it most frequently in Labrador Retrievers, Newfoundlands, German Shepherd Dogs, and Golden Retrievers.

Shar Pei dogs think A1a is the coolest!

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The Paternal Haplotype reveals a dog’s deep ancestral lineage, stretching back thousands of years to the original domestication of dogs.

Are you looking for information on the breeds that Penny inherited from her mom and dad? Check out her breed breakdown and family tree.

Paternal Haplotype is determined by looking at a dog’s Y-chromosome—but not all dogs have Y-chromosomes!

Why can’t we show Paternal Haplotype results for female dogs?

All dogs have two sex chromosomes. Female dogs have two X-chromosomes (XX) and male dogs have one X-chromosome and one Y-chromosome (XY). When having offspring, female (XX) dogs always pass an X-chromosome to their puppy. Male (XY) dogs can pass either an X or a Y-chromosome—if the puppy receives an X-chromosome from its father then it will be a female (XX) puppy and if it receives a Y-chromosome then it will be a male (XY) puppy. As you can see, Y-chromosomes are passed down from a male dog only to its male offspring.

Since Penny is a female (XX) dog, she has no Y-chromosome for us to analyze and determine a paternal haplotype.

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