Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

If your dog is from a rural, high-kill shelter or was picked up as a stray, there's a very good chance he or she is highly mixed. So keep that in mind before you order this product, as their testing capabilities only go three generations. That being said, I found this entire process to be incredibly enjoyable, as well as educational. Here's a quick step-by-step of my experience: First, on the advice of other reviewers, I made sure to take the sample over two hours after any food, drink or interaction with humans or my other dog. (While sleeping is likely the easiest.) The instructions are easy to follow and the return packaging is included, so the sample was in the mail the next day. Second, you will receive an email informing you that they have your sample, and that testing will begin shortly. In our culture of instant gratification, it's rare we have to wait for anything for long these days. So the 2-3 week wait really builds your anticipation! I found myself checking the status every couple of days, eager for the results. Third, they had my results back in just over 2 weeks. The report is detailed and easy to understand, reading like a family tree. And the results? My fabulous little dog is so highly mixed that they could only identify two breeds at the great-grandparent level! Am I disappointed? Not at all. As it turns out, my "German Shepherd/Lab" mix has more Greyhound and Weimaraner in her than anything else. This completely explains why she out-runs every other dog at the park. And the Weimaraner shares quite a few physical traits with the Lab (drop ears, short coat, etc) which explains why she was misidentified. (And makes a lot more sense, as she doesn't have the personality of a Lab at ALL.) In addition to the family tree, they provide five possibilities for any mixed breed in your dogs lineage. In my Heinz 57 girl, four of these breeds seemed highly plausible and explained even more about her appearance and behavior. Her strong prey drive, high intelligence level, agility, etc are all completely in line with the breeds listed. I did have a few follow-up questions, so I sent a quick email over to their customer service department. I was pleasantly surprised to get a detailed return email just hours later, which cleared up a few things I'd been confused about and provided me with even more information. This product does exactly what it advertises, and the shipping time and customer service is excellent. As long as you go into this process with an open mind and a knowledge of their testing capabilities, it should be a fun and enlightening process for you and your family. The bottom line is, we all love our dogs no matter what breeds they are or where they came from. But it's very interesting (and helpful) to learn more.