your dog is a WHAT

This is Izzo.

 Izzo is the woofie that owns our grandma and grandpa in Tennessee.

The shelter here he was adopted said he is a corgi mix.
Mom says he is brown, short, long and has no idea what all is in there.

Now, when she went to BlogPaws in May, she got a chance to take a tour at Mars Global Center. As part of the tour, she got a bag full of Mars products....dog treats, Tempations (yummy), Sheba (she fed the kittens that), and other stuff. Including - a Wisdom Panel. Now THAT got her excited! She had said before that she wanted to DNA test the dog and here was her chance!

Of course, to do that you do need to have access to the dog, so last time she went visiting, she took the test. It was easy to register online. Grandpa told her to do it in her name since she was going to talk about it. Then you have to get the sample from the dog....it is as simple as opening the swabs, roll each around under the cheek, let it dry and mail it off. (there would be pictures but mom forgot to take her camera - of course)

Mom got an email the same day telling her the test was activated and then another email telling her it was received and being processed. From there is states it will take 2-3 weeks. We got the results in about 14 days.

In the meantime....why test?
For some people it is merely curiosity. At the Mars facility, they use it to determine the background of their testing panel dogs so that they can help enrich their lives. For example, if you have a hound, then you can help enrich their surroundings with sights and smells to keep them interested. For each different predominate breed, you can do everything possible to keep them engaged. For others, it is about breed restrictions and legislation....for example being able to tell your local animal control that in fact your dog is NOT a pit bull.

Well.....the results are in.
The panel lists the 3 predominant breeds. However there are no percentages which mom found kind of disappointing. If you think about it....predominant simply means that those 3 numbers are higher than the rest. It DOESN'T mean that a high percentage of the dog is that specific breed. The predominant breeds could be less than 10% each and still be higher than everything else. The chart mom got showed about 90% of his background as "mixed breed" so he truly is a mutt.

For background:
Izzo is about 12 inches tall, no idea how long, 22 pounds, reddish brown with medium long fur and feathered back legs and tail.

The three dominant breeds:
                          Labrador, Chow and St Bernard.

Mom almost fell out of her chair laughing. She suggested that grandma take a camera and tell people Izzo is part St. Bernard. Hahaha


**we were given the Wisdom Panel for free. We have not been otherwise compensated for this blog post and receiving the test did not influence our opinions. 

a tour at Mars #sponsored

Mom got an invitation before Blog Paws asking if she would like to be part of a group that got to go out and see the new Mars Petcare Global Initiative Center near Nashville. Mom moved some things around and got to Nashville on Tuesday in order to catch the bus on Wednesday morning. They got a bag of goodies - dog stuff, cat stuff, other stuff and one thing that got mom pretty excited - a Wisdom Panel test. She didn't know Mars owned them, but is pretty excited to use the test on Grandma's little brown dog. We will let you know how that goes and the results when it happens.

There aren't many pictures on this one - a lot of their information and facilities are proprietary and we respect that.

Anyhow, the team at Mars was great. They talked about how they are family owned and that is how things in the company are viewed...as how they affect the family. From creating to testing to developing to production, the consumer and their pet are first on their minds. All of their suppliers have to let Mars associates into their facilities for reviews and testing. If suppliers refuse, they are no longer used. Associates have the right - and are encouraged - to stop any part of the process at any time if they feel something is not up to standard. It was interesting to hear that each step of the process - from development to implementation is tested - no food or treat even gets near an animal until they are SURE it meets their standards and is safe.

But let's be honest - mom was interesting in the taste testers. They have dogs and cats on site....they aren't quite full yet but will be soon. Most of their pet associates (and that is what they are called - with name badges and everything) come from local shelters, though some from reputable breeders and some even came from here in Ohio. Each animal is generally on the younger side and helps taste test for 2-4 years before they are available to associates or the public for adoption. All the animals are chosen for being "picky" eaters.

The dogs are in pods that have outdoor space as well as indoor space. They have activities each day - from walks to agility to running around the outside play rings. And....each dog is taught basic obedience. Which only makes them even more adoptable. And they will run a Wisdom Panel dna test on the dogs so that they can cater some interactions (as well as food and vet care) to the predominant breed. Dogs are picked and separated by size.

This is Ruby - she is about 3 years old and has been with Mars for about 5 months. She was excellent on leash and very well mannered as she met everyone.

Representing the cats was Whisker Biscuits. Like the other cats, he is being taught a targeting technique using a clicker. The cats live in the upstairs of the pet facility. But you never heard any noise from the dogs downstairs. Each room has 10 cats in it - there are themes to each room with murals on the walls. There are bed and cat trees....and even a catio to allow them a chance to catch a breeze. There are interactions each day with staff and associates as well. The cats are chosen by coat length.

Mom was impressed - not just with the process they go through to develop and test each product, but by the enthusiasm of each person she met....not just out at the facility but all weekend at Blog Paws. At one point Dr Tiffany met Queso and mom thought she was going to put him in her pocket and take him home.

Mars owns Nutro (which we just switched to here), Temptations, Pedigree, Iams, Eukanuba, Cesar, Sheba, Greenies, and Banfield (we didn't know that - mom was surprised), along with other brands.

*We were compensated for our trip out to visit the Mars facility. However, that didn't influence mom's opinion (or her enthusiasm). We only share info we feel is relevant to our readers. Mars Petcare is not responsible for the content of this article.