Guess Tessa's Mix-Awaiting DNA test results

[Iymala]

Wow that is pretty ridiculous. They need to get their shit together.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Makes me wonder if they sent you the completely wrong results!

 

[Smokeycat]

Makes me wonder if they sent you the completely wrong results!

That was my first thought too.

 

[NYDDB]

Shout out to LINDA!!!!!

HEY!!!! Linda---If your sweet lil dwarf now has a projected adult weight of 100+ pounds & your FREAKING OUT, don't worry, there are people here who will guide you And please stop putting those silly bows in her hair!!!

LMAO!

But seriously, how can this company get away with such bullsh*t? They must think the general dog-owning public are just too stupid to question results from such "experts." Ugh.

I like your determination, though. And, you know, this thread is just getting more and more fascinating...

 

[cayeesmom]

I just today talked to one of our vets who had the Wisdom panel done on 2 of her dogs, a pure Golden Retriever [she did him to see if they would get it right!] and a small mix. They got the Golden right, 100% Golden Retriever . The other one came out 50% Yorkie and 50% Parson Russel Terrier, very believable, he does look like a "terrier sized" Yorkie mix. She is going to do her other mutt also, she looks like a 60lbs black lab/ basset mix. Will see how she comes out.

 

[Catia]

I just had a nap, and woke up with an idea--Maybe I *should* call back & say "Hi this is Linda--Abby's mom-can you explain the DNA results to me?" & see what they say.

Then after the spiel is all said & done, say "nah, it's not really Linda, you left her name on my voicemail, now what about my results & NOW can I have a retest or a refund???"

I'd love to record the call--for QUALITY ASSURANCE PURPOSES.

I need to get names of people in administration.

 

[LizB]

I used BioPet Vet Lab (http://www.biopetvetlab.com/) for our rescue Dane, who we thought possibly could be poorly bred but pure, but we weren't sure. It came back as "level 2" Great Dane, and "level 2" Rottweiler. That means pretty much half dane, half rotti. There were no other breeds there. We did this when he was very young and still pretty lanky and lean, and now that he's mature we can really see the rott in him. I trust this company, in other words! We sent no picture and I think they nailed it.

Of course, it could be a simple sample mix-up, which could happen in any lab, but honestly once this technology came out I'm sure a lot of companies cropped up hoping to make a buck and didn't have true science at the core of their business, but making money instead.

I don't think you ought to send a picture - they'll just make something up, it sounds like! I like your idea of pretending to be Linda and getting your TM/rott mix results.

Poor Linda, though, since she actually DOES have a maltese and she's really scratching her head!

 

[Catia]

Well, one would think a golden retriever/maltese mix would look something like a much smaller version of something like a golden doodle, since I don't believe the golden doodle people are mating the toy poodles with a full sized retriever, but standard sized poodles.
But hey--what do I know.

I searched online for a maltese golden retirever mix--to no avail--came up with only one pic...from a face book page & it really ticked off some golden retriever people it's the pic below.

Also, during my discussion with the woman cust serv rep on thursday, she mentioned could be rat terrier instead???
She started running down a list of various toy breeds...

& I'm also almost yelling:
"Hey--you're not listening to me-here is what I am saying to you--if you said Newf or Mastiff or even just rottweiler, I could listen to this, but you are not listening to me-you're on the whole other side of the spectrum--do you understand the difference?"

There was just a point of FRUSTRATION & ANGER & i was just trying to maintain my cool to get through to anyone other than the moron i was speaking to.

I was then only listening for key words like "I can help you with that", or even "April Fool"

But unfortuneately those did not happen, but I DID get through to the moron customer service woman well enough to get a callback from Anthony, for Linda & Abby...

**Anthony also called Linda Lori once, the 1st time he addressed her by name-i listened to the voice mail again, it was about 4 min long--& it was/is really PLEADING for a picture--& I mean this man was determined to convice Linda they would not use the picture to change the results, only to allow the scientists to decide if a retest was necessary...

If a test got mixed up, fess up & fix it for & stop skrewing around--I wonder if they even have a real lab or geneticist--My sample to Mars Veterinary was mailed to Nebraska, but the phone call came from Maryland.

 

[Catia]

And, From Wisdom's own photogallery, here is a pic of Fred below.

I mentioned Fred a few posts ago, but really felt a pic was necessary. You really need to take a look.

Fred is part Tibetan Mastiff, so shout out --Yooo hooo---Ruth--if your TM breeders were on edge about Tessa being a *possible* TM mix, show them a pic of Fred. Fred is CONFIRMED GENETICALLY to be part Tibetan Mastiff.
He is a Shihtzu-Pekingese-Tibetan Mastiff mix.

because, well, you know, those lil guys LOVE the big bitches!!
Damn shih-tzu's half breeds singin "Baby got Back" the whole time!
they just kinda get lost in there...It could not possibly be the other way around, i think it'd be impossible.

***This is better than fiction--I simply can't make this stuff up, it so ridiculous.

You can go to Wisdom's photo gallery & look him up either by name, or breed--go ahead--select TM--or Fred
Photo Gallery - Photo Uploader | Wisdom Panel

 

[ruthcatrin]

I looked him up when you mentioned him before....I assume the TM was a few generations back!

 

[allsierra123]

Is the TM in the founding of any of those smallers breeds? Of course not recently but on a genetic level they may share some of the same markers.

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[Catia]

Well the big dogs guarding had small dogs watching to alert them back in the day, so it's possible, & TM's are part of the foundation of many breeds, though mostly molosser breeds, as far as I've read, most docs/texts seem to say the same thing: TM is not a mastiff, but mastiffs/molossers originated from TM's.

I'm no TM expert, not by a long shot, so don't take my post as gospel.

Anything is possible, even Tessa being a golden retriever-maltese mix I suppose.
Which is the reason for my additional reading.
Though the liklihood is so highly improbable, based upon some basic genetics that is common knowledge even to (good) breeders, meaning you don't need a geneticist to tell you what i'm telling you.

I do have some tiny amount of background in human genetics, (a couple classes from college), have always found it fascinating, so I do understand (most) of what I'm reading.

it's the same concept of how 2 blue eyes parents cannot have a brown eyed child (green yes, green is genetically blue, hazel no, it is genetically brown is the simplified version)

I've been reading through golden retriever genetic stuff, and from what I understand, a pure bred golden does not carry the gene expresses Tessa's points. ('at' allele A locus)--though I'm sure there is someone who'd argue for the breeds that went into the golden retriever, but the test isn't going back that far. Maybe 5-6 generations AFAIK.

According to Wisdom/Mars, a full 1/2 of Tessa's DNA is golden retriever with no other breed on the one side as far back as the test can detect...so it's back to the question of points (black & tan expression ). *both parent MUST carry the gene*

Yes, goldens CAN throw other colors IF there is a mix somewhere back. Test says no mix on the 1 side.

My girl can be as maltese as she wants/needs to be, they are real cuties, she can let her freak flag fly & if Tessa wants a few pink bows in her fur, I'll do that too--Hell, I'll buy a large samsonite suitcase & call it my purse....but there's got to be something else to give her this size--even if she stopped growing today, & her black & tan. She does have about 15-20 white hairs, a barely there locket on her chest you can miss it if you don't look really hard..

And whatever gives her the odd personality...

 

[allsierra123]

I'm no expert on genetics but it is possible for two brown eyed people to have a blue eyed child. Genetics is not that cut and dry. I just am not sure I buy it as far as them being able to determine breed and how far back it goes. Here is an article on the eye color though.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/aprilholladay/2004-10-14-wonderquest_x.htm

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[ruthcatrin]

Two brown eyed people can have a blue eyed child yes, but not the reverse, two blue eyed people will only produce blue eyed children (or green as an expression of blue)

 

[allsierra123]

The article stated otherwise. Said that original idea was based on flawed theory from 1907. Two blue eyed people can have a brown eyed child and the other way round as well.

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[ruthcatrin]

Ah, i can believe that. Its like they don't yet know which genes causes the shades of gold in gold (agouti) dogs, so you get dogs like Apollo, Aslan and their sister Sunshine from the same litter and parents but with 3 different shades of gold.

I've not done a TON of research into Goldens, but it honestly wouldn't surprise me if one could throw a black and tan cross-bred, they throw brindle sometimes when crossed out. I just can't see Maltese at all, her size being only part of it!

 

[allsierra123]

I can't either. I'm just saying I'm not sure they have enough knowledge of the genome yet to really be able determine that stuff yet. Kind of hit and miss would be my best guess.

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[Catia]

Ok, so todays update.

During my lunch break, I decided to call "Anthony" from Mars.

I called the # that was left on my voicemail on Friday.
I made the call at 12:50pm today (Monday), & I got Anthony, but it quite sounded like perhaps I woke him up???
He just answered the phone "Hello?" as if he were confused.

I said "May I speak with Anthony please?" & he said yes, & I said "There was a message left on my voicemail Friday for Linda concerning Abby..." & I got a "oh, oh yeah, oh, um Abby, ya, I left that message, if you could email us a photo, I can forwards it to my scientists & they can review Abby's computer generated algorhythm for her DNA test"

To which I replied: "Well, that'd be great, except I really don't think you should have a photograph in order to determine a dog's DNA" , to which I got some more reasons from Anthony for why the photograph is necessary...

Mind you nothing about this seemed remotely professional, I am sure I was speaking to someone I had just woke up, & probably was at home. This was DEFINATELY NOT A BUSINESS LINE.

Then I interrupted his speil with "And well Anthony, the issue is that this is not Linda, you left someone elses name & their dogs info concerning test results on my voicemail"

& I waited

He still did not ask who I was?!?!?! ???

Anthony immediately blamed it on the customer service representative---immediately started a "it wasn't my fault"--
It was like talking to a 12 year old--
He said she forwarded him the wrong infomation, & went into a spiel about how he was sure the test was correct, but the customer service rep mixed it up & how it was all her fault, & if he just had a photograph he could clear things up with the science team.

I told him I'd want a DNA retest with a new cheek swab & that I want it done without a photograph.
I said "you haven't even asked my name, you don't even know who I am, but you are sure the results are correct & that this is the womans fault in customer service-but the results were skrewed up before I ever spoke to customer service"

I then offered him my name & Tessa's name, since, sleepy as he sounded, he was not even interested enought to ASK who I was.

Anthony then tried, in his best "big boy" tone to tell me a photograph was required for the test results to even be considered to be re-run...Once they could view the required phtotgraph, then his scientists would decide if a retest was even necessary.

So I went off...

I said "Look Anthony, it's not like you skrewed up the difference between a shepherd & a rottie, you guys skrewed up between a toy breed & a giant breed, and while I agree the woman I spoke to was en *F*ing moron, she's not the one who ran the test--Nowhere is it stated that a photo is required, it's a DNA test--

You guys dropped the ball, not me, you can't even keep track of who's test is who's test-
You do not even know who you're returning phone calls to!!!
I have no faith my swabs wern't mixed up with someone elses, based upon the fact that you can't even get my name straight!
-I want a new set of swabs & a complete re-test without photograph!
This is what I paid for, & I am the customer. Also, I'd like to add I have a community of about 5,000 people waching this whole ridiculous scheme, which included both dog owners & breeders & I want to deal with someone in administration & get this resolved"

Again, he tried to plead for a photograph, if they had a phtotgraph maybe they could see where the computer algorhythm went wrong & decide if the computer needed readjusted & went off on a tangent or if I needed a retest--

Again me:"Look!! I want someone in administration, I want a retest with new swabs--I have no way of knowing anyone there even has the correct swabs under the right name--Best you're gonna get from me is a picture of her paws at 11 weeks-& her weight--you can have photos AFTER a restest with new swabs!

At this point, he stopped arguing, said he could not find my information because he was not in the office --& that he had no record of my email address???? I said "I bought the test online & paid online-the results were emailed to me"--Anthony said "well I cannot find your information"--So I gave my email address.

Anthony said he'd speak with someone & see what he could do...

My reply was "look, it isn't gonna cost your company anymore to do a re-swab new test that it will to re-run an old swab-so just send the swabs & lets get it overwith"

He said he'll email me after he speaks to someone.

I ended the call with :
"By the way Anthony, you may want to actually call Linda, the owner of Abby, cuz she's probably trying to figure out why her cute little maltese has a projected adult weight of 100 lbs"



Big suprise--no email when I got home.

I'm quite sure he just rolled over & went back to sleep, when I say he sounded like I woke him up--I'm serious, at no time during the conversation did I feel like he was in a state of mind to handle the situation, & there was ZERO sound of concern on his part, ZERO, & no professional customer service & he would not give me a name of anyone I could contact in administrationj--totally blew me off about it.

 

[ruthcatrin]

I think its time to call back the main number and bitch a fit.

 

[Iymala]

I would call their normal customer service line and ask for a manager. This level of customer service is completely unprofessional and an unhappy customer will go out of their way to tell everyone about their experience. A happy customer in most cases will just move along with at the most, a yeah I used so and so company and they did a good job. Making an unhappy but reasonable customer happy is so much more important.

After this thread, I would never use this company and you should start a new forum thread just with your experience and put their name in the topic. It will come up for any one doing a Google search on then(which is a Huge amount of people I'm sure). I normally do a fast search on a company before I decide to use them.