Nikki E. Bennett, Suzanna Soto, Jhobany Nicolas-Serrano, and Peter B. Gray (all Anthropology) published their study titled, "," in CABI International: Human-Animal Interactions. This project is a part of Bennett's Ph.D. research in which users were surveyed about their motivations and experiences with getting their dog genetically tested using direct-to-consumer services. This publication reports participant qualitative responses provided on the survey and potential human-animal bond influences after using a genetic test for a dog. Human-animal bond measures indicated genetic test results allow users to learn more about their dog, but did not suggest the new genetic knowledge influenced their sentiments toward the tested dog. Central themes found in qualitative responses were participants using the test results to interpret their dog’s breed or other types of information (e.g. biological relatives in the Wisdom Panel database). Utilizing these findings as a framework, follow-up research should further explore the potential impacts companion animal genetic services may have on the human-animal bond, especially as commercial genetic services for pets continues to grow in popularity.
