DNA Connect

Connect with other dogs through DNA.

A digital dog park and all with a genetic basis!

We have developed a new service, Koko Genetics' DNA Connect. With this tool, we aim for two things. Firstly, to acquaint you with other dogs that may be related to yours. Secondly, finding dogs that share genes with your pet can be a new source of information, including relevant clinical and health data! And maybe even a third possibility: seeing your pet playing with one of their relatives.

View example
park

How do we search for their genetic family?

We understand the curiosity about how we turn swabs of your dog’s saliva into a family tree. How do we do it?

dna-find

Identify

We don’t just collect your dog's saliva; we also obtain about 700,000 genetic markers. We select specific DNA regions and fragments to work with. Not the entire genome is equally important for determining kinship.

dna-calculator

Calculate

These DNA fragments are compared between your dog and the rest of the dogs in our database. The greater the percentage of shared DNA, the closer the relationship.

dna-translate

Translate

We prepare the results based on the above analyses. In addition to the percentage of DNA in common, the breed and history of the animal should be taken into account. Purebred dogs may show a higher DNA similarity without being related, as they are animals that have been intensively interbred over the years to achieve specific characteristics and traits.

What relationships do we analyze?

The kinship and the approximate percentage of DNA shared are presented as follows with the DNA Connect tool:

kinship kinship

Identical twins

100% DNA shared

First-degree relationship

kinship kinship

Parents and offspring

50% DNA shared

First-degree relationship

kinship kinship

Siblings

50% DNA shared

First-degree relationship

kinship kinship

Half-siblings, grandparents and grandchildren, or aunts/uncles and nieces/nephews.

25% DNA shared

Second-degree relationship

kinship kinship

Great-grandparent/great-grandchild, great-uncle or second cousin

12.5% DNA shared

Third-degree relationship

kinship kinship

Second cousin

6.25% DNA shared

Fourth-degree relationship

We find similarities, but we differ from the competition

Simple.

The purpose of DNA Connect is designed to be as comfortable and simple as possible. You will be able to access the list of dogs that share DNA percentages with yours and, in the near future, contact them. Our messaging service is so straightforward that you could let your pets send messages to each other if they knew how to write.

Reliable.

Our greatest achievement, and challenge, is to assure you of the kinship in our results. Unlike other companies, we do not seek the largest number of relatives possible, no matter how distant they may be. We understand the risk that a false pairing implies. We are aware that, although unlikely, we can make mistakes in canine kinship. Dog families are not the same as human families.

Free.

Our DNA Connect tool is free of charge. With the purchase of any of Koko Genetics' genetic kits, both Starter and Advanced, your family has free and unrestricted access to the DNA Connect feature, so you can expand it with new relatives.

Safe.

We respect the privacy of dogs more than they do themselves. At Koko Genetics, we use the latest security protocols to ensure that your private conversations remain private. We have rigorous computer protocols in place, as well as physical and technical measures, to comply with current European data protection legislation. If you still prefer not to participate in the service, you have the option.

The reliability of our results as a priority

reability
Our main interest is that the results are as reliable and robust as possible. That is precisely why we do not determine a kinship beyond the fourth degree. Nowadays, no one can guarantee results with greater distances within the genealogical tree.
As a rule, we interpret mixed-breed dogs with shared DNA percentages similarly to the calculations made in humans. A 100% similarity would imply identical twins, while 50% would imply siblings or parents and offspring from the same litter. It is not an exact correspondence but an extrapolation we make to facilitate understanding of the results.
However, for purebred dogs, additional considerations must be taken into account, since animals of the same breed have a higher genetic similarity among them. This is due to their frequent interbreeding among related animals over years to achieve the desired traits.
You may find that your purebred dogs share DNA with more animals than mixed-breed dogs. This is due to a historical tendency towards inbreeding in them. When the same dog has had a prolific offspring, assessing the degree of cousins among its children is a feat.
Even if not purebred, dogs often have a higher number of offspring throughout their lives, in different litters and with various partners. All this causes their kinship relationships to be highly complex, and we prefer that their Homo sapiens companions be aware of these details in the results.
reability

So, is the canine family not the same as the human one?

family
An important detail we want to emphasize is that the family results we offer in dogs are similar, but not identical, to those in humans. To simplify their understanding, we show them in the same way as relationships in humans, but it is not precise.
The terminology we use in DNA Connect to establish relationships between dogs is based on a genetic viewpoint. They may diverge from commonly used social concepts.
The basis of kinship studies are the fragments of DNA that two individuals share. Even additional information is obtained by knowing the chromosomal location of the identical fragments. That's how kinship is established in people.
However, in dogs, we often find that individuals of both sexes have different reproductive partners throughout their lives. Combined with the fact that many breeds have a limited genetic diversity to begin with. This behavior means that we cannot understand their results in the same way as human results.
In summary, our results are indicated as the genetic kinship relationships between dogs. They are similar, but not identical, to kinship relationships in humans, and are subject to a broader interpretation.

Do you still not know the true nature of your dog?

Unlock the secrets of your pet's DNA with our two ranges.

starter

Breeds + Physical traits

advanced

Health + Breeds + Physical traits

Get a 10% discount when you buy two or more kits from the same range.
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