How to order online

1. Read about our tests or call us to decide what tests are appropriate for your dog.

2. Fill in your dogs' details in the order form and the tests you want, starting from any of our web pages that describe a test you are after (look for the button that says "Provide details and pay"). You can get different tests for each dog if you want. When you complete your order you will be emailed an individualised sample ID sheet for every dog you are testing.

3. Pay for your testing. We accept credit card payments via VISA and Mastercard, PayPal and bank transfers.

How to take samples

Wash or use wipes to clean your hands before every dog!

Newborn puppies: newborn pups can be tested from umbilical cord tissue, as long as cord tissue is collected within a few hours of birth. Collect a small section from near the pup (not the placenta end). It should still be wet and sticky, and should be placed on a piece of paper where it will stick and dry out. Details about the pup can be written on paper, because you don't want to lose track of which cord belongs to each pup. It is important to use paper packaging such as a paper envelope only. Do not seal the cord sample in a ziplock bag or plastic container.

Read more about umbilical cord samples here.

Puppies under six weeks: collecting cord can be sometimes be difficult, so if you missed collecting cord we can test your puppies from hair. DNA is only in the hair roots, so you'll need to pull out a small amount of hair with roots attached. We suggest the tail as the best location to take hair because it doesn't have as many nerves as other parts of the body and there are usually more coarse guard hairs with large roots in the tail. There is no minimum puppy age for hair samples, the hair just needs to be long enough for you to get a grip and pull it out. Hair samples should also go into paper envelopes, one envelope per puppy.

Read more about taking hair samples here.

Older dogs: hair samples are also an excellent option for older dogs, especially if the sample is coming to us from overseas. However for adult dogs mouth swabs are also an option. Just remember that we want a sample with lots of skin cells rather than saliva, and we need a lot of skin cells on each swab. We want to test your dog rather than your dog's dinner or your dog's best friend, so make sure you take the swab at a time when their mouth will be clean and uncontaminated by foreign material. It is important to use paper packaging such as a paper envelope only. Do not seal the swabs in a ziplock bag or plastic container.

Read more about taking mouth swab samples here.

Send us your samples

Post your samples to the lab. Our postal address is:

DBS
40 Boronia St
Redfern NSW 2016
AUSTRALIA

Ordering from outside Australia

Orders can be accepted from any country. Get in touch with us if your country in not listed as an option when you order.

It can take a very long time for samples to reach us from Europe or the Americas. Assume a 4-6 week transit time no matter what your local post office tells you. We will send you an email to let you know when it reaches us at the lab.

This large cord sample is great. We can see it was collected straight into this paper envelope. We would only use a tiny part of this sample.

We store any unused sample in our archives for five years, in case you want more testing later on.

This smaller umbilical cord sample is still plenty for us to test. It was sent in a clearly labelled paper envelope.

Hair samples should be provided on sticky tape with the hair roots exposed. This puppy hair sample from a short-haired breed has excellent follicles attached too. Well done to the owner who took this sample!

You can provide hair samples in multiple bundles that add up to enough hair. This puppy hair sample from a long-haired breed has excellent follicles, particularly on the coarser guard hairs.

Take at least 30 seconds rubbing the swab on the inside of your dog's cheeks if you choose to send mouth swabs as your sample.