Are there identical twin dogs

There has been historical documentation of identical twins in dogs, but until very recently, it has not been able to be genetically verified. That is, until a litter of Irish Wolfhounds in South Africa produced a litter including a set of brothers born in the same sack with attached umbilical cords. Five other puppies were also born in the litter, each surrounded by its own placenta, as is typical. The results of the testing were published in the journal Reproduction in Domestic Animals.

Identical puppies, like identical humans, will sometimes have subtle differences in their markings and appearance. Behaviorally, many twins seem to share similar personalities and habits, but there are still temperament differences as well, due to factors such as environment.

It will be interesting to see how these brothers grow and how similarly their appearance, behavior, and health develop. If they went to different homes, it would also be interesting to see what part genetics and environment may play in the expression of their genetic make-up. While identical puppies are known to be rare, it is possible that cases go undocumented.

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When de Cramer delivered the pups from the same placenta via a Caesarean section, he suspected he had the first monozygotic dogs known to science on his hands.

Newborn pups with their single placenta. Credit: Kurt de Cramer. They had slightly different markings on their paws, the tip of the tail, and chest, and seeing as pups from the same mum often look very similar, he needed more proof. The research appeared Aug. Original article on Live Science. Ashley P. Taylor is a writer based in Brooklyn, New York.