MY DOG'S DNA

THE RESULT of my friend CHloe's DNA test are in, and her father is not who we thought. Talk about a bombshell!

Half of her ancestors are are not only from a place we did not expect, but are, in fact, of a whole different breed.

Did I mention that Chloe is a dog? We were sure she was a black Lab. But two weeks ago, I swapped the inside of her mouth with a special brush and sent it off to a new dog DNA testing service called  Wisdom Panel.

Now they tell me Chloe is only half black Lab; the other half is - drum roll please - flat coated retriever, a breed quiet frankly, I'd never heard of.

According to the American Kennel Club, flat coats are ''the Peter Pan of the sporting group.'' The Club describes them as ''happy, self assured and eager to please.'' Also easily distracted. That describes Chloe pretty well.

She's a joyful creature, although one minute she is looking at me with eyes that say, I love you, Jenny Boylan, and the next, she is all, Wait. What were we talking about?

Suddenly, I own a different dog that I thought, although the dog I own has not changed.

This story is the tail-wagging version of an increasingly common drama, as DNA test become ubiquitous. I know of at least three people who have taken them as a lark and found - well, let's just call them as ''surprises''.

The honor and serving of the DNA and Technology continues. The World Students Society thanks author and researcher Jennifer Finney Boylan.