Do you have a dog you want to live with forever? It’s possible that your dog provides you with a companion and entertains you to the extent that you want to live with it for the rest of your life.
However, it’s hard since dogs have a shorter lifespan than humans. Thus, your lovely dog will likely die earlier and leave you lonely. More so, you may feel that no other dog can make you happy like your current dog. You don’t have to worry because it is possible to clone your lovely dog.
You may have heard about dog cloning but wonder what the process entails. Before looking at the dog cloning cost involved, let’s look at what the cloning process entails.
What Is Dog Cloning?
Dog cloning involves getting a twin of your lovely pet. The cloned dog is usually born later but has all the characteristics of your lovely dog. Some of the shared traits include appearance, temperament, and intelligence. You also note that both dogs share the same genetic identity.
Dog cloning does not involve any change to the dog genes. The cloned dogs live healthy, complete, and happy lives. They are less vulnerable to health issues compared to the other dogs.
How Is Dog Cloning Done?
Dog cloning allows you to save your lovely dog’s genes through genetic preservation. It should only be done by a highly qualified veterinarian. Your vet collects a small tissue sample from your current dog. It is a minor procedure whereby cells are taken from your dog. The tissues are taken to a laboratory where the new cells are cultured until you are ready to do the cloning. The new tissues share similar genetic make-up with those of your current dog.
To clone the dog, eggs are taken from your dog, the nucleus removed, and the original dog’s cells are inserted. The resultant egg has all the genetic make-up of your current dog. The egg doesn’t require sperm to be fertilized. To start the cell division like normal fertilization, an electric current passes through the egg making it a growing embryo.
The embryo gets inserted into a surrogate mother dog. This results in a pregnancy, and the surrogate mother gives birth to a cloned dog. After weaning, you can take the cloned dog home. The cloned dog has the same genetic copy as your current dog but may not always look similar.
The clone is a genetic copy of the animal, but the animals don’t always look exactly alike.
How Much Does It Cost to Clone a Dog?
Now that you have the correct information about dog cloning, you are in a better position to decide whether to do it or not. If you decide to go on with the dog cloning process, there are certain factors you need to put in mind. One of the factors is the cost of cloning. You need to know the amount so that you can budget well beforehand.
The average price of cloning a dog is around $50,000. The price has significantly reduced to the amount charged a few years ago. In 2008, the price of dog cloning was about $100,000. So, the cost has gone down almost by half since then.
In the process, you need to get a vet to take cell samples and then send them to a cloning company. Most dog cloning companies usually ask for a deposit from the entire cost to start the process of cloning your dog. You are then required to pay the remaining amount when the cloning process is completed.
The companies also have refund policies. You will get a refund if the samples are not viable. You also get a refund if the dog cloning process cannot take place for various reasons.
Factors That Determine the Cost of Dog Cloning
The cost of dog cloning also varies depending on several factors, as seen below:
The Cloning Company
One of the most significant factors determining the cost of cloning a dog is the company you hire. There are many companies with labs where the cells are cultured and eventually transfer the embryo to the surrogate mother.
Like many other businesses, dog cloning companies don’t charge the same amount. Although the average price may be almost the same, there are differences that can make a huge impact on your budget.
The most reputable cloning companies with highly qualified scientists charge more than others. The high charges are due to the fact that their success rate is also high. So, you have confidence that you will get a dog clone similar to your current dog. The probability of the process failing is low.
Dog Breed
The cost of dog cloning may also vary depending on your current dog breed. For some breeds such as English Foxhound, Harrier, Otterhound, and others, the cloning cost might be a bit higher than other common breeds. Cloning some expensive dogs such as Samoyed, Chow Chow, American Bully, and others are also costlier.
The Number of Dog Clones You Want
You may have three to four dogs you want to be cloned. With many dog clones, you can expect to pay more. The cost is high because the process also involves more work and might take more time. However, you might enjoy a discount from your clone company.
Advantages of Cloning a Dog
Your dog lives on
The most significant benefit of cloning your dog is giving your lovely pet a second life. You get a dog with traits you like about your current dog and continue enjoying the companionship. The process is like bringing your dead dog to life.
Ease grief
When you clone your dog, you ease the grief that comes when your dog dies. Losing a dog is painful since you also lose a great friend. With the new dog at home, you feel entertained, and the dog can also help deal with certain challenging situations.
Dog clones are always available
Dog clones are always ready as long as you pay the costs involved. So, you can always have your best friend back.
Disadvantages of Cloning a Dog
Costly process
Dog cloning is not cheap. It is way far more expensive than buying another dog.
Differences between your dog and the clone
It’s hard to get a new dog with 100% similarity with your current dog. So, you still get a clone that doesn’t look or have the same behavior as your lovely dog.
High death rates
The death rate of cloned dogs is higher than the ones naturally born. So, you may get a cloned dog that will die fast and still leave you grieving.
Dog Cloning FAQs
Will my cloned dog look similar to the current dog?
Your main goal of cloning the dog is to get a copy with the same character, looks, nature, affectionate, intelligence, and others. However, the clone might not get a duplicate of your dog. The genes might express themselves differently. The personality, eyes, coat, and other body qualities might differ from your current dog.
Can I clone my dog from ashes?
No, it is not possible. Dog cloning requires viable body cells from your current dog. The heat from the cremation chambers destroys the cells of your dog. No genes are left after the cremation process making it impossible to clone your dog from the ashes.
Is it possible to clone my dog from hair?
Unlike human hair, dog hair doesn’t carry a genetic code. So, DNA analysis cannot be extracted from a single strand. A single strand of dog hair has a few amounts of DNA material. The strands have low-quality cells, so a large amount of dog hair cannot be used to get some DNA. The cells extracted should be somatic and complete for successful cloning to happen.
Can I clone a dead dog?
Yes, it’s possible. Even after your dog dies, your vet can extract live cells before they get destroyed by bacteria. However, you should know that not all dogs have live cells since microorganisms feed on the remains. So, to successfully clone a dead dog, the cells should be extracted immediately after the death.
Is it legal to clone my dog?
It’s legal to clone dogs in the United States, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. If you have the budget, you can do it.
Conclusion
Dog cloning is a great way to enjoy living with a dog similar to your current loved pet. You continue enjoying the same companionship and entertainment from the dog for many years. Although the cloned dog may not be 100% similar to your dog, you will be happy.
However, you need a decent amount of spare cash because, like you have seen, a successful dog cloning will cost around $50,000. It’s also worth noting that the process is invasive, so your dog has to undergo some surgeries to harvest the egg.
Featured Image Credit: Branislav Nenin, Shutterstock
