Better breeding is in their DNA
Embark is the world’s most advanced dog DNA test for your breeding program.
The most scientifically advanced dog DNA test
When you go to Embark, we believe in providing the best customer experience with real humans who are happy to answer your questions and help you make discoveries about your DNA test. We have canine geneticists on staff to help you understand the science of your test results as well as take action in the most effective way for your pet.
Best for Mixed Breeds: Wisdom Health Wisdom Panel 3.0 Canine DNA Test
If you have a dog but don’t know what breed it is, a DNA test may be the answer. This test detects over 350 dog breeds, types, and varieties, making it a good choice if you need to identify a specific breed.
The process for collecting DNA samples is fairly simple: just have your dog chew on one of the provided test swabs and then send the swab to your veterinarian. Of course, there’s no harm in letting your dog chew on your swabs before sending them out, but your vet should never see them.
The next step would be to take a saliva sample from the dog. At a lab, this sample would be tested for hundreds of markers that help identify your dog’s breed ancestry all the way back to the dog’s great-grandparents.
In the first three weeks of your dog’s life, you can do a test that will determine whether he has a particular health issue, or if he will likely grow into a healthy adult dog. This test is performed in your veterinarian’s office, and the results can be sent to you via email.
The Wisdom Panel offers an attractive design that’s easy to navigate. You’ll also find useful information about your dog’s genetic background, and even details on your dog’s mix of breeds.
We sniffed out 17 different dog DNA testing services and ranked their DNA collection methods, turnaround times, the number of detectable breeds, the number of DNA markers they use to interpret results, and the type of information that’s revealed.
Our dog DNA tests are a good way to find out more about your dog’s health and ancestry. The results will give you the chance to take better care of your furry friend!
Next, we assessed how user-friendly each service’s website was, the collection method, the turnaround time, how detailed the results were, how robust the databases were, the number of genetic markers they used, the price, and whether the company invested in further genetic research.
Finally, we decided to use the new panel in our tests. To do so, we took the same samples, with the exception of the two mixed-breed dogs, and retested them using the panel.
And we compared the results to those of the company’s older product, Wisdom Panel Health, as well as to those of our main pick, Embark Breed + Health Kit.
Who this is for:
When I see a dog of an unfamiliar breed, I play a private game of “What Breed is It?” and try to match its features to various breed characteristics. What breed do you think this dog is?
There are several reasons that it is difficult to accurately identify a dog’s breed. It might be because there are so many breeds that they all resemble one another. The appearance of a dog can be deceiving as well. For example, German Shepherds can look just like Labradors or Greyhounds.
A recent study of shelter dogs that surveyed 5,922 dog professionals found that DNA tests could determine a dog’s predominant breed at the correct rate of 27%. However, a 2014 study across four shelters found that DNA tests determined that one in five shelter dogs were pit bull mixes, while shelter staff guessed that they were all pit bull mixes. (DNA testing is now being used to help identify pit bull mixes.
If you thought the experts were bad at interpreting your dog, just wait until they try to do the same thing with humans! That’s right, the same DNA testing companies that can tell your dog’s ancestry also have an app that allows you to see your own ancestry. How cool is that?
Genotyping involves taking the DNA from a pet and using it to identify genes that are unique to the breed. It does this by comparing the DNA from a given pet to millions of others. The algorithm then interprets the most accurate mix of breeds and provides the owner with a detailed profile of their dog’s potential health risks.
But what about the breed results—are they accurate?
Dog genetic-testing companies are not as good as they should be. None of the companies we spoke with offered specifics about the testing they offer, and they gave generic overviews rather than specific details. Embark and Wisdom Panel both said that they use the latest human genetics science to test each dog’s DNA, but they do not provide specifics on their methods.
This is great! You are going to show how these companies are being sneaky with their tests! Also, you are going to point out that most dog breeds are closely related. Finally, you are going to explain how big companies use algorithms to estimate ancestry percentages.
When dog owners receive the results, the dog’s breed composition is broken into percentages. We compared the two lab test results across our data from 2019. The top breed result matched about 80% of the time.
As more dog owners seek to breed their pets, it’s more important than ever to know exactly what breed they’re working with. With the advent of DNA testing, breeders are able to identify the breeds of their dogs more precisely. However, these numbers are still only a rough estimate, so it’s important to keep the details to a minimum.
The percentage breakdowns of genes are still pretty fuzzy, says the vet and bioinformatician at the Broad Institute. “Some of these bits are so small that it’s hard for the computer to make a good guess,” she said. “In my lab we definitely don’t trust it below 5%. It really depends on what you’re doing.” She believes that companies that use more genetic markers are probably more accurate than labs that use fewer markers.
Tests Reputable Breeders Perform with Veterinarians
The AKC breed guidelines are used by reputable pure-breed dog breeders to ensure that the animals they’re selling are healthy and have no serious health issues. By following the guidelines, dog breeders can take measures to prevent breeding with unhealthy dogs.
The following is a list of some of the more commonly recommended tests for different types of dogs. While this is a great resource, it doesn’t cover all dogs. Be sure to check with your breeder for a list of specific tests for your particular dog.
For pure-bred dogs, blood-sample tests are used to look for genetic diseases that are associated with certain breeds. For mixed-breed dogs, a vet is likely to suggest a blood-sample test for any health issue or potential genetic issues they may notice.
Buying Options
Wisdom Panel was one of the first services to offer comprehensive genetic testing and analysis for the dog lover on a budget. The program has grown since then and now offers comprehensive testing for over 60 breeds and mixes.
It’s important to note that while these DNA testing kits vary widely in the types of breeds that they cover, Embark was the only kit we were able to find that covered 97% of all AKC breeds and DNA My Dog covered more AKC breeds than any of the other kits. While Embark has more breeds covered, the fact that they’re also more expensive should be a consideration as well.
Thus, this is the best service for adopting a puppy with a unique genetic code. You can now search for dogs that are genetically different from what you would typically find in an American or European based service. The Wisdom Panel has an international database that will help you get to know the world and its dogs.
Hughes, Wisdom Panel’s veterinary geneticist said that the company was committed to a worldwide database of genetic information for dogs. The end goal was to create an online tool that pet owners can use to look up a variety of information about their dog and its breed.
When a dog is brought home, breeders will sometimes see a list of its ancestry. However, this can become quite tedious because there can be hundreds or thousands of breeds represented. This is where the Ancestry DNA testing tool comes in.
