The Best DNA Tests for Dogs, According to Owners and Veterinarians
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My family has rescued many dogs from local shelters and humane societies, and I have always delighted in learning their breed makeup through DNA testing. Most at-home dog DNA tests begin with a cheek swab, which collects cells from inside a dog’s mouth; DNA is extracted from those cells. Your furry friend’s DNA is then examined and compared with reference samples from dogs whose breeds are already known, according to Dr. Audrey Ruple, D.V.M., a veterinarian and chair of theFetch Pet Veterinary Advisory Board. “This comparison is used to estimate which breeds or broader ancestral populations are the closest matches to the dog’s DNA. The result isn’t definitive: It’s an estimate based on the company’s reference database, which is why two companies may report somewhat different breed percentages for the same dog,” Ruple tells me.
Health screening works a little differently. “In this case, specific genetic variants that research has associated with inherited diseases, medication sensitivities, or particular physical traits are searched for in the DNA,” Ruple explains. “Importantly, finding a variant that has been associated with a disease does not always mean that a dog has or will develop the disease. The meaning of a result depends on the particular variant, the dog’s breed, and whether other genes or environmental factors also contribute to the condition.”
When I ask Ruple ifeverypet owner should DNA test their dog, she tells me that while breed testing can be fun and interesting for owners and provide useful information about an adopted dog’s ancestry, DNA testing is not essential, and, above all, health screening “does not replace routine veterinary care or standard diagnostic testing a veterinarian may recommend.”
Best dog DNA test overall
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For owners who primarily want breed information, Ruple says you should look for a company that is open about the size and range of its database and avoid those that don’t provide information about their methods. Direct-to-consumer dog DNA brand Embark delivers on both database size andtesting platform, both of which were developed in collaboration with Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. (One of the founders,Dr. Adam Boyko, is an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the university.) They screen your dog for more than 400 breeds using research-grade data and even test for special populations such as dingo, coyote, wolf, and “village dog” ancestry in the breed mix.
The Embark Breed ID kit is the brand’s entry-level DNA test, but I’ve bought it on repeat for my family dogs because, at under $110, it provides a breed breakdown, geographic ancestry, and a relative finder. “If you adopted your dog and do not know much about where they came from, being able to potentially find related dogs is pretty amazing,” saysKimberly Carney, CEO ofthe Wiresand founder ofPawWire. Maddie Messina, founder ofPaws for Thoughtand a certified animal behaviorist, says she also finds this feature to be really fun for her clients with adopted dogs: “They get to connect with their dog’s littermates and learn more about what similarities they share versus differences.”
When checking out on the company’s website, you can even select whether your dog is purebred or mixed breed; Embark presents your test results differently depending on which of those categories your dog falls into. (If you aren’t sure, Embark recommends choosing mixed breed to be safe.) It also has a family-tree section to show what the breed breakdown of your pup’s grandparents and great-grandparents might have looked like. This kit also maps where its ancestors might have lived and migrated, similar to some of the human DNA tests I’ve seen on the market.
Best dog DNA test for detailed health insights
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If you’re looking for more comprehensive information about your dog, Wisdom Panel Premium provides your dog’s breed mix plus details about its genetic health, unique traits, and relatives. It comes recommended by Dr. Ashley Burgos, D.V.M., co-founder ofFutureproof Pet, who says she’s partial to Wisdom Panel because some of her professors worked on the launch of the project years ago. “The larger database of breed-specific genomic information found in the Wisdom Panel makes it my first choice,” she says, adding that it gives you breed results down to a single percent, making it the most detailed on the market.
I tested a Wisdom Panel Premium kit with each of my dogs, but I loved that with my basset-hound mix, Georgie — which we rescued from a nonprofit animal shelter in Pennsylvania — it detected 21 breeds total with results detailed down to one percent. She’s one percent Chihuahua! Wisdom Panel Premium also tests for more than 265 health conditions (including MDR1 and IVDD) and offers a service to consult with a veterinary geneticist if any “at risk” findings come up. Luckily, it detected zero genetic conditions in Georgie’s DNA. My favorite findings were in the traits and behavior section: It identified interesting physical characteristics (such as Georgie’s special coat-color variants and short legs, or chondrodysplasia) and some common behavioral traits (like reverse sneezing, panting, and motion sickness), which all characterized Georgie to a T.
Best dog DNA test for breed-specific testing
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Dr. Gary Richter, D.V.M., founder ofUltimate Pet Nutritionand formulator of Nutra Complete, a veterinarian-developed freeze-dried raw dog food, told me Embark and Wisdom Panel are the two tests he most commonly recommends since both have extensive breed databases and provide useful information about ancestry as well as inherited health conditions. However, if you already know your dog’s ancestry and are looking for more specific insights, Orivet is a well-established option, particularly for genetic health screening, and is used by breeders, Richter says. The company’s Purebred kit can be used to identify hereditary diseases and look at breed-specific genetic markers. It also offers health insights and trait analysis, helping to identify both genetic risks and visual inheritance (such as coat color or leg-length variations). The drawback is this test is not designed for rescues or mixed breeds since the profile is based on your selection of a specific pure-bred dog. Orivet does offer a more budget-friendlybreed-identification testfor pets with multi-breed ancestry.
Our experts
•Dr. Ashley Burgos, D.V.M., co-founder ofFutureproof Pet
•Kimberly Carney, CEO ofthe Wiresand founder ofPawWire
• Maddie Messina, founder ofPaws for Thoughtand a certified animal behaviorist
•Dr. Gary Richter, D.V.M., founder ofUltimate Pet Nutritionand formulator of Nutra Complete
• Dr. Audrey Ruple, D.V.M., a veterinarian and chair of theFetch Pet Veterinary Advisory Board
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