Dog DNA Tests? Are They Accurate and Worth It?
I tried two popular dog DNA tests on my rescue pup and got completely different results. What breed do you think Beaux is?!
Embark Vet and Wisdom Panel Dog DNA Tests
After adopting a dog from a shelter this time around, I knew I wanted a mutt mix of a million things. Our first family dog was a “pure” bred that had every health issue under the sun and was only with us for ten years. You always hear about these mutts that are somehow still hanging on after 15+ years, and that’s what I wanted for my girls – no heartbreaks any time soon!
We fell in love with an adorable pup from Take Paws Rescue in New Orleans and adopted him this summer.
Listed as “maybe an Aussiedoodle” at intake, he looked like no Aussiedoodle that I found online, but I loved him anyway and that came with wanting to know absolutely everything about him. Even the foster mom mentioned that she and everyone at the rescue were dying to know what his breed was because he looked so unique. The vet’s best guess had been Aussie doodle due to some characteristics that presented when he was younger like merling and blue eyes. To better learn about him, his temperament, his health, his activity style, how to best train him, etc., I started seriously considering getting a dog DNA test.
Also, part of it was because I was having an identity crisis for him when it came to grooming! His hair is longer and definitely shaggy, and it was needing to be cut. But I had no clue what style I would tell a groomer to cut him to! Who was he?! He had furnishings like a schnauzer, soft hair like a maltese, wavy like a poodle mix – we had no clue! But his hair wasn’t growing longer like an Aussie doodle, and he wasn’t getting bigger as they would. So I decided to bite the bullet and purchase a dog DNA test.
Our Best Guess:
- Poodle (no question)
- Schnauzer (had a beard!)
- My most chaotic guess – Hairless Crested due to spots on undercoat and some balding, being able to see through to his pink skin
- Some kind of terrier making it appear wiry and his snout shape/length
- Something like a maltese making his hair so soft even though it looked wiry
I did add Aussie mix to my guess due to the blue eyes, heterochromia, and hair pattern, and I trusted the vet had some insider info I didn’t!
Embark Vet Dog DNA Test
After research and hearing from other adopters, I chose to go with the company Embark. Their DNA tests were developed by veterinarians and had 99% breed ancestry accuracy. For $129, you can find out your pup’s breed mix, ancestry, relatives, and family tree. They also had the option that included their “Health” test for $199, which would also let us know health conditions, allergy risk score, predicted weight, coat color and traits, and genetic COI.
And spoiler alert: after the health issues with our first dog, I decided to upgrade to the Breed+Health version of the Embark Vet Dog DNA Test. I definitely didn’t pay that price – after visiting the site a few times, they clocked that I was interested and started serving me ads on social media for lower prices, and I waited until it went down to a number that felt less ridiculous. They’re always offering sales, so be sure to check a few times!
Dog DNA Test Process
The process was so simple: they mail you a kit that you activate online. Then swab your dog’s cheek pouch and mail it back. Beaux was cooperative-ish forit. The waiting was the hardest part. Embark takes a long time. It took about a week for them to receive it and then 4 weeks for the lab to process it (they say 2-4 weeks). The only part that made this bearable was the “guess the breed game” you could play with your friends while you wait. Each dog gets a special link, and you can send it to your family and friends to guess their breed mix. Maybe I’m just a super competitive person, but this held me over for sure. (If you want to guess my dog Beaux’s breed before reading on – click the quiz here!)
Wisdom Panel Dog DNA Test
One of the other popular dog DNA tests on the market is by Wisdom Panel. Funny enough (well, I think it’s funny; my husband does not), we actually ended up taking a Wisdom Panel Dog DNA Test as well. While we were waiting on his Embark Vet Dog DNA Test results, we took Beaux to his first vet visit. We’ve always taken our pets to Banfield, which is the chain of vets in PetSmart, and the one by our house is lovely. We put them on the puppy wellness plan that lets us break up vet costs into monthly payments and then includes all his visits, shots, checkups, bloodwork, and has discounts on medication and other services. Since we last had a puppy there though, a wellness plan incentive they have added is a free Wisdom Panel Dog DNA Test. (Cue my husband saying you spent HOW MUCH on a dog DNA test for a DOG just to then get one for free!?) But hey, at least we’ll FOR SURE know his breed (ominous foreshadowing…) A lot of people are slightly skeptical about the accuracy of dog DNA tests, so I figured doing two different ones would be a great way to put that to the test!
Funny enough, the “free” Wisdom Panel Dog DNA Test results came back first! So they get points for speed because it truly was like a week after our vet visit. I’m not sure if they are only this rapid on their partnership with PetSmart tests or if a regular consumer would also experience this, but I was so thrilled to get that email. We were SHOCKED, to say the least.
Beaux’s Dog DNA Test Results!
Beaux’s Breed
So here’s where it gets interesting. Both dog DNA tests agreed that my Beaux is basically a fancy cocktail of small dog breeds, but they mixed the recipe a little differently!
The Wisdom Panel Dog DNA Test Results (our first test):
- 35% Poodle (Toy and Miniature) (hello, intelligence and hypoallergenic dreams)
- 20% Chihuahua (the sassy little firecracker)
- 11% Yorkshire Terrier (tiny but mighty)
- 10% Maltese (the royal lapdog)
- 5% Rat Terrier (the farm dog with attitude)
- Supporting cast: 4% Fijian Street Dog, 3% Border Collie, and then 2% American Hairless Terrier
The Embark Vet Dog DNA Test Results (our follow-up test):
- 37.1% Rat Terrier (wait, what?! Way higher than Wisdom Panel!)
- 31.5% Poodle (Small) (close match to our first test)
- 12.2% Yorkshire Terrier (consistent with Wisdom Panel)
- 9.8% Maltese (another match)
- 9.4% Supermutt (American Hairless Terrier – mama’s intuition was RIGHT! + some Chihuahua – but obviously nowhere near as high as Wisdom’s test)
TL;DR: Both dog DNA tests agreed on the Poodle, Yorkie, and Maltese mix, but they had WILDLY different takes on his terrier side. 37.1% rat terrier by Embark vs. 5% found by Wisdom Panel isn’t an ignorable slight difference; it’s fundamentally different results. Wisdom Panel detected 20% Chihuahua straight up PLUS found American Hairless Terrier in the mix (mama’s intuition win!), while Embark lumped the Chihuahua and American Hairless Terrier together in “supermutt” mix of 9.4%. But one of my favorite results? Wisdom Panel found FIJIAN STREET DOG! I knew he was scrappy, but dang. So one test says mainly poodle, one test says mainly rat terrier. What to believe!?
Stats on Stats on Stats
Size Predictions:
- Embark: 19 lbs predicted adult weight
- Wisdom Panel: 18-29 lbs predicted range
- Reality Check: At 6 months, he’s tracking right in this range!
Coat & Looks: Both tests agreed he’d have:
- Curly/wavy coat (thanks, Poodle genes!)
- Low shedding (2 copies of this trait – hallelujah!)
- Furnishings (that adorable mustache and eyebrows)
- No merle patterns (it looked like he did when he was younger!)
- Likely dark coat with white markings (lol, no)
- Not likely to have blue eyes (but he does! Though hard to see them with his heterochromia)
Personality Predictions: Based on his breeds, I can expect:
- Poodle intelligence (already showing – this boy learns tricks in minutes!)
- Terrier sassiness (oh honey, we’ve got that in SPADES)
- Maltese loyalty (velcro dog, much?)
- Chihuahua attitude (if Wisdom Panel is right, this explains SO much)
Dog DNA Test Health Results
Thanks to anxiety, yes, I needed to know what health surprises might be lurking in Beaux’s future. Embark tested for 274 conditions and Wisdom Panel testing for 210 conditions. Wisdom Panel said he was completely clear of everything, zero risk. But Embark said he was at increased risk for back problems, some liver issues, and bald thigh syndrome, which he 100% has and I find so funny. Both had him very low probability for allergies, which was a relief. The difference in results regarding health concerns is huge and a little concerning. Embark found potential issues that Wisdom Panel missed or didn’t screen for. Makes me happy to have a preventative wellness plan with Banfield to keep those vet checkups on schedule.
Dog DNA Test Ancestry Results
One of my favorite parts of doing this dog DNA test was finding his relatives! Just like with 23andMe or Ancestry DNA for humans, these dog DNA tests match you with DNA relatives! Most are a tiny percentage <10% and barely related, but Wisdom Panel did find some 20%+ matches and indicated dogs that were as related as half siblings or aunt/uncles! Most of the ones registered were the purebred poodles that he must have gotten his poodle from. You can see their profiles and request to reach out to their owners. I don’t think I’ll personally be taking it that far, unless I found a mom or dad or sibling, but it’s still really cool to see and view how much they look alike! I even found some of Beaux’s relatives near me in Louisiana!
Which Dog DNA Test Is Best?
Overall, I feel like Embark’s test was more detailed health-wise, and Wisdom Panel was more detailed breed-wise. Wisdom Panel even showed a family tree, and I appreciated the visual depiction. Wisdom Panel’s results also came back astronomically quicker (a little over a week) vs. Embark’s took over a month. I prefer Embark’s user interface for their website and app, for what it’s worth. It’s much more interactive and kind of encourages more you can do within Embark and learn about your pet, almost with a social network and gamification component. Versus Wisdom Panel was more about the science and testing, then you’re done with no reason to continue use of the app. Both of the pricing was comparable, though I got my Wisdom Panel free. Check with your vet for specialty pricing or sometimes dog subscriptions like new Chewy customers can receive one in a box.
Are Dog DNA Tests Accurate?
Bottom line, I feel like I know my dog so much better now. I’d chalk these dog DNA tests up as “for fun” since I got conflicting results regarding the majority percentage of my dogs breed. So much about his looks and his personality make so much more sense now. I still don’t know which is more accurate, and my husband might kill me, but I’m considering taking a third brand as a tie breaker! Other Dog DNA tests are out there like Ancestry’s Dog DNA test or Base Paws. To me personally, his body shape looks more like a rat terrier vs. chihuahua, which would make the Embark test more accurate. All in all, having my rescue dog take a dog DNA test was so much fun and helped start conversations with my vet, make a more accurate training plan, and learn about his breed, personality and temperament.
For anyone considering dog adoption in New Orleans, getting a dog DNA test after adopting can be such a helpful tool to better understand your new rescue pup!
