2024 the best dog dna test review

Price: $99.00
(as of Dec 17, 2024 09:26:16 UTC - Details)

Product Description

Why dog DNA testing? Know your dog. Better.

At Embark, we’re all about bringing humans and their dogs closer together. Learn more about what makes your dog one of a kind with the most accurate dog DNA test on the market. Discover their breed ancestry, find their relatives, see their family tree, and more.

It’s the perfect gift for any dog lover—the gift of knowing your best friend, better. Strengthen your bond with Embark, the dog DNA test trusted by millions of dog owners.

Product Features Get a full breakdown of your dog's breed mix

Test for over 350 breeds, with 99% breed ID accuracy. Includes Coyotes, Wolves, and Village Dogs.

Product Features Finally, a tree they won't want to pee on

See how your dog's parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents contributed to their breed makeup.

Product Features Meet your dog's relatives

Find and connect with dogs who share your dog’s DNA with the world’s first canine relative finder

Product Features See where your dog's ancestors lived and migrated

Trace the paths they traveled around the globe en route to your home.

Product Features Option to upgrade for health insights later

Breed is just the beginning! You can add health and trait results anytime after purchase.

1 Breed Mix

2 Family Tree

3 Relative Finder

4 Geographic Ancestry

5 Upgrade Option

Compare our products

Breed Identification

Included

Breed Identification

Included

Breed Identification

Not included

Relative Finder & Ancestry

Included

Relative Finder & Ancestry

Included

Relative Finder & Ancestry

Not included

Health Insights

Option to upgrade later

Health Insights

Included

Health Insights

Not included

Traits

Option to upgrade later

Traits

Included

Traits

Not included

Estimated Age & Birthday

Not included

Estimated Age & Birthday

Not included

Estimated Age & Birthday

Included

How is Embark different from other dog DNA testing companies?

We’re proud to offer the most accurate dog DNA test on the market today. We invest in cutting-edge science to give you the most useful results. Every dog tested with Embark contributes to research that can help all dogs live longer, healthier lives.

Can I message my dog's relatives?

Yes! The Chat feature is available for dogs with privacy settings toggled to "Public" for breed data. To receive notifications about messages, visit your account Settings to turn message notifications on.

Can I access my dog’s raw data?

Yes! You can download your dog’s raw DNA data anytime after your dog’s results are ready. Once we receive your dog’s swab, it typically takes 2-4 weeks for us to process your dog’s swab.

What is a village dog?

They're free-ranging, free-breeding dogs whose ancestors were indigenous to a geographic area, pre-dating modern "breeds." Our co-founders have studied them on six continents since 2007 in their efforts to understand the history of the domestic dog!

What are Embark's privacy policies?

Nothing is shared without your permission. Sometimes, we share anonymized, aggregated data with research partners in an effort to better understand canine genetics. If you don't want to participate in that research, you can opt out during activation.

Know your dog. Better.

It all started with village dogs. Did you know that most of the dogs in the world are not descended from modern breeds? The majority of dogs in the world are a unique kind of dog, called village dogs.

Village dogs are free-ranging, free-breeding dogs whose ancestors were indigenous to a geographic area. To learn more about these special dogs, our founders spent years traveling the world and swabbing dogs in remote areas of Europe, Asia, and South America, along with a Cornell University-led research team. Through this work they discovered the origins of the dog in Central Asia, and also identified genetic regions involved in domestication and local adaptation. At Embark, we're proud to be the only dog DNA test that can identify village dogs, with the largest village dog reference panel of any canine genetics company.

Village dogs are important because they help us understand topics like where dogs came from, the history of domestic dogs, and how dogs and humans learned to live together. They were crucial to the rise of the modern breeds–and to the founding of Embark!

So, while a village dog does not have ancestry from modern breeds, their ancestors may have contributed to the founding of today’s dog breeds. Although they’re not recognized by kennel clubs as a breed, they are genetically identifiable, with many different village dog populations around the world. When we identify a dog as a village dog, it’s not because we can’t figure out what breeds are in the dog. Each type of village dog has a unique genetic signature that we can use to identify village dog ancestry.

What is a Supermutt? At Embark, we take pride in transparency. If a percentage of your dog’s breed mix doesn’t match any breeds in our database, or if it’s too small a percentage for us to be sure that it’s accurate, we’ll tell you. Other dog DNA tests may show other breeds in your dog’s results to make up that small percentage – breeds that may or may not actually be present.

“Supermutt” refers to a portion of ancestry that is from significantly far back in a dog’s family tree and therefore cannot be as confidently identified as more recently inherited breeds. Our ancestry algorithm works by finding identical segments of DNA between your dog and the purebred dogs in our reference dataset. These long identical stretches of DNA are more likely to reflect recent ancestry, whereas shorter segments reflect more distant ancestry.

Many dogs descend from other dogs that were themselves mixed breed. The further in the past, your dog has purebred ancestors, the smaller the identical DNA segments match our reference dataset are. In some cases, the best matches to our reference dataset are so small (reflecting very distant ancestry) that they can no longer be as confidently assigned to any one particular breed. Instead these are assigned to the “Supermutt” percentage. Within the “Supermutt” result, we provide insight into which breeds are most likely to be distant ancestors.

Why breed results can be surprising. Sometimes looks can be deceiving! And your dog’s breeds may not obviously match their appearance. While it’s fun to guess which breeds might make up your dog, visual breed identification is notoriously unreliable—studies have shown that visual breed ID is wrong over 80% of the time!. Less than 1% of a dog’s 20,000 genes impact appearance. There is so much variation among dogs in general that visual or behavioral ID is generally an unreliable way to diagnose a dog’s ancestry.

Even in single-breed dogs, it is ultimately several genetic trait results (and not necessarily their breed) that are responsible for appearance. While breeders tend to strive for consistency in several of these traits to match a breed standard, this in no way precludes the possibility of a surprising outcome in a single-breed puppy. Additionally, dogs with a single-breed result can sometimes have a very small percentage of DNA (about 1-5%) that represents a separate breed. These very small proportions are typically undetectable by a DNA test, but can yield some surprising looks in an otherwise single-breed dog.

Strengthen your bond with the dog DNA test trusted by millions of dog owners

The video showcases the product in use.The video guides you through product setup.The video compares multiple products.The video shows the product being unpacked.

Embark was founded by scientists with a passion for research and a lifelong love for dogs. An Embark Dog DNA Test kit provides valuable information about your dog with just a simple cheek swab. Embark is an official research partner of Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.28 x 5.67 x 1.46 inches; 4.16 ounces
Item model number ‏ : ‎ DNB301
Date First Available ‏ : ‎ September 19, 2018
Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Embark Veterinary
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07HHF1VLH

BREED IDENTIFICATION: Embark screens for over 350 dog breeds. Using a research-grade genotyping platform developed in partnership with Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Embark offers the most accurate breed breakdown on the market.
DISCOVER YOUR PUP'S RELATIVES: Find and connect with your pup's family through the world’s first canine relative finder. Over 90% of dogs tested by Embark have a close relative, like a cousin, and 12% discover a direct family member.
EXCELLENT SERVICE & FAST RESULTS: Have a question about your results? Just talk to one of our dedicated vets or geneticists. Embark generally delivers results in 2-4 weeks and keep you updated every step of the way. Embark kits are best used by the date printed directly on the swab to ensure DNA extraction goes smoothly. In the event of a swab that exceeds its best by date or a DNA sample failure due to materials, Embark support will provide a fresh swab upon purchase verification.
SUPPORTS DOG HEALTH AND WELFARE: Embark is partnered with Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and other researchers; Each test purchased contributes to finding and treating genetic disease in dogs; Purchases also support Embark's Old Dogs, New Homes initiative which helps find new families for older dogs in shelters
Reviewer: CJB
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: So far, so good
Review: I've wanted to do this for a long time, no idea what type of dog I have. The price was good, I thought it would be more. Shipping was very fast. Instructions were easy to follow. I've only just mailed it in, so I won't know the results for a few weeks. Can't wait!

Reviewer: Susan
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: So worth the money--and so fun!
Review: We rescued this puppy as my husband's new farm/companion dog in April--supposedly a Shetland Sheepdog/Australian Shepherd mix. We have Shelties, and were surprised how different she is. She's very strong-willed and high octane energy! He named her Zippy in honor of her speed as she runs in circles or flies across the lawn and pastures. We originally thought she had been shaved, although by August it's pretty clear she's actually short-haired. For Father's Day I bought this DNA kit for my husband, and we were astonished to find out that Zippy has neither Sheltie nor Aussie in her! She's 50% Siberian Husky, 20% Australian Cattle dog, 13% Great Pyrennees (we haven't seen that yet!), 8% Labrador Retriever and the rest is "Super Mutt." This explains so much about Zippy's non-stop high energy, desire to be the alpha dog, love of playing in water and high drive to chase our cattle (a NO-NO!) We're so glad we know so we can give her the training and "job" she needs to be happy.

Reviewer: Tammy Dolan
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Embark product
Review: It was easy to use and the results were received in a timely manner

Reviewer: Nate
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Amazing!
Review: Brought her back from Tijuana and was told that she was a teacup clearly that was a load of bull, but with time we noticed she had all these different traits and was growing quick. We’ve only had her now for five months so we thought let’s do a DNA test to see what kind of she really is and we were so shocked when we found out the different type of breeds she is, a lot of the breeds makes sense with her traits that she shown us so I’m super happy and I totally recommend it!

Reviewer: Daisy9552
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great test with great results
Review: We received this test and immediately went to work. Instructions are easy to follow, getting the dog to hold a swab in his mouth for 60 seconds was challenging to say the least. We packaged it up and sent it back. The communication was excellent, they let us know every step of the way what they were doing then sent us the results. We weee actually very surprised by the results but when looking up the top two breeds it looks identical to our dog, it’s defintiely what he is. The test also linked some relatives of his. Very cool!ny only complaint would be the amount of time it has to stay in his mouth

Reviewer: banda543
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: SO MUCH FUN! So much useful information. So surprising to learn what our pup is!
Review: This was SOOO MUCH FUN! We were surprised to learn that our new puppy was not a chocolate lab mix. There was no lab in him in matter of fact.I debated which one to buy just the DNA test or the one with the health and traits. I chose the DNA only because we seemed to have a very healthy puppy. There was nothing that was causing us alarm.To use:I simply swabbed my puppy's cheeks very well. Slid it in the vial. Did what it told me to do.I dropped it in the prepaid box/mailer and dropped it in the mail.Within days, Embark sent me an email that stated they received his sample. They told me it would take about a month and a half for the results. I thought that was going to be it. Wait a month and receive the results.In about a week or less, I received the first email saying they were starting the process. We got excited because we were going to find out what our puppy was. Anyone who saw him said he didn't look like a chocolate lab. We would say "well, that is what we were told but we are having his dna tested.".Another week or so, we were sent an email saying that they were moving on to the next step. I wish I saved the emails for the exact wording, but I did not.Another week and they were almost finished.One last email to tell us that their scientists were checking the results by hand. The results will be ready very shortly. The joke in the house was that we had a group of scientists working on our pup's DNA.Then yesterday, I received a text and an email stating the results were in!!! We were so excited. I have been checking the web page, it felt like every hour for the last month.Upon clicking the link, it gave us choices if we wanted to play a guessing game, watch a video or just find out. As a family we decided we wanted to play the guessing game. We knew from the information they gave that there were 4 breeds in our puppy. The first choice in the game it gave was- Doberman. We said no. He isn't Doberman. He doesn't look at all like a Doberman. We clicked false to learn he was 50% Doberman. We laughed because we didn't see it. Another breed came up. We thought definitely he had some of this in him. People were suggesting it. Nope. More laughter. Pit Bull? We have had other pit bulls, we thought at first there might be pit bull in him. 25% pit bull. More laughter and told yas! Then the surprises! Great Pyrenees? Absolutley not, we said. He doesn't have long hair or anything. He is 12% Great Pyrenees. Lastly, Australian Shepherd? I kind of thought of this because there were Australian shepherds at the place we got him and he looked similar but not the hair. Sure enough he was about 12% Australian Shepherd! No lab at all in him! We all had a very good laugh.We knew our puppy was from a certain state. Here, you can see other dogs who have had their DNA tested. It pulled up 2 other dogs that were similar to ours from the same state. Because of how close the DNA match was, they are probably immediate family.Accuracy? We started reading about the different breeds. We were familiar with the pit bull already and the coloring and his chest seem pit bullish. Doberman? The ears and height and body. Great Pyrenees? He has a back do claw that we had already researched before hand and Great Pyrenees was a breed that had them. Australian Shepherd? We believe the eyes are theirs. He has beautiful eyes. The other thing I laughed about was our pup has made a game out of dropping a ball down the stairs and fetching it. Sure enough, one of the breeds when bored will make their own games up. Dobermans are very smart. This puppy learned to open a closet door for shoes, he just pulls on the bathrobe hanging out the door every so little.5 stars:I know this is a longer review, but I wanted to share how we thought our pup was a chocolate lab and wasn't at all. That knowing what he was at first we were like No way is he a Doberman until we started researching. We pulled up a Doberman with his ears not pinched and it looks like our pup. We can see traits of the different breeds in our pup. It is a wonderful tool to learn about the puppy. A wonderful tool to know what to expect from a breed therefore how to train. Each of the dogs (but one, I think) are job oriented dogs. We know that we have to give our dog jobs for him to be happy. We know that every breed is an active dog. We know we have to walk him and exercise him a lot to keep him healthy, strong, and well behaved. Knowing what our dog is, is a great tool!!!

Reviewer: jeff brown
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Really great information, fun
Review: It took awhile to get the information, but who wants complicated information fast without effort. put in to get the best. They keep you informed all of the way. I think the information about my dog was real accurate. he's mostly wiener dog Barks like a beagle and is smart like a poodle that really describes him perfectly. very satisfied

Reviewer: Mudes
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Fun
Review: I love doing embark for my dogs. We have a great time kind of guessing what they are at first and then actually seeing their results. Some things are a little surprising, but it’s fun to read about the different breeds and what you can really see in your dog that belong to what breed. looking at my dog, you can tell That he obviously has some shepherd in him, but he has the lovable attitude of the Rottweiler and the pitbull, with a size of the chow chow. A lot of fun, make sure to go onto the website once you get your results and really look at all they have to offer I Find something new every time I go on there.

Reviewer: Cara Harvey
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: The results showed my dog’s brother, who also had it done, so I know there is some valid science behind this one. More accurate than DNAmyDog which I’d tried previously. Great to have information to share about my rescue with my vet!

Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Value for money, received quickly. Very easy to use.

Reviewer: Hanna
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Skickade iväg testet och de tappades bort så helt kostnadsfritt skickade embark ett nytt sample åt mig. Smidigt och så snabbt som de bara kunde gå

Reviewer: Meaghan Gillis
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: After years of friends, family, strangers and veterinarians insisting my rescue pup was a chihuahua mix breed, I purchased this Embark test. I had discovered the breed Patterdale Terrier through a google photo search and he resembled one to a T, however I never mentioned Patterdale while setting up my pups profile with Embark, as after the 3rd Vet telling me he was Chihuahua mix, I was convinced he was a Chihuahua mix.After only 3 weeks from mailing the sample, I was surprised to learn he was in fact a Patterdale Terrier with zero Chihuahua! And better yet, he has many familial matches who also have DNA uploaded with Embark!The sample was fairly easy to take, my pup was not impressed, but even with his struggling, I was able to get the sample I needed.The mailing process was also easy, when you order from Amazon in Canada, they provide a shipping envelope, with 5 Canadian stamps (I choose to track so paid an addition $3.00 for that).Embark also sends e-mails every step of the way. When they receive the test, when they extract the DNA., when they begin the testing and finally the results!5 stars I would 100% recommend Embark! I am very impressed with the entire process and the details provided.

Reviewer: Birgit R.
Rating: 1.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Wir haben das Produkt gekauft, um bei unserem Straßenhunde die Rassen zu analysieren. In dem Paket ist ein Rücksendekuvert für die Probe vorhanden. Abgesehen davon, dass man aus Europa den Versand in die USA zahlen muss sollte man vorher das Paket beim Zoll anmelden. Bei uns ist dieses Paket wieder an uns retourniert worden mit der Aufforderung es beim Zoll anzumelden. Das haben wir getan und ein zweites Mal zur Post getragen. Leider ist unsere Probe nie in Amerika angekommen. Ein sehr teurer Spaß für leider nichts.