There are some dogs that we just know what breed the dog is, but what if you found a dog, or adopted a rescued dog or from the Humane Shelter? Depending on how your dog looks, you might not be able to tell what breeds of dogs went into creating you new furry buddy. How to tell what breed your dog is can get hard for some dogs.
These guys might be hard to figure out their breed without a DNA test.
There are dog breeds that are more likely to be prone to certain diseases, allergies or other health issues. When you know your dog’s DNA, you can be proactive in providing your dog what he needs to live a healthier life.
Table of Contents
Embark Dog DNA Test Review
Specifications
Product: Embark Dog DNA Test Kit
Price: Under $200
Available: Amazon – Check Amazon’s current pricing here
Embark Dog DNA Overview
No longer will you have to try to guess what mixes of different breeds are in your dog. With the Embark Dog DNA test they are able to test for over 250 unique dog breeds, even wolf, coyote and village dog ancestry. They also test for genetic basis for many dog diseases and traits including over 170 genetic health conditions.
Embark is the only canine genetics company that uses a research grade DNA genotyping platform. It gives the greatest potential to make future genetic discoveries. Every dog in their database brings Embark closer to their goal of ending preventable disease in dogs.
Embark was developed by Adam and Ryan Boyko because of their love of dogs and wanting to improve the lives of dogs everywhere. Dr. Adam Boyko is a leading dog geneticist and professor at Cornell University. He partnered with Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, the leading veterinary school in the country and Spencer Wells, a pioneer in consumer genetics to develop Embark for dogs.
Highlights of Embark Dog DNA Test
- Most accurate breed identification
- Tests for over 170 health conditions
- More than 20 trait tests
- Uses 100 times as much genetic information than any other test, to accurately determine your dog’s breeds
- The world’s only canine relative finder
- Tests over 200,000 genetic markers
- Highly specialized veterinarians and canine geneticists on staff to answer questions
- The official dog DNA test of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
- Rated Oprah’s Favorite Things 2018
The Embark Dog DNA Test will help you with breed and genetic ancestry discovery. It is a trait and health detection that you can easily do from home. You simply active the test, do a cheek swab on your dog and mail it off for your results. Postage is already included on your return envelope.
The results will be returned to you within 2 to 4 weeks and the doggy DNA relative finder includes a comprehensive genetic testing which helps you better plan for healthy aging, provides genetic diseases to drug sensitivities and a vet report that you can take to your veterinarian to discuss a care plan, if needed, with your veterinarian.
There are over 800 reviews of this product and 86% of the customers are very happy with the product and rate it 5 stars. You can see the top rated reviews here to help you see what others thought of the results.
Embark also helps you find your dog’s family tree back to your dog’s great-grandparents. If your dog has any relatives that have taken the DNA dog test, you will be able to find brothers, parents or what we would consider aunts and uncles.
Embark was launched in 2015.
The Good And The Bad
Good 1: Know ahead of time what your dog’s health risks are.
Good 2: Highest rated test on the market.
Good 3: World’s only canine relative finder.
Good 4: Tests for over 170 health conditions.
Good 5: Uses 100 times as much genetic information than any other tests.
Good 6: Helps contribute to scientific discovery to help end preventable diseases in dogs.
Bad 1: Most customers said the results take longer than the 2 to 4 weeks Embark says it will take.
Who Is Embark Good For
Anyone who doesn’t have a pure breed with papers can benefit from having your dog take the dog DNA test. Even if you have a pure breed dog, certain bloodlines might be more prone to health conditions than other dogs from that breed.
It is pretty easy to guess this dog’s breed, and you might not want to have them tested.
The Embark test is going to test for over 170 genetic health conditions. It will help you better plan alongside your veterinarian the risks that your dog might be facing, and in some cases it will help you be more proactive in keeping your dog healthy.
My Overall Opinion…
I feel that Embark can help you better understand your dog’s traits and what type of training would work best for your dog by helping you understand what breeds are in your dog. Many breeds have different approaches that will work best when training your dog.
I also feel that the genetic markers that they test for are beneficial and helpful to better plan for healthy aging with your dog. Different breeds have different challenges as they age, and you will be better prepared to help your dog remain healthy as they age with additional information about them.
There were a few customers that complained that they didn’t believe that some of the information was accurate about the breed mix of their dog. If you have what looks like a Golden Retriever and the test comes back that your dog is 75% Chihuahua, I would be concerned and not believe the test, but if your test says that same dog is 4% Chihuahua, that might be possible even though you can’t see it in your dog. That is such a small percentage, that I wouldn’t concern myself with if it is correct. Look at the percentages that are 15% or higher to see what your dog really is.
Summary
As you know, most people love their dog no matter what breed or mix of breeds that their dog is. This test isn’t going to change the love for your dog, but it might help you with planning their aging health and help with training of your dog. How to tell what breed your dog is can be hard to figure out at times, and you might end up being surprised with what the results end of being.
This Embark Dog DNA Test Review was created to help you see if you think it is worthwhile for you to have your dog tested. If you decided to have your dog tested, please come back to let me know if you were surprised with your results.
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