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According to Country Living, a recent survey of 2000 pet owners found that 24% have been told they look similar to their pet, while another 11% said they found themselves behaving in a similar way to their furry friends.
Professor Peter Neville, a Leading British animal behaviorist surmises, “There is a comfort in seeing yourself look back at you. It’s kind of like a mutual dependency.” Our fur babies are our lives, so is it any wonder we want to learn everything we can about them… including their DNA! Find my Embark dog DNA test review below!
What is an Embark dog DNA test?
An Embark dog DNA test kit analyzes your pup’s DNA against an extensive genome to give an accurate breakdown of the breeds which make up your dog.
Some kits on the market also offer a health screen that checks your pet’s DNA for signs of over 210 genetic medical conditions and can determine whether your pup is a carrier of (or at risk of getting) one of these diseases.
Taking a doggy DNA test has become very popular in recent years as they have jumped into the mainstream. Previously popular amongst pedigree dog breeders, these tests can now be performed in the comfort of our own homes and at a (reasonably) affordable price.
Embark dog DNA test summary
Embark Dog DNA Test
The Embark Dog DNA Test Kit has been created with the customer in mind. The kit is so easy to follow, with the box itself being laid out in a step-by-step process. Regular emails on the progress of the analysis were a bonus and the results were very easy to read and interpret.
Key Features
overall
Customer Service
Accuracy
Ease of Use
Cost
Which dog DNA test is best?
There are a few options on the market for Dog DNA kits. Wisdom Panel has been around for the longest and for the longest time has the largest breed reference database but it seems as though Embark has caught up with their research. Wisdom Panel gives more in-depth results which is great for dogs with rare breeds in them.
However, I chose Embark because the results looked easier to follow with colorful visuals and charts and most importantly, they check for grey wolf whereas Wisdom Panel only checks for the broader “wolf” breed.
I was also drawn to Embark because of its partnership with the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, the leading veterinary school in the country.
Both Wisdom Panel and Embark boast accuracies of greater than 98% so whichever one you chose, you can trust you will get an accurate identification of breed.
How to use an Embark dog DNA test
I was pleasantly surprised at how easier it was to use the Embark kit. Embark has designed the kit to be extremely user-friendly with 3 simple steps shown clearly upon opening the box.
Step 1
Activate the kit. This took less than 5 mins to do online. Embark’s website was easy to follow and the activation code is easy to identify in the kit. It is placed face up as you open the box to minimize confusion.
Step 2
Swab. The swab is all in one so you don’t have to try and hold the swab in one hand and the tube in the other. The swab is also already assembled so you simply have to swab the inside of your dog’s cheek for about 30 to 60 seconds and then unscrew the swab from the tube, turn it over and screw it back in again. It couldn’t be simpler!
Step 3
Post. The kit comes with a pre-stamped envelope with the Embark address on it so all you have to do is put the swab in the little plastic bag you are given and put that into the pre-addressed envelope and post it!
My personal experience using an Embark dog DNA test
I couldn’t wait to receive our dog’s DNA results. I was impressed to see that Embark emailed me at every step of the process to let me know what was happening such as the test arriving in the facility and when the testing process began.
Through Embark’s dog DNA test we learned that our dog is a higher wolf content (28.8%) than originally believed. We already knew he is a mixture of Grey Wolf, Alaskan Malamute, Siberian Husky and German Shepard but it was wonderful to learn the percentage of each of these breeds.
We also learned through the health screening section of the test that our dog has a lower than usual ALT activity. I was able to email this over to my vet straight from the website which was incredibly useful. We were also given peace of mind that our dog wasn’t at risk of any other genetic medical conditions.
Conclusion
On the whole, my experience is that the Embark dog DNA test is very accurate. All of the breeds shown were expected and the percentages of each were also roughly expected. The kit was incredibly user-friendly and Embark went above and beyond with their communication and customer service. I have gained a deeper understanding of my dog by knowing which breeds are more prevalent in him and have peace of mind that we are unlikely to have a genetic condition show up later in life.
