Who doesn’t want to uncover more about their dog’s genetic makeup? At-home dog DNA testing lets you do just that, and more. If you choose the right one, of course.
You can learn about your dog’s breed type, family tree, and even their risk of certain health conditions. But which is the best DNA test for dogs?
We’ve done the digging for you. We’ve fully reviewed and tested all the at-home dog DNA tests and found five great choices. Whether you’re just curious about your mixed-breed pup, or you’re worried about a certain genetic health risk, we’ve researched everything you need to know to help you find the right kit for your best friend.
If you simply can’t wait and want to purchase the best of the best, go for our top choice Embark. It offers full breed information, health condition screening, and even a relative finder.
DNA Test Your Dog With Embark!
Short on time? Here are our top picks for dog DNA tests
- Embark – Best overall with everything all in one, including its very own relative finder.
- Wisdom Panel – Detailed breed information and health condition screening, with a free veterinarian follow-up call.
- Orivet – Personalized health care plan, with ideal weight recommendations and nutritional needs, alongside breed identification.
- DNA My Dog – Quick results with breed identification, personality traits, and any major health concerns.
- 5Strands – Nutrition and environmental intolerance screening, with personalized dietary advice.
Get the Best Embark Dog DNA Test Deals!
What We Look For in the Best Dog DNA Tests
To get my final list of best dog DNA tests, I analyzed each kit against the following important factors:
- Accuracy: It’s important that the test is actually accurate, so you get the most reliable results.
- Ease of use: Taking your dog’s sample should be straightforward and quick.
- Attention to detail: There’s no point paying for a test that can’t give you any more information than you know already.
- Value for money: Great at-home dog DNA tests don’t need to break the bank.
- Time to results: Because you don’t want to be waiting weeks on end to find out your pup’s results.
- Clarity: Your dog’s results should be clear and easy to understand.
Best At-Home Dog DNA Tests
After weeks of researching, I only found five dog DNA tests that met my strict criteria. They’re all great choices, but some offer more detail and features, while others are faster and cheaper.
1. Embark – Best For Finding Your Dog’s Relatives
- Maternal and paternal line identification
- Relative finder to locate your dog’s family
- Screens for 190+ health conditions
- Results in 3-5 weeks
The Embark dog DNA tests reveal a huge amount of information, especially when it comes to your dog’s history and ancestors.
With just one saliva swab, it screens for 350+ types of dog breeds to accurately identify your dog’s genetic makeup. You can also learn about 20+ physical traits and 190+ health conditions, including the MDR1 gene mutation.
You can trace your pup’s maternal and paternal line to learn more about their history and where exactly they came from. It also traces your dog’s family back through three generations, which you can see in their personalized family tree.
It’s the only dog DNA test that offers a relative finder feature. It scans the database to see if there are any of your dog’s relatives around. Best of all, you get their human’s contact details so you can get in touch.
All the information from the test is displayed on an online dashboard for you to view and print. Results take anywhere between 3-5 weeks, so it’s not the fastest out there, but it offers incredible value for money considering the amount of detail in your dog’s report.
Get Embark’s All-in-One Dog DNA Test Today!
2. Wisdom Panel – Best For Detail on a Budget and Free Support
- View your dog’s family tree through three generations
- Screens for 200+ health conditions
- Free 15-minute phone call with a veterinarian
- Results in 2-3 weeks
Wisdom Panel offers both a basic DNA test and another DNA test with health condition screening, both of which are relatively cheap in comparison to others. Even the basic test screens for 29 health conditions.
It’s also one of the quicker turnarounds, with a fully detailed report on your dashboard within 2-3 weeks. You can track the test back to the lab and see when it’s being reviewed on the dashboard.
After taking two saliva samples from your dog, you can learn all about their breed type and dig further into the different breeds in their family tree to uncover personality traits, history, and more.
The interactive dashboard shows your dog’s family tree all the way back to their great grandparents. If you chose the health conditions testing, it also shows you which conditions they’re at risk or a carrier of, or that they’re clear from – it screens for over 200 different health risks.
If your dog tests positive for anything, you get a free 15-minute phone call with a veterinarian who will offer you practical advice.
Order Your Wisdom Panel Kit Today!
3. Orivet – Best For A Personalized Health Care Plan
- Mixed-breed identification with percentages
- Nutritional advice and weight information
- Detailed online dashboard with a personalized health care plan
- Results in four weeks
Orivet offers a few different dog DNA tests, all of which outline your dog’s breed identification including the percentages that make up their mixed breed. You can quickly see what breeds their parents were, too, even if they were mixed-breed themselves.
The report gives you details of personality traits, behaviors, characteristics, and more. It even suggests breed-specific games so you can keep your pup entertained when they’re home alone.
Your results include personalized nutritional advice, as well as information on their ideal weight, so you can keep on top of their diet.
The more expensive kit offers health condition screening which allows you to see their genetic predispositions for certain health risks, or if they’re a carrier of anything.
The turnaround time for results is up to four weeks, with everything displayed on the online dashboard. This is yours to keep forever, so you can continuously update their weight, nutrition, and treatment needs in line with their personalized DNA results.
Get Your Dog’s Personalized Health Plan From Orivet!
4. DNA My Dog – Best For Quick and Basic DNA Results
- Results in two weeks or less
- Accurate breed identification
- Personality traits and breed information
- Easy, simple cheek swab collection
DNA My Dog uses a simple cheek swab collection method to build your dog’s genetic profile, with results in two weeks or less.
The results show you your dog’s breed identification, including percentages. It has 100 breeds in its database, which isn’t as much as others on this list, but it still gives an accurate representation of your dog.
You get the three-page report to your email, rather than an online dashboard. It includes full breed information, as well as any major health concerns associated with those breeds. You also get some information about associated personality traits and required exercise levels.
It doesn’t include any family tree or ancestry tracing, but it does offer full genetic health screening if you purchase one of the more expensive tests on offer. This test assesses for over 100 different health conditions to see if your dog is at risk. It takes four weeks to get your results for this test.
Learn More About Your Pet With DNA My Dog!
5. 5Strands – Best For Nutrition and Intolerance Needs
- Screens for nutritional and environmental intolerances
- Advises on optimal nutrition for your dog
- Fully detailed report sent to your email
- Results in 7-10 days of kit arriving in the lab
The 5Strands dog DNA tests don’t analyze your dog’s breed or genetic makeup. Instead, they screen for nutritional needs and intolerances, as well as vitamin deficiencies and other diet-related concerns.
If your dog is suffering from itchy paws, inflamed skin, or other tell-tale allergy signs, the 5Strands DNA kit will help you understand the root of their problems.
It offers individual tests as well as bundles, so there’s something for all budgets. The Deluxe Package, which includes everything in one, screens for:
- Food intolerances: See which foods you should stop feeding, slow down on, or are OK to continue.
- Environmental intolerances: Checks for things in the environment that might cause flare-ups, such as bushes, grass, and trees.
- Nutrition: Shows you which foods you should feed to your dog for optimal nutrition.
- Metals and minerals: Outlines any toxins that might be causing an imbalance in your dog’s body.
The report cards are easy to understand with color-coding to highlight any concerns right away. Results are emailed to you 7-10 days after your kit arrives in the lab.
Unlike other tests, the 5Strands DNA kits require a hair sample rather than a saliva swab. There are fully detailed instructions provided with your kit, so it’s straightforward to follow.
Discover Your Dog’s Intolerances With 5Strands!
What’s in the Fine Print?
Before you buy a dog DNA kit, it’s always worth checking out the terms and conditions so you don’t get stung with other costs along the way, such as processing fees or shipping charges,
All of the kits on this list offer free shipping both ways, to your home and back to the lab, apart from one. 5Strands charges you a flat fee of $4.00 for shipping and you will need to pay the cost to return the kit, too. This will vary depending on your postal service.
There are no extra processing fees with any of the kits in this list, so the price you see is what you pay for the kit, swabs, and testing (and shipping in most cases).
Wisdom Panel offers a follow-up support service where you can discuss your dog’s results over the phone with a veterinarian. I checked it out and both the phone call and the number you dial are free of charge.
How Accurate is a Dog DNA Test?
It’s important to remember that no DNA test is 100% accurate. But all of the tests on this list assure 95-99% accuracy, which means you will get a reliable result that’s a true representation of your dog.
All of these tests leave some room for human error and the size of their database. Those with a larger database are more likely to detect your dog’s correct breed and smaller percentages, especially if your dog is a combination of different dog breeds.
How Much Does a Dog DNA Test Cost?
With dog DNA tests, what you get is what you pay for. The cheaper the test is, the less detail you get with your results.
Embark is the most expensive choice in this list, but it’s also the test that gives you the most information. Even with the basic kit, you get full breed identification, maternal and paternal lines, and a detailed family tree.
Both Wisdom Panel and Orivet offer kits at mid-range prices, and give you highly detailed reports, minus the relative finder and maternal and paternal lines that you have with Embark. For just slightly more, Wisdom Panel throws in the family tree, too, which shows your dog’s family line back through three generations.
5Strands is the cheapest service on this list, but it’s very specific. It only offers tests that screen for nutritional and environmental intolerances, as well as vitamin deficiencies, and dietary needs. If you’re looking to identify your dog’s breed or trace their ancestors, it would be a waste of money. But it’s a great, cheaper alternative to veterinary allergy testing.
At Home Dog DNA Test Kits Comparison Table
| DNA Testing Company | Breed Identification | Family Tree Builder | Health Condition Screening | Time to Results | Starting Price |
| Embark | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 3-5 weeks | $129.00 |
| Wisdom Panel | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 2-3 weeks | $99.99 |
| Orivet | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | 4 weeks | $67.50 |
| DNA My Dog | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | 2-4 weeks | |
| 5Strands | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | 1-2 weeks | $144.00 |
What Will the Dog DNA Test Results Tell me?
Your results can tell you a number of different things, depending on the kit you’ve chosen. Usually, the more detail that’s provided, the longer your results will take. You can expect to wait anywhere between 2-5 weeks for a fully detailed report.
Most dog DNA kits will tell you:
- Your dog’s breed: Using breed identification to identify their makeup, as well as that of their parents.
- Your dog’s family tree: Usually this is traced back to the breeds of their great grandparents on both sides.
- Ancestry history: Some kits trace your dog’s maternal and paternal lines to give you information about where they originated from.
- Your dog’s traits: Based on breed type, results will show you your dog’s personality traits, behaviors, and characteristics.
- Health condition risks: Results can give you a clear indication of any health conditions that your dog is at risk or a carrier of.
- Nutritional advice: Some tests offer personalized diet recommendations, including screening for any intolerances.
Learn What Your Dog Can’t Tell You
For many pet owners, dog DNA tests offer answers to those burning questions on their mind that simply looking at their dog can’t give them.
If you’re really interested in locating your dog’s relatives and learning about their ancestors, go for Embark. With its relative finder and maternal and paternal lines, you’ll be able to go way back.
For detailed breed information and health condition screening, choose Wisdom Panel. It breaks down your dog’s breed identification to as little as 1% and traces their family tree through three generations.
For those of you more concerned about allergies and optimal nutrition, 5Strands is a good choice, with its screening for intolerances and dietary advice.
FAQs
Why should you test your dog’s DNA?
Testing your dog’s DNA isn’t just for personal entertainment. Once you have correct breed identification and an understanding of health risks, you can take your results to your veterinarian to discuss personalized treatment for your dog.
It also means that you can understand better how to care for your dog, including optimized nutrition and even play, tailored to their characteristics and personality traits.
Can a Dog DNA test tell age?
No. Dog DNA results can’t determine your dog’s age using their genetics. If this is something you want to find out, visit your veterinarian to discuss appropriate testing.
What can dog DNA tests tell you about your dog’s health?
Most dog DNA tests offer health screening, usually as part of a more expensive test. These tests typically screen for over 200 different health conditions to tell you if your dog is at risk of any problems, or even a carrier of certain genes that can cause different diseases. They also tell you what your dog tested clear for, so you know what you don’t need to worry about.
Results can also give you other information about your dog’s health, including their ideal weight range, exercise needs, and dietary requirements.
How can I find out what breed my dog is?
To find out your dog’s breed, you need to choose a dog DNA test that offers breed identification, such as Wisdom Panel.
With a quick saliva swab, you can find out your dog’s exact genetic makeup and breed percentages. Usually, results also tell you the breed of your dog’s parents, and can even go as far back as their great grandparents.
Can dog DNA tests help with obedience training?
Dog DNA tests are a great way of learning more about your pup. Once your dog’s breed is identified, you can uncover their personality traits, behaviors, and characteristics that make their breed unique.
With this information, you can then tailor their training so it’s personalized to their breed characteristics. Some dogs require more persistence than others, especially if their breed has a tendency to run away with their nose!
