Best dog DNA test 2023: Explore your dog's heritage and health – Expert Reviews

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Dog DNA tests are more popular than ever before, and with technology and science ever-evolving, they’ve become pretty sophisticated. Not only can the best dog DNA tests tell you which breed or breeds make up your dog’s genetics, but they can also tell you which group of wolves your dog’s DNA stems from and where in the world they were from. You can unearth all manner of interesting information, such as their age in human years, how inbred your dog is, and whether they might be prone to particular health problems.
There are a few brands out there on the market right now, so we created our own little science experiment to find out which of the most popular dog DNA tests is best. Here’s what we found.
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No dog needs a DNA test, but they can be a useful and fun way to learn more about your dog – especially if you’ve got a mixed breed dog whose backstory you don’t know in detail. You’ll be able to learn their age, breed make-up and other intriguing facts about their genetic make-up and ancestry.
Dog DNA tests are harmless and don’t carry any risk for your dog. With most tests, you’ll receive a swab which you need to take samples from your dog’s mouth, and a pre-addressed envelope to send it off to the lab.
Usually, postage on the envelope is included but not all tests offer free postage from the UK. Once the swab is received, you’ll get updates about progress until the results are ready.
Dog DNA tests can help owners of rescue dogs learn more about where their pet came from, how old it is and what sort of breeds make up its DNA. Most dog DNA tests include a breed breakdown for mixed breed dogs, an ancestry tree and information on relatives within the DNA database. Many DNA tests also include health checks, looking for up to 250 conditions or markers that could indicate your dog has health problems. This is particularly helpful for purebred dogs who are often more at risk of genetic diseases due to inbreeding. If you’re interested mainly in breed, choose a cheaper breed DNA test, but if you’d like a fuller picture of your dog’s make-up and health, choose an all-encompassing service that will give you both health and bread information.
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Price: From £109 | Buy now from Embark Vet

We tested Embark’s dog DNA test on a two-year-old purebred Manchester Terrier who is particularly highly strung and doesn’t enjoy being manhandled too much. Thanks to the soft swab included with the Embark kit, it wasn’t too difficult to collect a sample from his cheek and it went off to the lab fairly quickly.
Unfortunately, as Embark is very geared towards North American customers, postage isn’t included for UK customers. Results were around a week slower to come back compared with other brands, but once they did it was a fascinating insight into my dog’s health.
The report is incredibly thorough and confirmed that my dog is 100% Manchester Terrier. It also had an extensive report on his health, which picked up a gene that could change how his liver function is presented when tested. This wasn’t picked up in other DNA tests done on the same dog, so this health assessment may be more reliable and thorough than the Wisdom Panel check.
Another great thing about Embark is that you can send health reports directly to your veterinarian through the results portal, and download the full detailed report as a PDF. Embark offers a number of different DNA tests for dogs, including breed and health tests, gut health tests, age tests and breed-only tests.
Key features – Breed test: Yes; Soft swab: Yes; Health check: Yes
Price: £67 | Buy now from Wisdom Panel

The Wisdom Panel dog DNA tests offer an incredibly slick experience, from their slim packaging that’ll easily go through the letterbox to the swish website and results portal that offers detailed insight into your pet’s DNA.
Wisdom Panel claims to be 98% accurate and, having used three of their tests with great success, we were impressed by how specific their breed identification was – especially compared with the DNA My Dog test below, which incorrectly identified the same dog as a part-golden retriever. Wisdom Panel found five breeds within the three-year-old cockapoo’s DNA, including two types of poodle and three types of spaniel. It also found extended family from Baxter’s line of dogs, including a two-year-old cavapoo called Lily.
The Essential test also looks for 29 conditions that could affect the dog’s health. This found no issues in his DNA, and it recommends an ideal weight for his type of breed.
The major drawback of this DNA test is the swab, which has a metal end with bristles a little bit like a pipe cleaner, which was uncomfortable for the dog to have against his gums when collecting the sample. If your dog is tolerant, though, ultimately this is a largely reliable and interesting DNA test if you want to learn a little more about them.
Key features – Breed test: Yes; Soft swab: No; Health check: Yes
Price: £140 | Buy now from Wisdom Panel

Just like Wisdom Panel’s Essential test, the Premium version of the company’s dog DNA test comes in slim packaging and postage for the sample is included for UK customers. It still has the bristle swab, which isn’t ideal. But as long as your dog tolerates it, it’s not too difficult to get a sample from their gum as required.
This test not only covers breed (which was identified accurately in all three of the dogs we tested), but the health test is far more thorough with over 200 conditions tested for, including encephalopathy, certain types of cancer and various types of haemophilia. Some of the conditions are specific to certain breeds, such as border collies, labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, springer spaniels and Jack Russell terriers. While most breeds with known health conditions are usually tested before birth, this test can be particularly helpful for anyone with a mixed breed dog that contains breeds with a predisposition to certain diseases.
Key features – Breed test: Yes; Soft swab: No; Health check: Yes
Price: $69 (£58) | Buy now from DNA My Dog

DNA My Dog is one of the original dog DNA tests. Based in Canada, DNA My Dog actually performs the testing in-house, rather than sell a test they then send off elsewhere to be analysed as some other brands do. This makes it far cheaper than most other tests, however, it’s a somewhat rudimentary experience.
The test itself has a soft swab, which is good news – it won’t hurt the dog when you’re gathering the sample. But their website and results were less than satisfactory in our experience. The website is somewhat clunky and unsophisticated – like something from the early 2000s – while the results, which came back in a record two weeks, were inaccurate.
We tested this kit on a three-year-old cockapoo whose mother was a spaniel and father was a poodle, and yet nowhere in his results did it mention the spaniel breed. Instead, it included estimates for poodle, which were as expected, but also golden retriever (less than 9%) and miniature schnauzer (less than 9%). We tested this same dog with an alternative brand (the Wisdom Panel Basic test) and the results came out differently, this time including spaniel.
Results come in the form of a PDF via email, rather than a web portal, and there are no health checks done with this dog DNA test. You do get a printable certificate with a photo of your dog and their dominant breeds.
Key features – Breed test: Yes; Soft swab: Yes; Health check: No
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