I Tried An Embark Dog DNA Test, And Here’s What I Learned About My Dog

(Alice Prendergast)

I love my dogs. Dare I say I’m obsessed with them. Truly, I wish I could know the storied tales of their youths and have them tell me firsthand about their families. But try as I might to communicate with my canine companions, no such thing is possible.

Luckily, science is advancing rapidly, teaching us everything (OK, not everything, but a lot of things) we want to know about our four-legged friends via their DNA. Their genetic markers can tell us oodles of info about their health, breed composition, and more, and that’s the kind of info I love diving into. A few small issues: I’m not a scientist, I have no idea what to do with DNA, and I don’t plan on learning.

So, when my friend started telling me all about her Embark journey, my interest was piqued. The service uses your dog’s DNA, collected via a saliva swab and sent to its lab in an envelope, to tell you more about their breed and family tree. It can even connect you with their relatives if they also use the service. For an additional fee, you can upgrade to a health-focused kit. But, to be honest, I was in it to learn more about what I adopted and when it was gonna stop growing, so the base kit seemed like it would work for me.

Now, let’s dive into the wild, wonderful journey of exploring and unpacking dog DNA, specifically my dog Ernest’s.

Using the Embark Dog DNA Test

The first thing you do when you receive your kit is swab your dog’s mouth for a few seconds with the included materials. Then, you return the sample to a test tube and give it a shake to mix their DNA with the stabilizing liquid. From there, it’s as simple as popping the pre-stamped envelope in the mail and waiting.

And wait I did. The kit claims it can take up to 20 days to arrive at the lab, and that timeline is pretty accurate. In fact, mine took exactly 20 days to arrive, and I was stressing because they didn’t include tracking information. But I digress. On the 20th day, it arrived, and my results came back pretty quickly after that, just over a week later.

I was absolutely thrilled when the email landed in my inbox saying the results were ready. It was really giving Christmas morning, and I was oh-so-excited to unwrap the gift that is DNA-based knowledge about my dog. Sounds like sarcasm; I assure you it is not.

Now, I want to make this a little fun for you, dear reader, so I’m sharing photos of my sweet boy Ernest below so you can make your own guesses. All the info I had on him up to this point was that he is baby-horse-sized (60+ pounds at eight months) and that his mom kind of looked like a golden but also kind of didn’t. Oh, and that he hails from northern Canada.

My first thought, along with my phone’s image analysis, was that he had some flat-coated retriever in him. One of my neighbours had one, and he looked very similar as a puppy. I was also fairly certain he had some husky-ish roots and a touch of golden retriever from his mom. Other than that, I was stumped.

And so, let’s get to the results. Drumroll, please!

Colour me shocked. Bamboozled. Flummoxed. What a unique spread of breeds this man has! Some tiny, some gigantic, and some Supermutt. His Supermutt breeds are flagged as chihuahua, pit bull, and shih tzu, an equally confusing combination.

Is this 100% accurate? Your guess is as good as mine, but the science seems relatively sound (coming from a person who is not a scientist). The company screens for more than 400 dog breeds and relies on research-grade genotyping for its results, developed in partnership with Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.

One feature I really like is the ability to see your dog’s ancestry all the way back to their great-grandparents, as well as connect with relatives who use the service. Unfortunately, most of Ernest’s relatives are based in Alberta, but I’ve heard of people doing meetups with their pets’ siblings, and I think that’s pretty cute.

The downside

Of course, there are tons of great things to say about the Embark Dog DNA Test. But as with most products, you have to take the good with the bad. Luckily, there’s not a ton that falls into the “bad” column, but there are two things worth noting before adding it to your cart.

First, it comes with a pretty hefty price tag for something that’s more fun than anything else. It rings in at a whopping $160. Now, that accounts for postage, lab genotyping, and analysis, along with app access, so at least you know where your money is going. For an additional $99 (or $195 if you buy the complete kit at the outset), you can add the Total Health Upgrade, which screens for more than 270 genetic health risks, decodes physical traits, and identifies allergies. This is pretty valuable information that could help you skirt some hefty vet bills in the future, but it’s still a high upfront cost, especially when you’ve just purchased the DNA kit.

Second, you have to wait a while to get your analysis, which is a real lesson in patience. It took 20 days for the lab to receive my sample (I’m based in Toronto, while the lab is in the US), and then more than a week from there to get my results. Now, that tracks, since they’re literally analyzing a saliva sample, but in the age of instant gratification, it felt loooooong.

My final thoughts on the Embark Dog DNA Test

If you have a rescue dog whose background you don’t know much about, the Embark Dog DNA Test can help answer your burning questions. Is it cheap? No. In fact, it might cost about as much as your dog’s adoption fee, but it can help you get to know them better and even connect you with family members you’d never know about otherwise. It’s definitely a splurge, but it’s fun, informative, and would make a great holiday gift for a pet parent, too.

Embark Dog DNA Test: To Buy or Not to Buy?

Why it’s a winner…

• You get a comprehensive breakdown of your dog’s DNA
• You can see your dog’s family tree and reach out to relatives
• The companion app is easy to navigate
• You can add health screening for an added fee

Why you might want to keep on looking…

• You don’t want to spend a lot of money on a DNA test
• You crave answers immediately

What are reviewers saying about the Embark Dog DNA Test?

The Embark Dog DNA Test has earned a 4.4-star rating on Amazon Canada, with more than 18,000 reviews to its name. Those who have tried it praise how straightforward and easy it is to use, and they’re huge fans of the companion app, which breaks down everything you need to know about your dog’s breed background and family tree. Some reviewers report postage issues when sending the prepaid envelope from Canada, but I shipped mine from Toronto and can confirm it made it to the lab without any trouble or extra charges.