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One of my personal dogs, Grimm, is what I affectionately refer to as a “genetic nightmare.” He’s a very mixed-breed dog with a mystery background that I got at a shelter many years ago. In fact, he’s the very dog that introduced me to behavior modification training, which I talk about more in my article, The Dog That Turned Me Into A Trainer.

After several years with Grimm by my side, I finally decided it was finally time to get Grimm’s DNA done. I’d already done a breed profile through Wisdom Panel, and I knew a couple breeds that were present in his makeup. But I wanted to test out Embark, which came with glowing reviews from friends and other canine professionals in my circle, to get a “second opinion” as well as to scan for genetic health markers.

(For the purpose of this article, I’m going to be focused on how I used these dog DNA tests to determine breed, but Embark did give me some very helpful information on Grimm’s health.)

At the end of my experiment, I found that Embark provided a more detailed view of Grimm’s breed profile, and caught things that Wisdom Panel missed. After all is said and done, I absolutely recommend Embark over Wisdom Panel; read on to see exactly why.

How Do Dog DNA Tests Work?

Dog DNA tests work by analyzing a sample of DNA from your pet that you take yourself from home.

With both Embark and Wisdom Panel, the process was pretty straightforward. You order your kit and receive it in the mail, use the tools included to swab the inside of your dog’s mouth, close everything up, and use the included envelope to mail the sample back the the respective lab.

After taking my swab and sending them in, turnaround time for the actual results was more or less the same. Embark took about three weeks for full results. Wisdom Panel took slightly longer at about four weeks for breed results.

Both companies notified me of movement and progress. I was notified when the samples were on the way to the lab, when the samples were processing, and when results were ready.

For Embark, I also opted to get Grimm’s genetic health scanned, and Embark let me know when his health results were ready; his health results were available several days before his breed results were.

Overall, I would say that the actual collection process and waiting period were about the same for both Wisdom Panel and Embark.

Our Results: Which Dog DNA Test is Most Accurate?

Both DNA tests claim to scan with incredible accuracy for over 350 breeds, but Embark was able to detect more specific breeds than the other in my dog, Grimm.

Grimm’s results from Wisdom Panel are as follows:

• Italian Greyhound, 25%
• Chihuahua, 25%
• Pomeranian, 12.5%
• Boston Terrier, 12.5%
• Mystery Mutt, 25%
  • Sporting Group
  • Companion Group
  • Terrier

While Grimm is most definitely a very mixed-breed dog, I was a little underwhelmed that Wisom Panel was unable to sort out a full quarter of his breed DNA. They did provide the hint that remaining breeds may belong to the sporting, companion, or terrier breed groups, but that was the extent of their ability to detect specific breeds.

Embark came up with similar results with a few key differences. According to Embark DNA, Grimm’s breed profile looks like:

• Italian Greyhound, 33.1%
• Chihuahua, 31.4%
• Pomeranian, 10.6%
• Boston Terrier, 10.4%
• Poodle (Small), 6.2%
• “Supermutt,” 8.3%

As you can see, especially from the side-by-side comparison of Embark and Wisdom Panel results below, the actual breeds detected were very similar, but Embark seemed to be able to detect 91.7% of Grimm’s DNA, while Wisdom Panel showed results for only 75%.

Embark put Grimm’s percentages of Italian Greyhound and Chihuahua at a higher level than did Wisdom Panel, which I can absolutely see in his actual appearance and behavior. From Wisdom Panel’s results, I found it odd that Grimm had such an ability to sprint (I have seen him outpace much larger dogs, and even other Iggy mixes during play) despite only being 1/4 sighthound.

For that alone I think Embark’s results make much more sense.

Additionally, Embark was able to pick up on one more specific breed than Wisdom Panel was: the poodle. I had always been a little suspicious there might be some poodle in him, so that was an interesting validation.

Wisdom Panel did not pick up on the poodle at all; in fact, the poodle is either in the non-sporting group or the toy group, depending on variety. The groups that Wisdom Panel provided for Grimm’s “maybe” profile did not even hint towards poodle.

This was a solid reminder that just because a dog DNA test has the largest database or claims to be the dog dna test with the most breeds does not necessarily mean that processing those breeds and detecting them will be the most accurate.

For this comparison, I have to give the gold medal to Embark DNA over Wisdom Panel, for detecting more breeds and an overall greater percentage of my dog’s breed profile.

How Much Does Each Dog DNA Test Kit Cost?

Wisdom Panel’ Essential (their most affordable testing kit) is $99.99 on their website. It covers breed detection, matches you with relatives that have also taken their tests, and tests for 25+ genetic disease markers.

Wisdom Panel’s Premium kit sells for $159.99 and includes everything from their Essential kit plus an expansion to 210 health tests and a veterinarian consultation for your health results.

Embark DNA’s Breed ID Kit (their most affordable) is $129 on the Embark website. It includes breed detection, relative matching (within the Embark database), and an ancestry profile based on how your dog’s profile is passed from male and female ancestors. Embark’s Breed ID Kit does not include any health testing.

Embark’s Breed + Health Kit is $199 and covers everything in their Breed ID Kit plus: scanning for 210 genetic health risks and the ability to discuss your results with a veterinary geneticist.

For a side-by-side breakdown, see the table below:

	Price	Breeds Detected	Family Tree	Health Risks Tested	Relative Finder (specific to company database)	Veterinary Support	Traits Tested	Payment Plans
Wisdom Panel Essentials	$99.99	350+	Yes	25+	Yes; currently in Beta	None	35+	Yes; 4 interest-free payments via Klarna
Wisdom Panel Premium	$159.99	350+	Yes	210	Yes; currently in Beta	Single phone consultation with veterinarian	35+	Yes; 4 interest-free payments via Klarna
Embark Breed ID	$129	350+	Yes	None	Yes; large user database	None		Yes; 4 interest-free payments via ShopPay
Embark Breed + Health	$199	350+	Yes	210+	Yes; large user database	Speak with a veterinary geneticist		Yes; 4 interest-free payments via ShopPay

Which Dog DNA Test is Best for Mixed Breed Dogs?

While Wisdom Panel has a more appealing price point for their most basic DNA test, based on my experience with both companies I think that the best dog DNA test to determine breed is Embark’s Breed ID Kit. It is a little pricier than Wisdom Panel’s Essential kit, but from my experiment I do think I trust Embark’s database and accuracy better.

If you’re wondering which dog DNA test you should get, that will ultimately depend on your goals for taking one. If you’re just looking to determine breed and are already confident in your dog’s genetic health, go for Embark’s Breed ID for the accuracy and huge database of relatives.

If you want breed and some health info on a budget, either of the Wisdom Panel results should do fine, as long as you are ok with maybe missing out on a breed or two, like I did.

If you want the full package, Embark’s Breed + Health really seems to be where it’s at. You get everything each test offers, plus your dog’s DNA can be used to further their research and lead to a healthier tomorrow for dogs everywhere.

The Breed + Health kit is the Embark test kit I got for Grimm (and for another personal dog, Milo) and it showed me some really useful information about Grimm’s genetic health that will be very helpful to keep an eye on as he gets older (but that is an article for a different day).

If you’re looking into where to buy a dog DNA test, Embark’s tests are available to order on their website, and Wisdom Panel is available on theirs.

If you have experience with either company, let me know in the comments as I would be delighted to hear about them.