Embark Breed + Health Dog DNA Test Kit Review

What Is It? Embark is a cutting-edge dog DNA test that promises more data and actionable insight into your canine’s breed, health, and ancestry than any other kit.

Embark has a few different dog DNA test kit options.

Today we’re exploring their flagship product, the Embark Breed + Health Kit, which is their top-of-the-line dog DNA test complete with breed ancestry info as well as a full panel of genetic health screenings.

Major features of the Embark Breed + Health Kit include:

• 215 Genetic Health Tests. Embark runs 215 genetic tests on your canine, alerting you to a myriad of potential diseases such as Multi-Drug Sensitivity via the MDR1 gene, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), glaucoma, coagulopathy, and more.
• Testing for 35+ Physical Traits. Get genetic info on over thirty-five physical traits, such coat color, tail shape, and POMC, the ‘always-hungry’ gene.
• 350+ Breed Database. Embark screens for 350+ dog breeds, making it one of the most accurate and scientifically advanced dog DNA test on the market.
• Research-Grade Data. Embark has partnered with Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, bringing unprecedented scientific backing to canine DNA exploration.
• Canine Relative Finder. Use Embark’s database to meet your dog’s cousins or even siblings!
• Simple DNA Sample Collection. DNA samples are obtained via cheek swab collection, similar to other dog DNA tests.
• Most Accurate As Possible. When it comes to accuracy, Embark takes the honor of top dog. They hire the best dog DNA scientists in the world to develop the technology they use. Embark uses over 220,000 genetic markers (2x as many as competitors), and tests 256 quadrillion different possible genetic ancestry combinations for your canine.
• Reports for Vets. Embark also provides detail reports designed for you to share with your veterinarian. These can help facilitate conversations between you and your vet, creating a team of canine health support.
• Weight Prediction. Embark predicts the full expected size and weight of your pup, and for already adult dogs, helps owners evaluate if their dog is overweight or not (50% of dogs in America are overweight).
• Unique Report Style. Embark delivers your dog’s DNA test results through an interactive guide, that can be viewed on desktop as well as mobile devices.
• Contribute to Science. Shared insights about your dog’s DNA and ancestry help to improve scientific understanding and research, improving canine science for everyone!
• Verification. Embark puts your dog’s DNA results through additional verification steps to ensure quality and accuracy. Any questionable findings are hand-checked by canine DNA scientists.
• Updates for Life. With Embark, you’ll get new test results for free! Embark regularly creates new canine genetic tests, and your dog’s profile will be updated with the results of new added tests often times for no charge! This isn’t always possible though – if you have an older version of the Embark kit, you won’t have the probes required for certain newer tests. In that case, you’ll need to buy a new version of Embark to get the probes needed.

PROS: Embark deliver significantly more dog DNA data than competitors, providing a rich and complex history of your dog’s ancestors and over 215 tests for health issues (more than any other — although only a few more tests than Wisdom Panel Premium).

Lastly, the unique reporting style, app integration, and ongoing updates regarding your canine’s health all put Embark a step ahead of the rest.

CONS: The only downside to Embark is the price. Embark is more expensive than other dog DNA tests. However, Embark runs many sales that can bring the price down quite a bit and make it more comparable to other DNA test kits on the market.

The only other disadvantage to Embark is the turn around time (3-7 weeks as compared to 2-3 weeks for other DNA test kits), so if you want results ASAP, this might not be the best kit for you.

See our video review covering what we’ve mentioned above, or continue reading for more details.

In-Depth Embark Dog DNA Test Review

Let’s take a closer look at some of the biggest, ground-breaking aspects of Embark’s dog DNA test.

What sets Embark uniquely apart from other dog DNA test services is their comprehensive, all-in-one approach.

Plenty of dog DNA test services can provide glimpses into your dog’s breed ancestry and reveal a few potential health risks associated with certain breeds.

However, Embark doesn’t just dip a pinky into the water – they dive full in, going more in-depth and providing tons more data than other services. In addition, Embark uses the full weight of scientific research to be as thorough and accurate as possible.

They’re not doing anything new, but they are doing it better – much better.

Let’s dive into some of Embark’s core benefits.

1. Improve Your Dog’s Health Span

Embark focuses a lot of the dog DNA discussion on how to improve your dog’s “healthspan.” For Embark, the term “healthspan” correlates to whether or not your dog can perform the activities he enjoys – basically, your canine’s quality of life.

Your dog’s lifespan is how long they live until, but for many dogs, their healthspan deteriorates earlier.

Improving your dog’s healthspan ensures that your dog is able to romp on the beach and play fetch with the frisbee as long as they can.

As Embark notes, Americans spend, on average, over $400 in veterinary expenses each year, per dog. This can increase even more as a dog gets older and faces more health issues. Embark focuses on helping owners prepare for possible genetic health conditions and take preventive action that can allow owners to bypass costly treatments down the road.

2. Understand the Rich Story of Your Dog’s Ancestry

Anyone who has taken a human ancestry test knows that being 15% French and 75% Irish, in and of itself, isn’t all that interesting.

What we really crave is the story that these numbers reveal – how did your ancestors from Paris get over to Canada? When did your great-grandmother migrate to Boston and meet your devilishly handsome Irish great-grandfather? What were their careers like? When did they marry? What did their families look like?

The narrative about our ancestors (and, as an extension, ourselves) is the real fascination revealed through ancestry.

Dogs are now coveted family members, sometimes adored even more than siblings (we won’t tell if you don’t). We want to know our four-legged friend’s backstory just as much as we want to know our own.

Yes, we love our mutts, and we don’t really need to know if their parents were labradors or bull mastiffs. We don’t need to know. But we want to know, because we love them. And when you love someone, you want to know absolutely everything about them!

While traditional dog DNA tests give us the numbers and can provide some inspiration with regards to how our dog ended up in our family, Embark gives a real narrative – the kind that tells a rich, authentic story.

Embark creators spent years studying village dogs and their history, working with National Geographic and other scientific organizations, to study dogs across every continent and better understand the genetic diversity of canines around the globe.

Embark provides loads of context into the history of your dog’s ancestral breeds, explaining how your canine’s great-grandparents lived, where they probably migrated from, what kinds of humans they hung out with, and how your dog’s ancestors were domesticated.

Embark can even distinguish ancestral heritage by the maternal and paternal (Y chromosome) haplotypes – something few (if any) other dog DNA tests can do.

3. Test Your Dog for 215+ Health Conditions

Embark tests for over 215 health conditions and disorders, including a myriad of genetic diseases that can occur throughout your dog’s life, such as glaucoma, degenerative myelopathy, and dilated cardiomyopathy, three of the most common adult-onset diseases found in dogs. 

You can see the full list of diseases Embark tests for on their website.

Being able to catch these diseases early (or even simply know what to be on alert for, based on your dog’s genetic history) means owners can work with vets to start treatments earlier, take proactive preventive measures, and keep your canine living longer.

What’s even cooler is that Embark plans on continuously increasing the number of health conditions they test for as they conduct more research.

Despite this comprehensive health assessment, Embark is adamant about the fact that they do not provide medical diagnosis. While Embark’s dog DNA test can help alert you to potential health problems, you should always talk these concerns over with a veterinarian.

4. Improve Care for Your Dog

In addition to interesting breed ancestry discoveries and important health info, embark also reveals a ton of valuable data that will help you be a better owner for your dog.

• Dog Training. Dog DNA testing can help unearth behavioral tendencies found in certain breeds, such a the genetic instinct to fetch, herd, or dog. Understanding these behaviors will allow you to train your dog more effectively and channel certain urges appropriately.
• Grooming. Is your dog a heavy shedder? Will they need more grooming care than other dogs? Embark can help in this area as well.
• Energy Level. Embark can also help you understand your dog’s natural energy level, ensuring that your pooch is getting the exercise he or she needs to stay happy and healthy.
• Food & Nutrition. Finally, Embark can also help owners pick out the right dog food for their four-legged pal, making sure their dog is getting the perfect balance of nutrients unique to his or her needs.

5. Test for 350 Breeds, Plus Wolf, Coyote, & Village Dogs!

Embark boasts a database of over 350 breeds, covering coyote, wolf, and village dogs. Collectively, these breeds cover over 98% of dogs in America! Embark has the power to break down the exact breed composition of your canine and provide information on those breeds in a colorful, easy-to-understand format.

While some other dog DNA tests do also test for coyote and wolf, Embark’s test for village dog ancestry is entirely unique and frankly, quite groundbreaking.

So what exactly is a village dog? Village dogs are the free-roaming dogs that are found living around human settlements all over the world. Think of them as the original working dogs, serving as trash cleaners, home security alarms, as well as companions.

Also known as island dogs or pariah dogs, these canines aren’t usually thought of as pets, but rather live on their own while practicing a mutually-beneficial partnership with humans. These relationships are similar to how dogs first began to be domesticated many thousands of years ago.

Village dogs make up 3/4s of the billion-ish dogs on the planet today! Village dog populations usually precede the formation of today’s modern breed dogs. Village dogs have remained largely un-identified, but since the Embark team has begun researching them, this insight is now accessible to owners!

Embark is the only dog DNA test that can test for village dogs and distinguish where village dogs come from – pretty impressive stuff!

6. Latest and Greatest Tech

One of the most impressive aspects of Embark is the advanced technology they’ve put behind their dog DNA test. Embark uses a proprietary 220,000 DNA marker microarray technology, resulting in a remarkably detailed view or your dog’s genome.

They also:

• Hire the top dog DNA scientists in the world
• Test 256 quadrillion different possible genetic ancestry combinations
• Use 200,000 genetic markers (vs. 2,000 or less by competitors)

What all this boils down to is the most in-depth, most scientifically accurate dog DNA evaluation possible, period. There’s no one else that even gets closer to these numbers – Embark is leading the pack.

7. Always Coming Up With Add-Ons

With an Embark test, you are always being presented with the opportunity to learn more about your pup! Embark will often release new tests that can easily be purchased online and added to your dog’s comprehensive online profile.

One example is the relatively new “genetic age” test.

Embark is actually able to detect your dog’s genetic age, with is great for owners who have adopted their canines and are unsure of their dog’s calendar age.

Embark can’t yet determine a dog’s calendar age from DNA, but your dog’s genetic age is a helpful reflection of where your dog is in his or her health span.

Knowing your dog’s estimated genetic age allows you to pick out age-appropriate food, know when to conduct various health screenings, and understand when your dog is hitting his senior stride.

Final Evaluation: What We Think of Embark

So what should an owner looking to pick up a dog DNA test do?

Embark is pricier than competitors, but there’s no doubt you’re getting more for your buck (or bone) with Embark.

If you want the most comprehensive playbook for your pup, the Embark Breed + Health DNA Test Kit is the way to go. You really get the full scientific force working in your favor with Embark, providing direct deliverables that will help your dog’s health and wellness.

Plus of course, you’ll learn much more about your dog’s breed history than any other test can provide.

An investment in an Embark DNA test is one that lasts a lifetime, possibly even putting additional years onto your dog’s life through better health care.

However, if you’re looking to save a bit of money, you may want to consider Embark’s Breed Identification DNA Test Kit. This kit only provides breed info (no health screenings), so it’s quite a bit cheaper.

Will you try Embark for your pup? Why or why not? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!