Do Pet DNA Tests Work? I Tested My Rescue Pup Using 2 Top Brands

When we first adopted our puppy years ago from a shelter in a small town in Missouri, we had guessed what breed he was: Westie, Shih Tzu, maybe also a small Schnauzer. But we couldn’t be sure until a dog DNA test revealed his identity.

So I decided to buy a kit to test my cranky old dog and started digging. I first chose Wisdom Panel because it was on sale, but later I did a side by side comparison between Premium Wisdom Panel And Basic legs.

Basically, I wanted to know if we should really trust the results of these genetic tests. Dog DNA testing is often just a matter of curiosity, but aside from detecting breed, it can also help us understand potential behavior and screen for health problems. To get a clearer answer, I spoke with a veterinarian and looked at some studies.

“Some tests seem more reliable than others, especially for common breeds that are well represented in a company’s database,” said Dr. Katja Lang, chief medical officer of the Heart of Chelsea Veterinary Group in Brooklyn. “When it comes to breed identification, the results can sometimes be useful, but they are not perfect. Information on health risks is even more nuanced.”

How do animal DNA tests work?

If you used AncestryDNA or similar DNA test on yourself, the process of testing your pet will be quite similar. Simply activate your kit online, take a quick cheek swab and send it to the lab. The Wisdom Panel and Basepaws kits contained everything needed to complete the test, but the processes were slightly different.

Wisdom Panel uses two bristle pads that you rub across your dog’s gums and cheeks. After letting them dry for 5 minutes, you put them back in the pouch they came in and seal the shipping box (included with the kit).

Basepaws, on the other hand, only uses one pad that looks more like an eyeshadow applicator. My dog ​​seemed to prefer it because he didn’t fight me during the process like he did with the Wisdom Panel swabs.

After swabbing your pet’s mouth with the Basepaws swab, you unscrew it from the top, turn it over and shake it into the liquid below. (This was somewhat reminiscent of an early variation of at-home COVID testing.)

Wisdom Panel sent me results faster than Basepaws. Wisdom Panel typically takes around two weeks, while Basepaws typically takes four to six weeks.

However, almost a month after sending in my dog ​​Walter’s sample, I received an email from Basepaws saying the test had been received, but a follow-up email told me I needed to test it again.

The email stated that the company was unable to obtain enough viable DNA from my dog’s original sample to analyze it and generate a report. “While this is usually a food contamination or sample collection issue, it could also be due to certain medications your dog is taking, such as antibiotics, antivirals, or antifungals,” the email states.

Basepaws immediately sent another test for free. On the next test, I doubled the time spent cleaning Walter’s cheek and made sure his teeth and gums were free of food particles so we wouldn’t have any problems.

What were the results?

Wisdom Panel

Although activating the kit and testing Walter with both tests were fairly similar processes, the results varied significantly. Wisdom Panel detected 11 breeds, the top four being Shih Tzu (45%), Beagle (15%), Yorkshire Terrier (14%) and Maltese (10%). It also detected 1% results: Walter is 1% Treeing Walker Coonhound and, believe it or not, 1% German Shepherd.

In addition to the breed breakdown, it also showed what Walter’s family tree might look like, genetic diversity, possible relatives who also used Wisdom Panel (I found a sibling named Oscar!), health reports, physical and behavioral characteristics, weight advice (more on that later), and a host of health issues he was tested for.

Although I generally accepted his mix of breeds and found him quite fascinating, the weight indications seemed off. He said his ideal weight range is between 9 and 18 pounds. When Walter was found after being abandoned, he weighed about 16 pounds and was starving. Now he weighs 27 pounds. Our vet recently told us he could lose about 2 pounds, but I could never imagine my big-boned boy at a third of his current weight. I recommend taking this specific advice with a grain of salt and following your veterinarian’s weight recommendations.
I was relieved to see that he was not at risk for any of the 267 genetic diseases he had been tested for with the Wisdom Panel. I guess being made up of 11 different races definitely has its advantages.

“Veterinary care is primarily guided by clinical signs, examination results and the dog’s history,” Lang said, noting that breed distribution does not significantly change medical care. “However, some genetic findings may be relevant. For example, if a dog tests positive for the MDR1 mutation, this may influence drug choices.” She added: “While information about race is often interesting, sometimes specific health-related findings can have practical implications. »

I loved seeing his features and features, and I’d say they’re all pretty accurate, and I even pointed out something I didn’t know was rare: hind dewclaws, or what I call Walter’s thumbs.

The test accurately indicated that he had furnishings (longer facial hair), wiry fur, brown eyes, short legs, and other physical characteristics that make my boy the cutest on the block. In my unbiased opinion, of course.

Behavioral traits were also mostly accurate, aside from having “typical” separation anxiety. I would say it is higher than the average dog, but nurture can definitely play a bigger role here than nature.

Basic legs

Now for the Basepaws results: I was shocked not to see Beagle in their results. I had already come to the conclusion that he was definitely part Beagle, due to his long body and nose-to-the-ground mentality, not to mention the stubbornness the breed is known for.

The distribution of the Basepaws race was much less robust. It states that Walter is a Shih Tzu (60.2%), Yorkshire Terrier (16.5%), Bichon Frize (14.6%) and has “scent dog lineage” (8.7%). This couldn’t determine what type of scent dog he was, so in theory this could be where the Beagle comes into play.

“Each company has its own reference database and testing methods,” Lang said. “They may also differ in how they define or group closely related breeds. This does not necessarily mean a test is ‘wrong’. It simply reflects differences in how the data is interpreted.”

Basepaws results also indicated that he carried a variant of the shedding gene, while the Wisdom Panel said he had less shedding. (Overall, Walter doesn’t lose much.) Basepaws also provided no behavioral traits.

Basepaws detected a genetic health predisposition in Walter. After being tested for 211 health markers, the test revealed that he was at risk of developing one: chronodysplasia, “a bone disease caused by defective cartilage development.”

“A genetic marker may indicate increased risk, but it does not guarantee that a dog will develop a disease,” Lang said. “These results are best interpreted in context and ideally discussed with a veterinarian.”

What do studies show about the accuracy of dog DNA testing?

Although there are few studies specifically evaluating Wisdom Panel and Basepaws, researchers have examined the accuracy of other pet DNA tests.

A 2024 study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association evaluated six consumer DNA tests (including Wisdom Panel) using samples from 12 purebred dogs. The study found that most tests correctly identified the primary breed of dogs and that Wisdom Panel matched each dog’s breed every time. Basepaws were not included in this study.

It was also reported that a separate DNA test in the study used a submitted photo of a dog to help determine breed. I have not provided a photo with any of my Walter tests, but adding one to your pet’s profile is optional.

“While I don’t have specific comparative data, it would make sense that the more common breeds would be easier to identify because companies likely have more reference samples for them,” Lang said. “Over time, their databases have expanded and improved. Dogs from rare breeds or of very mixed ancestry may be more difficult to categorize accurately.”

In another 2022 study published on PubMed Central, researchers surveyed 253 dog owners who used a DNA test on their pet. The survey found that 52% strongly agreed that the race results were accurate, while an additional 27.6% somewhat agreed.

Which kit has been around the longest?

Wisdom Panel, launched in 2007 for veterinarians and in 2009 for consumers, has been around a decade longer than Basepaws. Basepaws was founded in 2017 and was originally a cat DNA testing service. In 2023, dog DNA testing was added.

Which kit is best for pet owners?

Overall, Wisdom Panel was more thorough than Basepaws in testing my dog. The site was also extremely easy to navigate and test results came back quickly.

Lang said to go into the process knowing what you hope to learn. “If you already suspect your dog’s breed, check to see if the company tests for the specific genetic conditions that breed is known for. Sometimes targeted testing is actually more useful than a broad panel.”

For me and my pup, Wisdom Panel seemed to be the most accurate. I don’t think Basepaws was wrong, but I think he could improve on his breed identification, rather than giving general answers like “scent dog lineage” for the lower percentages.

I am convinced that Walter has the traits of a Shih Tzu and a Beagle. I’m a little happier knowing the background of my favorite little boy, although I can’t say with certainty that the smaller percentages are 100% accurate.