Independent checks on dog DNA tests
Investigations, studies and research that test what dog DNA companies claim. We add new entries as they're published, and we print company responses. For the full picture, read Are dog DNA tests accurate?
Lab Watch
Independent checks on dog DNA testing, newest first. When a company responds, we print that too.
- 2024Peer-reviewed: six tests, twelve registered purebredsStudy
University of Colorado researchers published their check in JAVMA. Reporting each dog's registered breed at 100%: Wisdom Panel 12 of 12, Darwin's Ark 11 of 11, Embark 10 of 12, DNA My Dog 8 of 12, Orivet 7 of 12, Accu-Metrics 0 of 9.
Source: JAVMA (2024): six direct-to-consumer tests on 12 registered purebred dogs - Mar 2024A reporter's own cheek swab came back as a malamute mixInvestigation
WBZ Boston sent a human cheek swab to DNA My Dog, which reported Alaskan Malamute, Shar-Pei and Labrador. Orivet and Wisdom Panel said the sample couldn't give a reliable result. DNA My Dog says it has since moved to a platform that rejects non-dog samples.
Source: Global News: DNA My Dog and a human cheek swab (Mar 2024) - Jul 2023Photo test: does the picture change the result?Study
The same researchers sent half the swabs with a photo of a different dog. DNA My Dog alone reported wolf ancestry in a Bulldog and part Rottweiler in a Beagle, and in one case Accu-Metrics' result looked more like the photo than the DNA.
Source: CU Anschutz: How trustworthy is your dog's DNA test? (Jul 2023) - Apr 2022Breed explains about 9% of behaviorScience
A study of 18,385 dogs published in Science found individual dogs vary far more than breed stereotypes suggest. Treat personality-by-breed sections as background, not forecasts.
Source: Scientific American on the 2022 Science study of 18,385 dogs - Oct 2018Hair and saliva allergy tests flagged stuffed-animal furStudy
Every sample tested positive for allergens, including fake fur and water. No at-home hair or saliva kit can diagnose allergies.
Source: SkeptVet on the Journal of Small Animal Practice study (2018) - Jul 2018Geneticists warn: health flags need a vetScience
A commentary in Nature noted most dog disease-variant tests rest on single studies, and cited a pug euthanized over a mutation that rarely causes disease.
Source: IFLScience on the Nature commentary (2018)