How Know Your Pet DNA Testing Works

The chance to learn more about your dog with DNA testing is exciting, but what exactly does it all mean? There are a lot of questions around how testing works and what you’ll discover. Let’s dig into the details.

What You Can Learn From DNA

We often wish our dogs could tell us what they’re thinking. Just like humans, dogs have a combination of learned and inherited traits. DNA testing can give us insight into common markers shared across different breeds that are often reflected in their behaviors, attributes and personalities.

We often know very little about our dog’s breed profile, inherited traits and likelihood to develop certain behaviors. Testing your dog’s DNA can provide insight that you may not be able to get any other way.

How Do You Test a Dog’s DNA?

It’s really easy to test your pup. The Know Your Pet DNA test kit includes everything you need. You just need to gently rub your dog’s inner cheek with the soft swab, place the sample in the prepaid returns box and send it back to the lab. 

The geneticists at Ancestry^® will get to work using our cutting-edge DNA science, and you’ll receive a full report on your best friend.

What a Dog DNA Test Tells You

There are three main components to a Know Your Pet DNA test that you’ll receive in your report. First, you’ll learn the breed breakdown of your dog. We test your dog’s DNA against more than 400 breeds, looking for specific genetic markers unique to each breed.

Second, we identify genetic traits that influence your dog’s appearance, behavior and development. We look for over 30 unique characteristics that your dog has inherited from the unique mixture of ancestors. So traits like fur color, fear of loud noises and separation anxiety are assessed based on the likelihood that they were passed down genetically.

Third, we identify matches where your dog shares DNA with other pets in our database. Now you can know more about your dog’s extended family and even connect with other dog owners who have closely related dogs.

All of that information is captured in a unique online dashboard that makes it easy to share with family and friends.

Learn More About Your Dog With a DNA Test

Our dog DNA test kit makes it easy (and gentle) to collect a saliva sample, package it up, and send it securely back to the experts at Ancestry^®. Just register, swab, and return. Then receive a detailed online report of the results. You’ll discover more about your dog, including things you may have never known before. Get started today by ordering a Know Your Pet DNA test online.