Why does my registered purebred dog have mixed-breed ancestry? Is it, not a purebred dog?

While Embark is pleased to offer the most accurate and comprehensive dog DNA test available, a DNA ancestry test cannot determine purity. This is because purebred status is not itself a scientific designation. It includes human-defined registration status and pedigree records indicating all of a dog’s ancestors were of the same breed but does not require an examination of their genetic material.

Consequently, individual dogs registered as purebreds can (and often do) display ancestry from a few different breeds. Importantly, these genetic results do not affect registration status in any way. Surprising as it may be, genetic ancestry and purebred status are 2 separate considerations. 

You can read more in our blog post here.

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