Which breeds can Embark identify?

Embark can currently test for the majority of AKC-registered breeds, as well as designer dogs, Dingoes, Coyotes, Wolves, and Village Dogs—we're the only DNA testing company who can do that. All in all, we test for over 250 breeds! You can learn more about our breed and ancestry test on the Breed & Ancestry page.

Our lab has invested a considerable amount of time in the science of DNA knowledge; we've analyzed DNA from purebred dogs to build a comprehensive database that highlights the differences between different breeds. By comparing your dog’s DNA with our database, we can identify which breeds are present in your dog.

For a full list of breeds, please visit embarkvet.com/resources/dog-breeds.

Our database of validated breeds covers the most common breeds in the world.

Will you be adding more dogs to your database?
As new breeds become more popular, our lab endeavors to include them in our database as quickly as possible. We are actively working on adding more breeds to the database. Please check embarkvet.com/resources/dog-breeds for all our included breeds. If you own a papered purebred dog not listed on our website, please contact howdy@embarkvet.com to find out how you can contribute to expanding our database.

How many breeds does your test recognize, and how did you choose those?
Embark recognizes breeds most commonly found in the North American dog population according to historical trends in dog popularity. The breeds that we detect are the most common breeds you see, such as Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd Dog, Yorkshire Terrier, or Chihuahua. These common breeds are the ones most likely to be present in a mixed-breed dog or in designer dogs. Rare breeds are unlikely to be present in a regular mixed-breed, which means that breeds like Komondorok, Kuvasz or Wirehaired Pointing Griffon will not be seen in many results—but if we see them, we'll return them.

Do you test for Wolf or Coyote?
Yes, we are able to test for Wolf, Dingo, and Coyote Hybrids—plus Village Dogs!

Why can puppies in the same litter have different breeds?
Pups will randomly inherit 50% of the breeds from each parent, depending on the number of breeds in each parent; it is common for offspring from the same litter to have varying amounts of each inherited breed in their compositions.

Does the Embark test determine purity?
An Embark test can be used to determine how similar or dissimilar your dog is genetically to other known purebreds of the same breed. However, the kennel clubs govern the definition of purity, not us.

Can Embark identify the breeds in a dog that was born outside the U.S.?
Through the course of our test development, we have observed that certain breeds sometimes have quite different genetic breed signatures in different geographical regions, particularly as compared to the same breed in Europe or Australia. Due to these geographic variations, Embark is only offered in geographical areas where we have collected a substantial reference panel of samples.
 
To assure we maintain the quality and accuracy of our test results before we can extend our tests to new countries, we must collect and analyze DNA from a large number of dogs in every breed from each new geographic location. For more information, please contact us at howdy@embarkvet.com.