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Have you found success using Ancestry.com’s human DNA testing to discover your ethnicity and find living relatives or ancestors? For years now, millions of people world-wide depend on Ancestry for this company’s long commitment to scientific integrity. Fortunately for us pup parents, Ancestry now brings its DNA expertise to our furry friends.
Ancestry’s Know Your Pet DNA test kit promises to deliver you the most scientifically accurate DNA results to determine your pup’s unique breed makeup, traits, and more. This test has just hit the market within the last few months, so we’ve done our research to tell you what it can deliver compared to similar breed ID tests you can order online. Read on to learn more in our Know Your Pet DNA by Ancestry review.
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Know Your Pet DNA By Ancestry Review
Contents
Summary
Know Your Pet DNA by Ancestry is a competively priced dog DNA test offered by the leading and highly reputable company for direct-to-consumer human DNA testing. While their venture into dog DNA testing is new, we feel confident in recommending this breed ID test based on this company’s stellar reputation in genetic testing and research.
Our team determines the overall rating by considering several criteria, including ease of testing, breed identification, genetic health screenings, pricing, customer support, and more.
Overall Score
Pros
- Competitively priced
- Tests for 400 breeds, types, and varieties (more than any other company)
- Screens 30+ physical and behavioral traits
- Includes a relative finder
- Uses a research-grade canine genotyping array
- Get results in 2-4 weeks
- Free replacement swab if damaged or lost
- Collaborates with University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine
Cons
- No genetic health testing available
- Website doesn’t list the specific breeds and genetic traits they test for (Embark & Wisdom Panel do)
- Very limited customer feedback because the test is so new
Key Features
- Created by an expert team of DNA scientists and animal geneticists
- Claims to analyze more than twice as much of a dog’s genetic data compared to other dog DNA tests on the market
- Uses Thermo Fisher Scientific‘s research-grade canine genotyping technology, the Applied Biosystems Axiom Canine HD genotyping array, to identify each dog’s unique genetic blueprint
- Tests for 400 different dog breeds, 30 genetic traits, and includes a relative finder
- Easy cheek-swab sample collection and quick results
- Parent company Ancestry is the global leader in family history and direct-to-consumer DNA testing
What Can I Learn From Know Your Pet DNA By Ancestry?
This dog DNA test can give you insight into your pup’s breed makeup, appearance, behavior, possible health issues common with his breeds, and more.
Breed Identification
Ancestry’s scientists test your dog’s DNA against more than 400 breeds from around the world, looking for specific genetic markers unique to each breed. This lets them tell you all the breed types found in your unique pup and the percentage of each breed. Understanding your furbaby’s genetic roots can tell you a lot about his temperament and appearance.
Also, knowing your dog’s breed makeup can inform you about each breed’s health concerns. This invaluable knowledge allows you and your vet to develop a better health plan for your pup. It also informs you about early warning signs to look out for so you can take preventive measures.
Genetic Traits
Several known common genetic markers across different breeds influence a dog’s physical and behavioral attributes. Know Your Pet DNA analyzes your dog’s DNA for more than 30 traits, which may shed insight into your pup’s personality, behavior, and physical appearance. So traits like fur color, separation anxiety, and fear of loud noises are assessed based on the likelihood that they were passed down genetically.
Find Genetic Matches
Finally, Know Your Pet DNA identifies genetic matches where your dog shares DNA with other canines in their database. Similar to what you can do with Ancestry’s human DNA testing results, you may be able to find your furry friend’s relatives and even connect with their owners.
How Does Know Your Pet DNA Work?
Ancestry makes the DNA testing process quick and simple. All you have to do is:
- You order their kit online.
- Once you receive your test kit, activate it online. If you already have an Ancestry account, simply sign in using your Ancestry credentials and register your kit using the unique activation code on the activation card included in the box. Otherwise, simply create an account on their website and register your kit.
- Gently swab your dog’s inner cheek for 30 seconds, until the swab is soaked. For best results, wait 30 minutes after your dog has had food or water to get the sample.
- Place the sample in the prepaid box, and send it back to the lab.
- In a few weeks, you’ll receive an email that your dog’s results are ready in your online account.
Price
What’s Our Final Verdict?
View Know Your Pet DNA on Amazon
Know Your Pet DNA is brand new. Because we take customer feedback into account in our reviews, it’s difficult for us to gauge how Ancestry’s Know Your Pet DNA testing kit compares to the best at-home DNA dog testing kits, like Embark and Wisdom Panel. With that said, Embark and Wisdom Panel also offer canine genetic health testing kits, while Ancestry doesn’t. That’s not a knock against Know Your Pet DNA at all. If you’re only looking for breed and trait information, we think this at-home DNA breed ID test is certainly worth your consideration, given Ancestry’s stellar reputation.
Tagged With: DNA