Discerning accuracy among DNA tests isn’t cut-and-dried because the companies are only as reliable as the science behind them. In 2019, Embark said its breed results were 95% to 99% accurate. At the time, Embark analyzed 110 times more genetic markers than Wisdom Panel, so its results were more granular (200,000 versus 1,800, respectively). Since Wisdom Panel used fewer data points, its results weren’t as precise, and it claimed a 93% accuracy rate. (Because DNA companies use proprietary technology, we couldn’t independently verify the accuracy of their breed and health reports.)
Wisdom Panel revamped its testing protocol in 2020 and now uses 100,000 genetic markers. The company claims the test’s reports are more precise but has declined to share an accuracy rate for its updated product.
Both companies claim to use the latest human genetics science to test each dog’s DNA, but as we discovered while covering human ancestry tests, big companies rely on algorithms, or guesses, to estimate ancestry percentages—so there’s no way to know their accuracy for sure. And a Genetics in Medicine report found that results from human genetic-testing companies were inaccurate 40% of the time.
