If you’re a dog owner, you’ve probably seen ads for dog DNA tests online. These seem to be increasingly popular, as dog owners look to solve the mystery of the genetic makeup of their dog. Instead of telling people you have a “mutt”, you are now able to find the exact breed components of your dog. This may help explain certain traits or coloring your dog has. Whether you have what you think is a purebred dog or a mutt, you can finally find out what exactly your dog is made of. Wisdom Panel is one of several dog DNA tests you may find online. Continue reading for our Wisdom Panel dog DNA test review.
(Some links in this post are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them at no extra cost to you.)
What is the Wisdom Panel DNA test?
Wisdom Panel is a dog and cat DNA test that can help determine breed makeup, health information, and behavioral traits. By analyzing genetic information, a profile can be created for each pet.
Ordering and Testing Process
There are three testing tier options – Breed Discovery, Essential, and Premium. Check out the Wisdom Panel website to read about the differences and take their quiz to see which panel is right for your pet.
Once you’ve selected your test, the testing kit will arrive in the mail shortly after in a small box. The box will contain the swabs you need to collect the DNA along with easy to follow instructions on collection. You simply swab your pet’s cheek and gums for 15 seconds, let the swabs air dry for 5 minutes, label the information, activate your kit, then package and mail out your kit in the prepaid box. The help section on their website does state if for some reason your swabs don’t contain enough DNA, they will send out a free replacement kit to recollect the data.
Swabbing tips: They do recommend waiting 2 hours after the pets last meal to swab. Water consumption is not an issue. I would recommend waiting until your dog is tired out to try to swab them, as they otherwise may try to chew the swab. My dogs weren’t that tired out, but I was still able to get sufficient swabs on them. You can get the swab in between their cheek and gums and roll the swab for the 15 sections.
By activating your kit online, you will have access to your profile and can follow the tracking information for your kit. This will let you know when Wisdom Panel receives your kit and then several other updates throughout the process until your results are back. I mailed my kit on a Saturday and by Wednesday was notified that my kit was received. It then took about a week for the results to be finalized and ready for review.
Wisdom Panel Dog DNA Test Results
Now for the fun part! After you’ve patiently waited to receive the word that the results in, you can dive into the data. Log in to your profile with your email and password to uncover all the exciting data. This will be broken down into four categories: ancestry, relatives, health, and traits and behaviors.
The ancestry section will give you a full breakdown of all the breeds in your pets genetic make up. Wisdom Panel can detect over 368 different breeds. For my mixed breed, they detected 17 different breeds!
The relative section is a fun way to see if your pet has any relatives in the Wisdom Panel database. This includes close relatives, extended relatives, and distant relatives. My dog has 35 relatives in the database. You are able to click through the relatives and view their profile. You are also able to send an email to the pet owner if you’d like to connect (you can opt out of this if you’d like). I do believe the accuracy of this, as the two littermates of my puppies are in the database and did show up as close relatives.
The health section includes genetic testing with certain health conditions that could impact your pet. Depending which Wisdom Panel you selected, this may include more or less information. For the Essential panel I selected, it tested for 30 genetic conditions. The Premium panel includes 235+ health tests. You are able to upgrade later on if you’d like without needing to send in another sample. This can be done through your profile on the website.
The traits and behaviors section includes a number of interesting genetic traits on your pet such as coat color/type and body features such as head shape, ear type, and eye color. It also looks at behavioral traits, although the Essential panel only includes two of these (nesting and crosses paws). You do need to upgrade to the Premium panel for additional behavioral traits. Like the relative section, I do trust the accuracy of this section, as coat color, coat type, ear type, snout length, and eye color were all very accurate for my dog (and this was before I ever even uploaded a picture of my dog onto his profile!). This section also includes a weight guide to provide an ideal weight range based on several different genes.
Accuracy of Wisdom Panel
According to their website, Wisdom Health is the “world leader in canine genetic testing.” They analyze numerous genetic markers and utilize an advanced computer program to analyze all the data in order to provide the results. Essentially, they use an algorithm to compare your pet’s genetic makeup to that of over 350 breeds to get the closest matches. They do use a “human-grade” lab to process all of the samples. While they cannot guarantee a specific level of accuracy, they do focus their research on a number of factors to provide the most accurate results they can. The accuracy can be dependent on the quality of the DNA sample, so it is important to follow the directions closely to provide the best sample.
Why do Wisdom Panel dog DNA testing?
While some may consider this a frivolous thing to do, many dog lovers want to know everything there is to know about their pet! Even if you have an idea what breed your pet is, you may find some surprising information through the DNA testing. But what is the point of knowing this? For some, you may simply want to know your pet’s genetic makeup out of curiosity. For others, you may want to learn this information to help you learn why your dog has certain traits and behaviors. This can helpful with dog training and understanding why your pet acts the way it does. The health information can help you and your vet take charge of your pet’s health and wellness.
The more genetic information in the database, the more information available for genetic research for dogs, so you’re not only learning more about your dog, but you’re helping researchers with scientific discoveries for dogs in general.
Pros and Cons of dog DNA tests
Pros
- Easy collection and interpretation of results
- Quick turn around time
- Comprehensive insights on breeds and certain health genes
Cons
- Cost
- Potential for unexpected breed results
- Limitations with health information, negative health info can lead to anxiety about pet’s health
Final Verdict: Is Wisdom Panel Worth It?
If you’re truly curious about your pet’s genetic makeup, I feel the Wisdom Panel is worth the money. They often run sales to help with the cost, so if cost is a concern, wait until you see a sale to purchase or put it on your Christmas list for someone to gift to you. The information is fun and informative for any dog lover. This will help you understand your pet better to build a life long bond.
Have you had any experience with dog DNA testing? Share in the comments below if you had any surprising or interesting results about your pup!
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