Understanding Your Dog DNA Results: A Section-by-Section Guide
We walk through every section of a dog DNA report: breed percentages, health markers, traits, Relative Finder, and the genetic diversity score, in plain English.
Your dog’s DNA report drops into your inbox 2 to 4 weeks after the lab receives the swab. The interface varies between Embark and Wisdom Panel, but the sections are roughly the same shape. Knowing what each section is actually measuring keeps you from over-reading or under-reading the result.
Breed percentages and confidence
The headline is the breed breakdown. Embark and Wisdom Panel both identify against a reference panel of 350+ breeds, varieties, and types as of early 2026. A purebred dog typically shows one breed at 95 percent or higher. A mixed-breed report shows multiple breeds, often with smaller fractions deeper down the list.
Confidence drops with smaller fractions. A 50 percent assignment is more solid than a 5 percent assignment. Embark labels the deepest, smallest fractions “Supermutt” when no specific breed reaches the confidence threshold. Wisdom Panel uses broader categories. Neither is a hidden breed; both are the algorithm’s honest admission that the signal at that depth is weak.
Health markers
Each screened variant gets a status of clear, carrier, or at risk. Embark screens 250+ conditions and Wisdom Panel Premium screens 210+. Clear means neither copy of the variant is present. Carrier means one copy, no expected disease, possible to pass to offspring. At risk means two copies of a recessive variant or one of a dominant variant, with elevated genetic risk that is not the same as a diagnosis.
Take any flagged result to your vet. Screening is screening; diagnosis is your vet’s job.
Trait predictions
Coat color, coat length, shedding, body size, and a handful of other physical traits are predicted from known marker variants. These tend to be accurate when the variants are well-characterized. Behavioral trait predictions are weaker; behavior is influenced by genes but shaped by environment and training.
Relative Finder
Embark Breed + Health includes Relative Finder, which matches your dog against other Embark-tested dogs with shared DNA. Half-siblings, cousins, and more distant relatives can show up if their owners also tested. Wisdom Panel does not offer this feature as of early 2026.
Genetic diversity score
Embark reports a genetic diversity score that estimates how heterozygous your dog’s genome is. Lower diversity is more common in tightly bred purebreds; higher diversity is typical of mixed-breed dogs. The score is more useful for breeders than for typical pet owners.
What to do next
If your report flagged health markers, book a vet appointment and share the report. If the breed result was a surprise, see our guide on dog DNA vs breeder papers. For the mechanics of how the test arrived at the answer, read how dog DNA tests work and dog DNA breed identification explained, or return to the pet DNA testing guide.