Know Your Pet DNA By Ancestry Review & Our Personal Experience

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 worldwide depend on Ancestry for this company’s long commitment to scientific integrity. My family has located several living relatives and discovered multiple ancestors using Ancestry’s DNA testing.

As a pup owner who’s researched dog DNA testing for years for Canine Journal, I was excited to see that Ancestry is now bringing its DNA expertise to our furry friends. Ancestry’s Know Your Pet DNA test kit promises to deliver us dog owners the most scientifically accurate DNA results to determine our pup’s unique breed makeup, traits, and more.

The breed test has been on the market for about a year, and the health test was released in October 2024. In late 2023, I put the breed kit to the test to see what it ccould deliver compared to similar breed ID tests you can order online. I also just upgraded my account to reveal health insights. Read on to learn more in our Know Your Pet DNA by Ancestry review.

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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, 200 genetic health risks, 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 You Learn From Know Your Pet DNA By Ancestry?

The breed DNA test can give you insight into your pup’s breed makeup, appearance, behavior, possible health issues common with his breeds, and more. You must purchase the Breeds & Health test for genetic health screening.

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 Health Risks

Ancestry’s scientists analyze your pup’s DNA for nearly 200 genetic health mutations.* This analysis involves looking for genetic markers that are currently known to be associated with particular canine diseases and conditions. As a comparison, Embark and Wisdom Panel’s health tests screen for about 70 additional genetic health mutations. Your dog’s test results will indicate whether he’s clear, at-risk, or is a carrier (has one gene variant but is not at a higher risk) for these known mutations.

* It’s important to keep in mind that dog DNA tests can only screen for genetic markers that current science has identified with certain conditions. DNA science is still evolving, so it’s highly likely that other genetic components not yet discovered contribute to many diseases. This means that if your pup’s results come back clear, he could still potentially develop a condition. Be sure to share your results with your veterinarian.

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.

See Genetic Matches

Finally, Know Your Pet DNA identifies genetic matches where your dog shares DNA with other canines in their database.

How Does Know Your Pet DNA Work?

Ancestry makes the DNA testing process quick and simple. All you have to do is:

1. You order their kit online.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Place the sample in the prepaid box and send it back to the lab.
5. In a few weeks, you’ll receive an email that your dog’s results are ready in your online account. 

Price

• $69.00 – Breeds Test
• $99.00 – Breeds & Health Test

My Personal Experience With Know Your Pet DNA By Ancestry

I adopted Tiny from our local ASPCA when he was about six months old. According to the shelter, his previous owners claimed that he was part Cocker Spaniel and part Pug. Our veterinarian suspected some Pug. But I really didn’t know what he was for years. Thanks to Ancestry’s Know Your Pet DNA test, I now have a better idea.

As promised, I got Tiny’s results within three weeks after Ancestry received his sample. Getting his sample was easy; it only involved getting a simple cheek swab, which I placed into the included packaging and mailed to the lab. Here are the results I received to give you an idea of what to expect.

When you log in to your account, you’ll see a dashboard that gives you a brief overview of all of your results. You can then click on each section to get more in-depth details. Of course, I was most interested in my Tiny’s breed makeup, so that’s where I headed first.

Breed Report

Even though Tiny’s previous owners had mentioned Cocker Spaniel, I had always found that a bit suspicious because he doesn’t have the typical coat of a Cocker. So, I was still surprised when the results said that he’s 66 percent Cocker, along with the other breeds that make up my unique pup.

When you’re on the breed report, you can click on each breed to learn more. It gives you a ton of information, including each breed’s lifespan, physical traits, temperament, history, and more. Your report also has advice on how to care for each breed, with detailed information on nutritional, exercise, grooming, and training needs.

Genetic Health Risks

The Breeds & Health test screens for nearly 200 genetic mutations that are associated with inherited health conditions. This report is broken down by clear results, noteable results, and increased risks. I found their results somewhat similar to other at-home dog DNA tests I’ve done with Tiny. One suprising omission? Tiny has tested at risk for Brachycephaly with two other tests but came back clear with this one.

Ancestry’s test also found him to be a carrier for several genetic conditions, including Progressive Rod-Cone Degeneration and May-Hegglin Anomaly (MHA). This would be helpful if I had planned on breeding him.

Physical Traits

The physical trait report is also informative, particularly from a scientific perspective. It helps you understand what genes your dog has or has not inherited. When you click on each trait, the report tells you the location of the gene region they tested (e.g., MSTN for muscle mass) and gives you detailed information about how each gene mutation works. Ancestry even includes scientific study references on each trait page.

Behavioral Traits

The behavioral trait results also give you the same type of information as the physical traits. Many of Tiny’s results are dead-on, like his separation anxiety and unwillingness to share. However, some miss the mark. Tiny has a definite fear of loud noises and tends to snap at new dogs.

Genetic Matches

Tiny’s report also included genetic matches of dogs that have some shared DNA with him. They include the percentage of shared DNA for each match. With each match, you can compare the breeds they have in common. Unlike Wisdom Panel and Embark, however, there’s no way to connect with the owners of your pup’s matches.

What’s Our Final Verdict?

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Know Your Pet DNA Breeds & Health is a new test. Because we take customer feedback into account in our reviews, it’s difficult for us to gauge how this testing kit compares to the best at-home DNA dog testing kits, like Embark and Wisdom Panel. That’s not a knock against Know Your Pet DNA at all. I had a positive experience and think this at-home DNA test is certainly worth your consideration, given Ancestry’s stellar reputation.

Why Trust Canine Journal?

Sally has over 20 years of experience in human health sciences communications, including 10 years as an expert on pet health conditions and treatment. She’s also spent over a decade researching at-home pet DNA, allergy, wellness, and other types of tests. At Canine Journal, she’s part of a team of dedicated canine professionals and long-time dog owners, who test and research the best pet products, not only for our own pups but for all of our readers.